Following is the text of UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s video message for the Doha International Family Institute’s high-level conference on “Marriage: Formation and Constituents of Stability”, held today:
Dear ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you for the opportunity to address you today. The Doha International Family Institute has been an important partner and advocate for family-oriented policies and programmes in support of the 2030 Development Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.
The COVID-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to families around the world impacting many spheres of family life, including care, work-family balance, gender equality and intra-familial relations. The pandemic also made clear that families — our networks of support and building blocks of communities — come in many forms. Recognizing the diversity of families, and the duties of responsibility each has to respect for the other, and equality within the family, is crucial to formulating effective policy.
For some, families proved to be irreplaceable economic and care providers, providing shelter from the worst effects of the pandemic. But, for far too many, the compounded economic and social crises have been undeniable, and this has played out in the home. Levels of violence against women and children have escalated, inequalities have accelerated, and the burden of care for women has affected physical and emotional well-being.
Vulnerable families have been especially hard hit by so many factors, including unemployment and financial insecurity, precarious housing conditions, lack of access to online schooling and loss of nutrition due to school closures. Children’s behavioural, physical and mental well-being have been negatively impacted. And relationship quality and overall family‑life satisfaction has suffered.
By examining these issues from multiple perspectives, we can forge long-term solutions to the crises we face. Secretary-General António Guterres has urged Governments to prioritize preventing and ending gender-based violence in their COVID-19 response plans. Some 146 Member States and observers are answering the call, increasing resources and taking innovative action to protect women and girls. He has also emphasized the need to target women in economic stimulus plans, and to invest in the care economy as a key path to recovery to inclusive and equal societies. When we invest in women, we see exponential gains for the family and community.
Our health and economic responses must be attentive to securing the rights and protection of every individual, within whatever family unit they choose. Healthy family relations are an important component of mental health and community prosperity. Efforts like yours today can help us formulate policies and programmes which respond to this need. I wish you productive deliberations. Thank you.
