A/HRC/45/14 systems targeted at older persons with disabilities and those targeted at younger persons with disabilities and/or those targeted at older persons who have acquired disability earlier in life.35 Data sets should include an indicator about the existence of national legislation or policy stipulating equal access to care and support regardless of age. Data-collection efforts also need to be expanded to measure the risk of multiple discrimination, as well as the intersection of old age with other characteristics. 59. The old-age dependency ratio, 36 which is widely used, assumes that any person above a certain age is economically dependent. It does not consider that older persons are living healthier lives, continue being engaged in economic and informal activities and contribute actively in many different roles to society. Data that portrays older persons as passive recipients of benefits nurtures and perpetuates stereotypes. Collating data that corroborates the contributions of older persons is necessary in order to redress the image and position of older persons in society. Data should be geared towards breaking down stereotypes and tackling all forms of discrimination against older persons. 2. Violence, abuse, maltreatment and neglect 60. Data on experiences of violence, abuse, maltreatment and neglect in later life is largely missing. 37 Demographic and health surveys, despite their potential for filling informational gaps, typically exclude from their remit women aged 50 and over, and men aged 55 or 60 and over, for instance. 38 Abuse of older persons therefore remains largely invisible. This has wide repercussions, as these data sets form the basis for reporting on progress in the context of the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 5 in regard to violence against women. 61. Moreover, experience shows that, even without age cut-offs, older persons are rarely part of surveys on violence, and that indicators used may not be suitable for detecting all manifestations of violence against and abuse of older persons. Abuse of older persons cannot be equated with gender-based violence in terms of causes, manifestations, perpetrators and consequences. Existing surveys – even if they were to be extended to the older population – are not apt for uncovering violence against and neglect of older persons, in particular the structural causes, including institutionalized ageism and lack of resources, which are prevalent in care settings. 62. The WHO Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health, 39 for example, though it focuses on older persons, does not include a module on violence, maltreatment, abuse or neglect. Questions around safety, health status and injuries can partially disclose whether injuries were intentionally inflicted by others, but cannot detect all forms of physical violence, for example when it did not result in injury – such as kicking or pushing. 40 Likewise, there is no measurement of verbal, emotional, sexual and financial abuse or neglect, nor reporting about the relationship between the perpetrator and the victim, that is, whether it is a relative or an informal or formal caregiver. 63. The lack of detailed information and analysis limits the possibility of revealing abuse patterns and determining the gaps in existing interventions, as well as of identifying concrete action that is needed to further protect older persons. To understand violence against and abuse of older persons, it is necessary to identify particularly vulnerable groups and risk factors – for example, the lack of legislation to prevent and address abuse, as research shows that older women are often excluded from legislation on domestic 35 36 37 38 39 40 14 See A/74/186. See www.oecd-ilibrary.org/docserver/pension_glance-2017-22-en.pdf? expires=1583244426&id= id&accname=guest&checksum=5357EA66F290291524E95D537636731F. Economic Commission for Europe, Policy Brief on Ageing No. 14: Abuse of Older Persons; and HelpAge International, “How data systems leave older people behind”, 2017. HelpAge International, “Global AgeWatch Insights: The right to health for older people, the right to be counted”, 2018. See www.who.int/healthinfo/sage/en/. HelpAge International, “How data systems leave older people behind”.