Gender Equality and Children's Rights in Contemporary Families

"As we shape a new sustainable development agenda and strive for a world of dignity for all, let us stand united for women’s and children’s rights in families and societies at large."

- United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon

As the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon stated in his message dedicated to the International Day of Families 2015 "discriminatory laws and practices that do not give equal rights to all, and that suppress women’s and children’s rights, have no place in contemporary families, communities, societies and nations". This year's commemoration of the International Day focused on the role of men, gender equality and children's rights in contemporary families. The issues were discussed in detail during a commemorative panel discussion on Friday, 15 May, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.

The event moderator, Dr. Patrick Parkinson, Professor of Law at the University of Sydney, Australia and a specialist in family law, child protection and the law of equity and trusts, led of the discussion with an illustrative reflection on the importance of equality in families. "Families, first and foremost must be safe for women and children," he said. "[families] must be stable, absent conflict and violence, and they need to be nurturing places were children can thrive. That cannot happen unless there is some degree of equality within the family".

Among the panelists, Ms. Marwa Sharafeldin, a women’s rights activist based in Cairo, also gave particular focus to issues of equality. Giving particular focus to Muslim family dynamics and Islamic law, Ms. Sharafeldin stated that "reform of Muslim family laws is very possible and it is necessary." She noted that the basis of Muslim law on religion should neither be a hindrance to reform nor to the aspiration for equality and justice in the Muslim family.

Dr. Fareda Banda, Professor of Law at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in the University of London covered gender equality and children’s rights in family laws from an African perspective. Dr. Banda highlighted the achievements accomplished in the African continent since 1994, among which was the adoption of the African Protocol on Women's Rights. According to Dr. Banda, the Protocol "recognized African challenges when it comes to gender equality and women's rights in general". Dr. Banda also expressed her gratitude towards African States that have ceased to use African customs and traditions as an excuse to violate the rights of women and children, without of course undermining the importance of African cultures. She also highlighted the diversity in family dynamics among the fifty-four African states and clarified that it is quite challenging to give a unified "African" perspective on the issues discussed.

Apart from gender equality and women's and children's rights, special attention was also given on the issue of family violence with a special focus on the Indian subcontinent presented by Ms. Basu, Associate Professor of Gender and Women’s Studies and Anthropology at the University of Kentucky.

Ms. Basu stated that there is still work to be done when it comes to family laws in South Asia since the majority of laws are "still inequitable with areas pertaining to gender violence".

Prof. Frank F. Furstenberg, Jr., a Zellerbach Family Professor of Sociology, Emeritus, and Research Associate in the Population Studies Centre at the University of Pennsylvania. Professor Furstenberg Jr. focused his presentation on the changes contemporary families have undergone in the past decades, particularly in western countries and the US. As he noted "among the major descriptive changes throughout the west that have caused changes in family are: the breaking down of the link between marriage and sex, the weakening of the institution of marriage, the delay of family formation, as well as the growth of non-marital childbearing". According to Prof. Furstenberg, these socio-economic changes have "permitted the creation of more alternative forms of family". He also noted that, interestingly enough, "in the US and increasingly in anglo-countries, these changes have interacted with the growing income inequality that all OECD countries have experienced".

For individual statements from the panelists on highlights from this year's commemorative event please click on the pictures below.

For access to the full webcast of the event please click here.

For the full UN Secretary-General's message for the International Day of Families 2015 please click here.

For a video message from the Director of the United Nations DESA Division for Social Policy and Development dedicated to the International Day of Families 2015 please click here.

Source: UNDESA-DSPD