India, Dec. 9 -- Every Human Rights Day is a reminder that human rights never expire. Yet as populations age, the promise of universality remains uneven in practice. For many older persons-especially older women-rights that should be inherent often erode quietly, shaped by lifelong inequalities that accumulate into insecurity, isolation and invisibility in later life.

At last month's Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha, governments and experts from every region underscored a transformational shift: Demographic change is no longer a background trend. It is a structural force shaping economies, labour markets, care systems and social cohesion simultaneously. The Summit's discussions made clear that ageing, gender equality an...