I was thinking, women live longer than men so shouldn't that mean the men should retire early?
Back then women did more work than the men after retirement, they were looking after the home and the family AND working
before retiring (some would say that is still the case more than not!)
Men would work and go to the pub leaving the woman at home! (some would say this is still the case too!!
)
So, honestly by the age of 60, that kind of woman could do with not having to work along with everything to be done at home/local community, and I think that is fine, especially when it means the man can go to the pub and not do stupid housework/looking after family, that's what some of the weekend was for, duh!
Hold on, does that mean women retiring at 60 was a form of patriarchal control?
I think this may partly be why less women drop dead after retiring, because they still had the other stuff in their lives to keep them busy... whereas men tend to die more after retiring (could be length and type of working life there for a man dont get me wrong) because men valued themselves on the work they did for the main part so a bigger part of that type of man dies alongside the death of their work.
Anyway *shakes 8 ball* it will be interesting seeing how it all went when we get a few decades into the future and look back eh!