All set for International Families Day

THE Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development has set a roadmap to commemorate International Families Day.

The event will take place on May 18 in Mutare with gender-based violence a key part of the activities.

Speaking during a press conference, Minister Sithembiso Nyoni, said this year’s commemorations will be run under the theme ‘Families and Urbanisation.’

Minister Nyoni said this year’s commemorations were meant to highlight challenges faced by families in pursuit of urbanisation and come up with ways to make urbanisation strategies and processes more family-centred.

“Urbanisation is a unique developmental phenomenon that has impacted the existence of the family unit over time. It has exposed families to a multitude of socio-economic experiences since its inception at the start of the modern, industrial era.”

Urbanisation has led to an increase in demand for products, services and amenities such as housing, education, health care, security and economic opportunities.

“Life has since been made to adjust to the new normal, and families in the urban set-up still need a lot of support to adjust and recover from the effects of the pandemic.” said Minister Nyoni.

“There is need to increase the development of urbanbased systems and infrastructure to provide effective and holistic services to survivors of gender-based violence.”

She said her Ministry, with the help of the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare has so far taken 157 children into safer homes.