Exclusion from social relations (ESR) in older age is associated with worse quality of life and adverse mental health outcomes. Recent evidence suggest that the perception of solitude and the evaluation of existing social networks modify the disadvantages of ESR among excluded older persons. This presentation takes a gender perspective on the topic, bringing together the quantitative evidence of the GenPath project. The results of the project suggest that over and above loneliness and objective ESR indicators, the perception of solitude and the evaluation of existing social relations modify the gendered risks of depression in older age. The findings also reveal a northwest to southeast gradient in objective ESR states, with the rates in southeast Europe to be pronounced among older women. It is concluded that objective and subjective factors at the micro and macro levels may shape gendered disadvantages among older persons who are challenged by ESR states.