Arab Family Forum on Marriage Kicks off in Doha

Doha, December 02 (QNA) - The Arab Family Forum on Marriage: Research and Policy Perspectives, organized by Doha International Family Institute (DIFI), a member of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, kicked off today in the presence of HE Vice Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation (QF) Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al-Thani. The two-day forum at Qatar National Convention Center aims to provide an interactive platform to discuss the findings of the Institute's State of Marriage in the Arab World report, with the participation of a range of policy makers, researchers, experts, service providers, representatives of civil society and regional organizations. In this context, Executive Director of the Doha International Family Institute Sharifa Noaman Al Emadi, confirmed that this report, which lasted more than two years is the first of its kind in the Arab world in terms of its comprehensiveness, where it addressed the state of marriage in the Arab world in the 22 Arab countries. This report also represents an important addition to the Arab Library in covering the various shortcomings in knowing the current and future trends of marriage, the factors that have shaped it and its formation, and the obstacles and challenges facing it throughout the Arab world. Sharifa Noaman Al Emadi stressed the importance of the subject of the report, on marriage and the challenges facing it, pointing out that the patterns of marriage were in the past simple and few, but after the conflicts in the region emerged different models and many types of traditional types of marriages. She pointed out that one of the most important points noted in the report is the return to "marriage of minors", which increased in the conflict areas such as Yemen (60 percent) and Syrian refugee women (24 percent) and its impact on the increase of problems and family disintegration. She pointed out that the report also touched on the high rate of divorce and its relationship to the work of women and the late age of marriage and domestic violence and the impact on children and family stability. For her part, HE Head of Social Affairs sector at the League of Arab state Ambassador Dr. Haifa Abu Ghazaleh, expressed her gratitude to Doha International Family Institute for the great effort in preparing this report and organizing this forum, which discusses the changes and developments affecting the institution of marriage. Her Excellency pointed out that the institution of marriage suffers from serious crises, statistics confirm that the cases of separation and divorce exceeded the limits of the norm. HE Abu Ghazaleh pointed out that public policies often ignore the role of the family in economic and social development, although it is the first and most important social institution. HE Dr. Haifa Abu Ghazaleh stressed the need for the family to be the center of the economic and social development program because achieving any progress in the well-being of the family reflects positively on the welfare of society. HE adeed that the Women, Family and Childhood Department of the League of Arab States prepared the "Platform for Action for the Family in the Arab Region in the context of the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals", which identified the challenges and constraints facing Member States in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals from a family perspective. Her Excellency stressed that the problems related to marriage are one of the most important challenges facing the Arab countries today and in the future due to the Arab societies' recognition of the high percentage of youth, estimated at 80 million in 2015, and this number is expected to increase to 100 million in the region in 2030. Her Excellency added that the biggest challenge facing the Arab family in a number of countries is the negative effects that have been reflected on them by the recent conflicts and wars that have accompanied the waves of displacement and asylum that have affected the family components and imposed new burdens on them, especially on women. Her Excellency stressed the need to review the conditions of marriage and the development of school and information programs on the institution of marriage and its objectives and to review the social methods that suffocate this holy institution day after day. (QNA)