As mulheres com mais de 60 anos e as políticas públicas no estado de Goiás

Abstract

The accelerated process of population aging in Brazil, particularly in the State of Goiás, highlights the need to deepen the debate on public policies directed toward older women, a group marked by specific vulnerabilities arising from the intersectionality of gender, class, race, territory, and socioeconomic conditions. Although legal frameworks such as the National Policy for Older Persons (1994) and the Statute of the Older Person (2003) exist in Brazil, there remains a significant gap between the formal recognition of rights and their effective implementation, especially with regard to older women. In Goiás, this discrepancy is evidenced by the fragility of social protection mechanisms, the insufficiency of programs addressing the specificities of older women, and the limited institutional action in confronting the inequalities that shape their experiences. The research, grounded in the analytical categories of gender, old age, and public policy, is supported by authors such as Scott, Saffioti, Crenshaw, Butler, Bosi, Debert, Beauvoir, Kalache, and Souza, articulating interdisciplinary debates that enable an understanding of female aging as a complex phenomenon that is politically and socially structured. Methodologically, the study combines documentary analysis, bibliographic research, and fieldwork, including semi-structured interviews with 31 older women residing in the municipalities of Goiânia, Inhumas, and Amorinópolis, as well as with public administrators responsible for actions targeting this population. The sample, defined according to criteria of age, socioeconomic, racial, educational, religious, and territorial diversity, enabled the collection of plural experiences, life narratives, and perceptions regarding aging, social rights, and access to public policies. The findings demonstrate that, despite the existence of legislation and institutional instruments—such as public funds and councils—public policies in Goiás do not adequately address the specificities of older women, revealing low effectiveness, lack of continuous monitoring, and insufficient actions aimed at preventing violence, ensuring income security, promoting health, and fostering social inclusion. The analysis reinforces that the historical invisibility of female old age, including within feminist movement debates, contributes to the persistence of structural inequalities and ongoing violations of human rights in old age. It is concluded that there is an urgent need for more articulated, territorially sensitive public policies attuned to the multiple dimensions of the experience of aging as a woman in Goiás. The study contributes to the academic field by filling regional research gaps and to the social sphere by providing empirical and theoretical insights capable of guiding managers, professionals, and institutions in formulating fairer, more effective practices committed to the well-being and autonomy of older women.