Doha conference to present new visions for the future of family

Dr Sharifa Noaman al-Emadi, Executive Director of the Doha International Family Institute (DIFI), a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, has stressed that the 30th anniversary of the International Year of the Family Conference, which will kick off on Wednesday under the title: "Family and Contemporary Megatrends", is a call to action, a platform for presenting new and sustainable visions for the future of the family in the contemporary world, and a forum for understanding and keeping pace with the transformations and challenges facing families.

In an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), Dr al-Emadi said the conference would provide an interactive platform for policymakers, academics, experts, and stakeholders to discuss and exchange ideas on the latest evidence-based studies in order to come up with a deep understanding of the impact of megatrends, such as technological, demographic, and climate changes, and international migration, on the structure of the family.

The conference will be held on October 30-31 at the Qatar National Convention Centre. Preceded by a youth summit tomorrow, it will bring together leaders from different countries of the world.

Dr al-Emadi termed the conference an opportunity for dialogue and discussion about the future of the family, and an invitation to the international community, organisations, stakeholders and decision-makers to support and empower the family at the global level and enhance international awareness of its crucial role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, with a focus on issues related to mental health, education, and children's well-being, hoping for building strategic partnerships to develop innovative solutions that ensure the prosperity of current and future generations.

She explained that the conference will discuss demographic trends, such as declining fertility rates and ageing societies in sessions that will review the challenges and policies aimed at increasing fertility, and those that can improve the balance between work and family life.

She pointed out that innovative solutions will be proposed and presented by experts and participants with the aim of enhancing these policies. In addition, existing and required policies regarding the impact of digital technology on children's well-being will be addressed, while reviewing appropriate solutions on how to benefit from new digital technologies and programmes, social media and their impact on marital relations, as well as the impact of artificial intelligence on family privacy, and its role in empowering people with disabilities, with a special focus on upgrading education and learning tools for adults and children, including design and planning for elderly care.

The discussion in the climate change axis will centre on designing family-friendly cities and solutions that rely on natural resources in the surrounding environment to deal with contemporary challenges, such as forced migration resulting from climate change, food insecurity, and environmental anxiety.

She said the conference's outcomes are expected to contribute to drawing a clear roadmap for the next 10 years in relation to family support and protection policies at the local and international levels.

This map will focus on developing innovative policies that respond to the challenges of demographic and technological transformations, the impact of climate change, and international migration in order to ensure the stability and prosperity of families in the face of these transformations.

The conference, she added, will seek to provide comprehensive recommendations aimed at enhancing family empowerment programmes and developing legislation that ensures the protection of families from future challenges.

Regarding DIFI's role in developing the recently announced flexible and remote work system in the government sector, Dr al-Emadi said that the institute presented recommendations regarding the system which later led the Civil Service and Government Development Bureau (CGB) to implement it.

The DIFI study "Work-Family Balance: Challenges, Experiences and Implications for Families in Qatar" showed that long working hours lead to fatigue and stress among Qataris especially working mothers and thus affect the needs of the family, she said.

She added that the study indicated that 49.4% of male employees and 38.4% of female employees expressed dissatisfaction with their working hours, and in response to this, CGB announced a flexible and remote work system that allows Qatari female employees with children under the age of 12 to work remotely for one month annually.

Other provisions included reducing working hours for reasons such as disability, medical excuses and maternity benefits.

DIFI's recommendations which were presented to the Cabinet included granting maternity leave for at least three months with full pay and three optional months with half pay, granting fathers a one-week paternity leave, providing nurseries in workplaces, and creating special rooms for mothers to store milk.

It was also suggested that fathers accompany sick children during treatment as well as limit working hours in the public sector to a maximum of 30 hours per week.

Dr al-Emadi explained that this new system provides flexible work options so that working mothers can select working hours that best suit their family schedule and bring a balance between work and family which in turn helps them manage their time better.

She expressed her hope that this system will be developed to include giving sufficient paid leave for mothers after childbirth, in addition to providing support programmes for new mothers.

She stressed the importance of supporting persons with disabilities (PWDs) by providing the necessary tools and technology that would better help them perform their tasks more effectively, in addition to creating a work environment to meet their needs, providing flexible work options according to their health conditions, allowing PWDs to work remotely to avoid any difficulties during transportation, and providing individual support programmes to help them deal with daily challenges.

The DIFI executive director highlighted that the institute participated in formulating many family-related policies. It launched several prominent initiatives including the "Tansheeh" programme which is structured to protect teenagers from behavioural problems. The programme was implemented in all schools by the Ministry of Education and High Education in 2023.

She noted that DIFI additionally called for mandatory pre-marriage programmes to help reduce divorce rates and that the institute is currently working on developing a curriculum for family relations for secondary schools which is scheduled to be launched this year.

DIFI is also developing parenting programmes that were adopted by the Ministry to educate parents and provide them with the necessary skills and knowledge they need to upbring their children, Dr al-Emadi added.

Regarding DIFI's role on the regional and international scale, Dr. Al Emadi stated that the institute plays an influential role in family policies through its cooperation with United Nations (UN) agencies and the issuance of important reports including its report on "Framework of Family-Sensitive Social Protection" which it completed in cooperation with the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).

DIFI also worked with the League of Arab States on a first-of-its-kind survey evaluating marital relations during the first five years of marriage in the Arab world. In 2018, the institute established a partnership with the UN International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) to increase the presence of parental education programs across the Arab region, Dr. Al Emadi underlined.

She expressed her hope to achieve a long-term impact on the family policy by establishing a set of strategic priorities and ambitious initiatives through increasing the number of studies, developing more effective advocacy strategies, establishing strong partnerships, and designing special policies and programs to support PWDs, working mothers and families with low-income.

Executive Director of DIFI Dr. Al Emadi concluded her statements to QNA by saying that work is currently being made to implement innovative awareness and educational initiatives and programs, provide workshops and training courses aimed at professionals and decision-makers on best practices in supporting the family, in addition to establishing international research partnerships to exchange knowledge and expertise to improve family matters locally, regionally or globally.