As South Africa celebrates Youth Month, the country also joins the rest of the world today in raising awareness about the need to care for the elderly.

"As we mark Youth Day and Youth Month, we urge our youth to remember that they have a responsibility to look after the elderly in general, and their grandparents in particular," said Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, being marked today, was designated by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

This was done as an acknowledgement of the fact that elder abuse is a universal problem affecting society at large.

This year's theme is: "My World...Your World...Our World, Free of Elder Abuse".

Here in South Africa, various activities have been planned to commemorate the day by highlighting the need to care for and protect the elderly.

In this regard, the Cape Town based organisation, Action on Elder Abuse South Africa, is hosting fundraising and awareness events in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga to mark the day.

"We want to pledge our continued support to all stakeholders who are committed to fight elder abuse, and who are involved in various programmes to address the problem," the minister said.

According to the social development department, research demonstrates that there is a link between elder abuse, disempowerment and discrimination.

To effectively deal with this problem, the department partnered with the South African Human Rights Commission last August, to host a convention on the rights of older persons.

At this conference, a South African Older Persons National Forum was established to advocate on the rights of older persons, among others.

INPEA has also proposed a strategy focusing on empowerment, awareness, education, and intergenerational relationships.

"All of us have to work together to raise awareness, and ensure that perpetrators of this crime are brought to book. We must love, protect and care for our elderly. We must recognise and appreciate that they play a critical role in our communities," said Dr Skweyiya.

He said many orphans and vulnerable children in South Africa were cared for by grandparents, who continued to be the backbone of many families, giving children a sound beginning in life.

"Many also continue to contribute to the economic development of our country and remain economically active," he added.

According to the 2001 census, there are 3.2 million older persons in the country, the largest group being Africans who comprise 67.7 percent of the aged population.

The province with the highest proportion of older persons is KwaZulu-Natal with 19.6 percent; the Eastern Cape has 18 percent, followed by Gauteng with 16.6 percent and Limpopo with12.4 percent.

The province with the lowest percentage is Northern Cape with 2.1 percent. Owing to migration among younger persons, the number of older persons is higher in rural areas.

Provinces with a higher proportion of older persons have a lower category of people aged between 15 and 59 years (51.4 percent), potentially economically active citizens.

They also have an exceptionally high proportion of dependents, that is children aged 14 and under.

Almost half of older persons, 42.9 percent of them, have had no formal schooling.

Older persons living in urban areas are more likely to have had formal schooling, and generally to have progressed further in education than older persons living in rural communities, said the department.

Only 7.8 percent of elderly women had managed to finish school, compared to 10.7 percent of men.