Our discussion with Dr. Ayesha Al-Qahtani about “The role of the father in instilling language, values, and religion in children.”
The Doha International Family Institute (DIFI) co-sponsored and participated in a side-event organized by Family Watch International titled “The Family as Agent of Women’s Equality and Human Rights: Fulfilling the Promises of Beijing”.
The main objective of the side event was to explore the role of the family in promoting gender equality and respect for the fundamental human rights of women and girls, and address Member State obligations under Beijing to protect and strengthen the family so it can fulfill its role within society. The event was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on March 13th, 2015, during the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). The fifty ninth session of the CSW took place between March 9th till 20th 2015 and focused on the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
The event was also co-sponsored by the Group of Friends of the Family* and the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the UN in addition to non-governmental organizations including Family Watch International, the Foundation for African Cultural Heritage and the UN Family Rights Caucus.
The event, which was moderated by Mrs. Annie Franklin, Director of International Activities at the Family Watch International, began with a viewing of the video, sponsored by DIFI, on the “State of the Family in the World”, which was followed by an intervention by Ms. Noor Al Malki Al-Jehani, Executive Director of DIFI in which she discussed the importance of integrating the family in the post 2015 development agenda, as well as stressing that governments should strengthen family relationships as a strategy to speed up gender equality by applying a family lens in addition to the gender lens within national policies.
Ms. Al Jehani was followed by Mrs. Sharon Slater, co-founder of Family Watch International who was then followed by H.E. Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, followed by Dr. Theresa Okafor, Director of the Foundation for African Cultural Heritage, Ms. Lola Velarde, President of the Institute for Family Policy, and Ms. Pilar Vasquez Calva a lawyer and lobbyist.
*The Group of Friends of the Family is a voluntary association of like-minded countries committed to the protection of the family as the natural and fundamental group unit of society, entitled to protection of society and the State.
To read full text of Ms Noor Al Malki’s speech, please click here
The Doha International Family Institute (DIFI) has launched the OSRA research grant in its sixth cycle which is a research grant on Arab families and family policy related issues.
Find Out More
