Ageing, Gender, and Everyday Life: Lived Experiences of Older Women in Kamrup Metropolitan District, Assam, India

Abstract

Ageing is shaped by social, economic, cultural, and spatial inequalities, yet the experiences of older women in rapidly urbanising areas of Northeast India remain insufficiently documented. This study examined how gender and ageing intersect in the everyday lives of older women in Kamrup Metropolitan District, Assam. A qualitative narrative inquiry design was used, drawing on in-depth interviews with 30 older adults, comprising 15 women and 15 men, selected purposively across the urban district. Interview narratives were transcribed, translated where necessary, and analysed thematically through the United Nations’ Five Principles for Older Persons: care, dignity, independence, participation, and self-fulfillment. The findings indicate that older women, particularly widows, experienced greater financial dependence, reduced influence in household decisions, limited community participation, emotional isolation, and heightened concerns about safety and mobility. Lifelong inequalities in education, employment, income security, and caregiving responsibilities continued to shape women’s autonomy in later life. Although family support was present in many cases, it did not consistently ensure financial independence, social recognition, or opportunities for personal fulfilment. Older men generally maintained stronger links with occupational, civic, and community roles, whereas women’s experiences were more closely embedded in domestic and relational settings. The study highlights the need for gender-responsive ageing policies, accessible income support, financial literacy, community-based participation, and safer age-friendly urban environments. It contributes context-specific evidence on gendered urban ageing in an understudied region of India.