DIFI holds discussion on Family-Sensitive Social Protection project

DOHA: The Doha International Family Institute (DIFI), a member of Qatar Foundation (QF), has held a consultation meeting on Family-Sensitive Social Protection (FSSP) in collaboration with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).

The meeting, which took place in Doha, resulted from a joint project between DIFI and ESCWA to develop and promote a focus on families in social protection.  DIFI is scheduled to issue a preliminary report summarizing the proceedings of the meeting and the recommendations reached.

The objective of the joint DIFI/ESCWA project is to develop a conceptual framework for family-sensitive social protection, examine its rationale, collect evidence to support the proposal, and identify challenges associated with its design and implementation.

Commenting on the collaboration with ESCWA, DIFI Executive Director Noor Al Malki Al Jehani said: “Social protection is an important thematic area of DIFI’s work on family well-being, and increasing evidence shows that social protection measures lead to positive outcomes for families, especially on children’s education and general wellbeing.”

“Our collaboration with ESCWA helps to strengthen social protection for families and boosts the focus on major social policy initiatives to sustain families living in poverty and social exclusion, including single parents or large families, and families providing care to people with disabilities.”

She pointed out that social protection services remain an unfulfilled right for many vulnerable families, including those in the Arab region.

Deputy Executive Secretary of ESCWA Khawla Mattar said: “The UN regional commission serves an important role in providing and facilitating the social protection of families across the Arab region.”

“It is our aim to ensure policymakers direct special attention to women, who often bear the main responsibility for the wellbeing of their families; and to countries in conflict and crisis, where families are under unusual pressure and often torn apart”

Mattar stressed that ESCWA highly appreciates DIFI’S initiative to highlight the important contribution of families, cooperating and identifying the best ways to support them.