According to Russian law, older women retire several years earlier than men. Some citizens disagree with this, believing that the retirement age should be the same for everyone.
Prerequisites for establishing the retirement age
The right to retire to women at the age of 55 and men at the age of 60 was established in the USSR in 1932. Since then, the retirement age has not changed. This age difference is not accidental. The prerequisites for this arose in Germany at the end of the First World War. In those days, in this country, marriages were most often concluded between men and women, the age difference of which was just 5 years. In this regard, retirement was convenient for both of them, since it took place at the same time, and the man did not have to wait for the end of his wife's work for several more years.
This practice of approaching retirement age has spread to other European countries, including the USSR. However, over time, the age gap between husband and wife has gradually changed and at present can be quite different, including both its complete absence and the "preponderance" towards women, some of whom are older than their spouses.
Should the retirement age be equal?
There are two points of view regarding the correctness of the current retirement age for men and women. Supporters of the first of them argue that even if we take into account the absence of a noticeable difference between the age of a husband and wife in marriage, a woman should retire earlier than a man. There are several reasons for this. In particular, long-term work is more difficult for women, and by the age of 55, their ability to work becomes rather low. At the same time, they devote quite a lot of time to the birth and upbringing of children, as well as other responsibilities.
Those who disagree with this point of view argue that such a difference in retirement age is impractical both in demographic and economic terms. Currently, the average life expectancy of women is longer than that of men. They are less susceptible to some life-threatening diseases and can afford to work for a few more years before retirement. In addition, the early and inappropriate retirement of women harms the country's economy, reducing the number of professional staff and jobs, as well as reducing the amount of monthly income of workers who are forced to switch to pension subsidies.
Experts believe that the most appropriate would be to equalize the retirement age for men and women up to 62 years. It is this indicator that is permissible for all indicators: demographic, social, economic and others.
