Paternity leave tops UAE Family Policy
dubai — In a bid to promote a balance of roles when it comes to home life for Emirati families, the Ministry of Community Development on Sunday announced it is working towards establishing paternity leave grants for fathers.
As part of the National Family Policy, the Ministry will coordinate with the relevant local and federal entities to draft a paternity leave legislation. Additionally, it will look to bring in counselling services for fathers to enhance their role in the family.
This was just a number of the 36 initiatives laid down by the ministry on Sunday. They have been introduced to help create stability for Emirati families in the UAE.
Among the other projects announced by the ministry included drafting new regulations for child protection, and carrying out workshops and awareness campaigns for the youth and newlyweds.
The National Family Policy was announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, during a cabinet meeting last week to build a stable and responsible Emirati family.
Hessa Buhumaid, Minister of Community Development, said the ministry will extend its efforts to facilitate a healthy environment for Emirati families. “Modern life’s quick pace and changes definitely impact families, and therefore, the entire society,” said Buhumaid.
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com
dubai — The Ministry of Community Development (MoCD) is considering new laws, including paternity leave, to help Emiratis contribute to the social development of the country.
On Sunday, the MoCD launched over 36 initiatives to implement the National Family Policy and to create stable Emirati families. By the end of the year, a guidebook, which will help to have a stable family will be launched and distributed among Emirati families.
Meanwhile, the ministry will coordinate with relevant local and federal entities to implement the projects that include drafting of new regulations for child protection, granting paternity leave and carrying out workshops and awareness campaigns for the youth and newly-weds.
As many as 72 local and federal counselling centres will support the initiatives. Awareness programmes will be organised for children to protect them against abuse, and discounts arranged for those who desire to marry.
The National Family Policy was announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, during a cabinet meeting last week to build a stable and responsible Emirati family in line with the UAE Vision 2021 and UAE Centennial Strategy 2071.
The initiatives aim to bridge gaps in the policy’s six components of marriage, family relations, balance of roles, child protection, family protection and re-engineering the provision of family services.
Through the initiatives, the ministry will address challenges faced by Emirati families including high marriage costs, reliance on domestic helpers, raising children with two working parents, limited family counselling centres in the country and the need to develop communication between family members in modern life.
Hessa bint Essa Buhumaid, Minister of Community Development, said the ministry will extend its efforts to facilitate a healthy environment for Emirati families. “Modern life’s quick pace and changes definitely impact families, and therefore, the entire society,” said Buhumaid.
Coordinating council
To carry out the initiatives, the ministry will form a Coordinating Council for Family Policy that connect parties involved with families to the ministry under a unified vision, mission, policies, initiatives and objectives.
It will include about seven to nine representing bodies of parties involved in the family sphere, supported by the ministry. The initiatives will be followed up every quarter of a year, with constant communication with parties involved to ensure implementation.
Child protection
With female employees amounting up to 46 per cent in 2014 and 66 per cent in the government sector according to 2016 data, officials said there are many childcare challenges. To overcome this, the ministry will introduce programmes to help achieve worklife balance, including a ‘working from home’ initiative and awareness workshops, and reducing reliance on domestic help.
Marriage
The youth will be educated on the importance of family and sound financial planning. “The goal of each initiative is to prepare young people to assume their marital responsibilities and raise awareness on the
Modern life’s quick pace and changes definitely impact families, and therefore, the entire society.” Hessa Buhumaid, Minister of Community Development
importance of psychological and social harmony to achieve marital happiness,” said Buhumaid.
Through partnerships with economic and tourism institutions in UAE, the ministry will encourage discounts of facilities and halls to reduce marriage costs, especially for low income families.
Family relations
The ministry will launch a guide across the UAE to educate families on the rights and duties of family members, the general principles of marital relations and procedures that protect against family disintegration. Seventy-two local and federal counselling centres will be available, licensing marriage counselling centres’ requirements will be reviewed and amended.
Balance of roles
Paternity leaves will be discussed and counseling services offered for fathers to enhance their role in the family. Parents, widows and divorced women will also be advised through counselling services. A guiding programme will be dedicated for single parents, to empower and support them in adapting postdivorce life. The main objective of all this is ensuring family stability and cohesion.
Family protection
The ministry will target child protection institutions and bodies via programmes to educate staff on protecting the child’s psychological and emotional well-being.
Through interactive applications matched according to age, the ministry will focus on educating children on their rights and ways to protect them-selves against different kinds of abuse.
Programmes will also cater children living with divorced parents, to protect them against any exploitation or pressure exerted by either their parents.
Families will also be educated on drug prevention, and individuals trained in anger and emotion management courses.
Family services
The ministry will cooperate with federal and local entities to conduct field studies on Emirati families to collect data to help evaluate the status of families, number of divorce cases, fertility, marriage delays and other challenges.
The ministry will enhance and re-engineer services offered by family counselling centres and their beneficiaries, to ensure happiness.
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com