Doha: Ways to unify the regulations concerning the arrangements for working mothers, particularly maternity leave, were among the topics discussed at a forum held in the Qatari capital of Doha.
The Family Policy Forum, organised by the Doha International Family Institute (DIFI), highlighted current opportunities and challenges in family and work policies in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.
The two-day event, under the theme ‘Rethinking the Work-Family Reconciliation Policies in the GCC’, was held in collaboration with the Executive Bureau of the GCC Council of Ministers of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs, and brought together representatives from across the GCC, renowned social researchers and members of the public.
The forum examined how to modify work-family reconciliation policies in the GCC within local economic, cultural and demographic contexts, and explored possible alternatives appropriate for countries within the region.
“We brought together a select group of officials, civil society organisations, and researchers to rethink work-family reconciliation policies in GCC countries,” Noor Al Malki Al Jehani, executive director of DIFI, said. “The forum has managed to define the factors that influence these policies, the most important of which include the imbalance of the demographic structure and the high cost of financing social policies due to absolute dependency on the state. The participants suggested some important recommendations, which we will seek to adopt in collaboration with the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs in Qatar and the Executive Bureau of the GCC Council of Ministers of Social Affairs. We hope that the recommendations will be implemented so as to help families and working women in the Gulf area.”
Recommendations included re-evaluating current policies seeking to balance family and work responsibilities, devising a national policy for each GCC country in order to address the challenges facing families, preparing a guideline book, encouraging relevant partnerships to finance different programmes seeking to balance family and work responsibilities, and reviewing policies to adopt best practices in early childhood care.
DIFI, a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), says that through its various initiatives, it strives to offer support to Arab families and to preserve and protect the family unit by placing family issues at the forefront of the agenda of policymakers.
It also aims to address challenges of the modern age posed by globalisation, the digital revolution, and increasing access to the labour market for women.
