‘It’s the not being seen that is most tiresome’:Older women, invisibility and social (in)justice

Older women experience intersectional discrimination at the nexus of ageism and sexism. This is embodied, women’s ageing bodies being culturally devalued within youth-privileging cultures and the hyper-sexualisation of younger, able-bodied, women. Older women often face the dilemma of attempting to mask the signs of ageing or ageing “authentically” but encountering heightened stigma, prejudice and discrimination. Very old women in the fourth age who “fail” to age “successfully” are subject to extreme social exclusion. Many older women speak of experiencing a loss of visibility as they age, however how this occurs, and what it means, has not yet been analysed in depth. This is an important issue, as recognition - cultural status and visibility - is essential for social justice. This article reports on findings taken from a UK survey on experiences of ageism and sexism completed by 158 heterosexual, lesbian and bisexual women aged 50 to 89. Their perceived invisibility took five forms: a) being under-seen/mis-seen in the media; b) being mis-seen as objects of sexual undesirability; c) being “ignored” in consumer, social and public spaces; d) being “grandmotherised”, i.e., seen only through the lens of (often incorrectly) presumed grandmotherhood; e) being patronised and erroneously assumed to be incompetent. The findings are considered in relation to Fraser’s social justice model. The argument presented is that older women’s experiences of non-recognition and mis-recognition are profound sources of social injustice. Both increased visibility and cultural worth are needed for older women to enjoy the benefits of social justice in later life.