Age is one of the first things people notice about each other, and one of the least examined. The World Health Organization describes ageism as stereotypes, which is how we think, prejudice, which is how we feel, and discrimination, which is how we act, directed toward others or toward ourselves based on age. In its global report on ageism, WHO put it simply: ageism arises when age is used to categorize and divide people in ways that lead to harm, disadvantage and injustice.
WHO describes three levels where ageism shows up. Institutional ageism lives in rules and practices, such as a policy or habit that quietly steers training toward people early in their careers, or that assumes older staff are not interested in new systems. Interpersonal ageism shows up between people, such as patronizing an older coworker, dismissing a younger colleague's idea as inexperience, or joking about someone being too old to learn. Self-directed ageism is when people absorb these messages about themselves: I am too old to apply for that, or no one will take me seriously at my age.
Ageism is not only about older people. WHO notes that younger people also face age-based barriers, including limited say in decisions at work, and that in some regions younger people report more age discrimination than other age groups. In a state agency, that can look like assuming a newer, younger employee cannot lead a workgroup, or that an experienced employee near retirement should not be offered a development opportunity.
It is worth being careful with the numbers. WHO reported that about one in two people surveyed worldwide held moderately or highly ageist attitudes toward older people, based on a large multi-country survey. That tells us ageist attitudes are common. It does not tell us how often any particular workplace makes age-biased decisions, and it does not diagnose any individual. WHO also links ageism to poorer health and social isolation, though much of that evidence is associational rather than proof of cause. The practical message for a DHS team is modest and useful: age assumptions are common, they affect people at both ends of a career, and they are worth noticing in ordinary decisions.
