On 10 November, the 2nd APDA Executive Members’ Roundtable Meeting took place, having Ms. Higuchi Keiko as a guest speaker, who is a commentator and Chair of Women’s Association for the Better Aging Society (WABAS).

Under the theme of “The Era of Centenarians: the Spotlight is on Poor Older Women”, Ms. Higuchi explained the current situation of Japan as a super-aged society and the increase in the proportion of elderly women due to the difference in life expectancy between males and females, particularly the issue of poverty faced by elderly women who are unmarried or in irregular employment. Then she underlined the need for including “care for children and the elderly” in the “work and life balance” and creating an enabling environment for the “work, life, and care balance” in order to address the issue of poverty among elderly women.

In addition, Ms. Higuchi emphasized the importance of three types of “Shoku” (eating, working, and touching in Japanese) to live a fulfilling and empowered life in older age. “Eating” is for living; “working” means staying connected to society, which includes volunteer work and helping the local community while enjoying themselves; and “touching” represents interacting with people and building human relationships.