Robert Fitzgerald AM & Dr Marlene Krasovitsky will Address the National Press Club of Australia on "Why Australia needs Ageism Awareness Day!"
Ageism is stereotyping, discrimination and mistreatment of people based solely on their age. Ageism directed towards older people imposes a substantial cost to the Australian economy, impacts on productivity and damages the health and wellbeing of older Australians from all walks of life.
The problem is real and has devastating impacts. For example, surveys by the Australian Human Rights Commission and the Australian Human Resources Institute have revealed that age discrimination in employment begins much earlier than many people think with a high percentage of employers revealing a reluctance to employ people over 50. One in six organisations will not consider hiring people aged 65 and just over half are interested to a large extent in employing people over 50.
Ageism also has adverse impacts in many other sectors of the economy and the community including in aged care, health care and in the everyday life of older Australians. Ageism is a barrier to ageing well and the World Health Organisation has recognised that the damaging impact of ageism can shorten life spans by up to 7.5 years.
Ageism which diminishes the dignity and respect for older people contributes to the increasing level of elder abuse in Australia including by their own family members.
Dr Marlene Krasovitsky as a spokesperson for the EveryAGE Counts Campaign (the national campaign against Ageism) and Robert Fitzgerald AM as Australia’s Age Discrimination Commissioner will explain what ageism is and the extent of its adverse impact on the lives of Australians. They will outline the part we can all play to chart a course for Australia where people of all ages are valued and respected and their contributions are acknowledged.
The campaign against ageism is striving for a world where older people can participate on equal terms with others in all aspects of life.
BIO: Robert Fitzgerald AM
Robert Fitzgerald AM commenced as Age Discrimination Commissioner on 2 April 2024.
Mr Fitzgerald is a highly respected lawyer, human rights and social justice advocate, and a leading figure in the anti-discrimination space.
He had been the NSW Ageing and Disability Commissioner since 2019 and was previously an Australian Productivity Commissioner, NSW Community and Disability Services Commissioner, and Deputy Ombudsman.
He served as Commissioner on the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and was the Chair of the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission Advisory Board.
He has served on numerous NGO boards.
BIO: Dr Marlene Krasovitsky
Marlene is currently consulting to the World Health Organisation's Global Campaign to Combat Ageism. Marlene was formerly the Director and Co-Chair of EveryAGE Counts, Australia's coalition-led campaign against ageism.
Previously, Marlene was the Director of Willing to Work, the National Inquiry into Employment Discrimination Against Older Australians and Australians with Disability with the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC). This Inquiry was led by The Hon. Susan Ryan AO, former Age and Disability Discrimination Commissioner.
Marlene has worked in Commonwealth and State Governments and the not for profit sector in a range of executive, policy and operational roles as well as a number of major public inquiries including the Review into the Treatment of Women in the Australian Defence Force and the Special Commission of Inquiry into Child Protection Services in NSW.
Marlene has a PhD from Sydney University, an Executive Masters of Public Administration (ANZSOG), a Masters of Business Administration (University of Technology, Sydney) and is a registered psychologist.
