International theme ‘Families in Development: Copenhagen & Beijing +25’ |15 May 2020
Today the Seychelles joins the world to commemorate the International Day of the Family, celebrated every year on May 15. This day was founded by the United Nations in 1994 as an effort to raise awareness on the importance of families, people, society and cultures around the world.
This year the world also celebrates the 25th anniversary of the World Summit for Social Development, Copenhagen Declaration and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, comes at a crucial time when the world is faced with the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected greatly on the family. This pandemic has shifted our focus from economic development towards the social development of national. This pandemic reminds the world of the importance of social well-being and the need for our social policies to have positive impacts on the lives of our most vulnerable population groups and families. It is the families that are bearing the consequences of the pandemic, caring for the most vulnerable, caring for out of school children and at the same time finding ways and means to work and provide for the family.
Under this difficult period in history it is the families that need to provide for the support, understanding and care. However, the foreseeable socio-economic effects of COVID-19 further pose the danger of poverty for the most vulnerable.
The role of the family was recognised as the key to development in the World Summit for Social Development, and after 25 years the message is more significant. The summit stated that “social development requires continuous efforts to reduce and eliminate major sources of social distress and instability for the family and for society” and the declaration recognises the family as the basic unity of society and acknowledge the importance of family role in development.
On the other hand, the Beijing Platform for Action further stressed on gender equality and the importance of protecting the most vulnerable groups of our society. Its vision was to transform the lives of women and girls in families, communities and economies. While families are often seen as the space where one can find love and security, it can be also the space where many suffer from violence especially girls and women. This remains a challenge for policymakers as what happens in the private confine of families are difficult to control, albeit the many policies to bring about change in gender equality in development, be it in the economy, education, health and in the social sphere.
After 25 years of gender equality and social development on the world’s agenda, the COVID-19 crisis brings about an opportunity for the world to re-think and transform our ways of development and how our society functions. It is an opportunity to bring about more emphasis on the importance of family role and individuals to transform our societies. It is an opportunity to rethink new ways to empower ourselves, our families and our communities.