Women and Dementia: A Global Research Review

The purpose of this report is to understand the main
issues affecting women in relation to dementia from
an international perspective. The report examines
the effect of gender on three specific groups: women
living with dementia; woman caring for people with
dementia in a professional caring role; women
undertaking an informal caregiving role for someone
with dementia.
The report also focuses on cross-cutting issues,
including factors affecting women in low and middle
income countries (LMICs); family structures and
kinship; and the effects of migration.
This report reviews the published English language
research literature on the issues affecting women in
relation to dementia from an international perspective.
Women make up a larger proportion of the older
population. In 2014, women accounted for 62 per
cent of people aged over 80. Population ageing
is particularly rapid in Africa, Latin America, the
Caribbean, and Asia. The prevalence of dementia
worldwide is increasing. By 2050 over 71% of people
with dementia will live in LMICs. The impact on women
will be greater than for men.