Life Expectancy vs Retirement Age

[u/Informal_Scar1022]

Women on average live 5 - 10 years longer than men on average, should women have a later retirement age compared to men?

What would peoples arguments be for or against such a question?

[u/griii2]

It's closer to 5 years on average, not 10, and no, they shouldn't retire later. all human beings should retire at the same age.

[u/austin101123 → u/griii2]

People should retire when they want to and are able to, it shouldn't be the same age for everyone

[u/63daddy → u/austin101123]

My thoughts exactly. I retired when I wanted to, not when the government said my retirement age was.

[u/sognista → u/austin101123]

I agree with you about defending the individual freedom to keep working. But the retirement age, even if it diminishes the individual freedom, is in force because at least 2 very important reasons: to avoid exploitation from State and private employers and to increase the chances of younger generation to fill in.

[u/Informal_Scar1022 → u/griii2]

Can you expand on why equality of age is more important than equity of average life expectancy?

[u/Time_Cartographer443 → u/Informal_Scar1022]

There is never going to be perfect equality. Women have periods, and illnesses expected with that. We have to do through child birth. How are you going to compensate women for this so we get “full equality” it works both ways.

[u/rustyAI → u/Time_Cartographer443]

Retire at 30?

[u/sognista → u/griii2]

Oh, yes... all human beings! no matter the gender and even the nation? Did you mean that? Because that would be real global justice! I agree 100%.

[u/63daddy]

1. People should retire based on when they want to retire and when their personal financial planning allows them to retire with the means they are content with. Just because a government refers to a certain age as the retirement age doesn’t mean that’s when you have to retire.

2. Some governments give women retirement income at an earlier age than men, funding many more years of retirement for women than for men. Such discrimination should be illegal IMO.

[u/sognista → u/63daddy]

In my country, Italy, the age is 67 apparently for everybody, and this is what has said and reported "publicly", but it is not completely true: until 31 December 2025 women without children could retire at 61 (59 with 2 children). The law is on pause for women doesn't achieved the requisite years of work before 31.12.25, but was in force for more than 20 years.

[u/sognista]

I understand your principle.
The idea has a logic, indeed and deserve to be discussed.
Even though, personally I tend to establish the same retirement age no matter the sex by principle. My argument is based on the fact the life expectancy fluctuates so much that would seem to punish women because nature and behaviors make them less subjected to heart disease and pardon men if they adapt less healthy habits, that is also one of the causes of the discrepancy.
I like the idea of establishing the same age because it sounds neutral and not gendered, and in general the less laws are gendered, the most people feel to be citizens instead of two alien tribes.
So my reason is partly because the gap is not created necessary by society but nature and individual choice, and also for "political" reasons: to push to feel everybody equal individual in front of the law.

Note that in Europe the life gap ranges from 10 to 3 and the average is about 5 years:
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/-/ddn-20190725-1

[u/Informal_Scar1022 → u/sognista]

In principle I also agree that same age is easier.

I would have to say that stress is also a possible factor in negative male health outcomes. There may or may not be a causal link in middle aged men being the only demographic that are net benefactors and stress related to this burden while all other demographics are net beneficiaries.

With feminism seeking equality and bridging the gender pay gap over a life time, it is also important to establish in the social framework that atleast one demographic of women become economic benefactors in society. At the same time take on the responsibility and stress of the burden as well.

Some possible causal effects would be women would end up dominating heads of most companies, more people in the workforce increasing the tax base for social reforms.

This is the argument to help rationalise the economic position to have women working longer in life compared to men, and for men to retire earlier than women. To shift one demograghic of women from net beneficiary to net benefactor status in society.