In day 15th May, celebrates the International Day of Families or, simply, the International Family Day. This day was defined on September 20, 1993, by deliberation of the General Meeting of United Nations Organization (UN). Since then, on May 15th, there have always been conferences and celebrations in various parts of the world to discuss and outline projects for the future of the family institution.
What is family?
It is known that the family, from a historical as well as a sociological point of view, is the elementary core of society, that is, a basic institution. The family functions as the first group of relationships in which individuals interact with each other. It was from the family nucleus that society as a whole took shape throughout human history. However, the decision of the UN, as an international organization, to choose a day to honor the family is related to the problems and transformations that this "social cell" has been presenting since the century XX.
Read too: Social institutions - understand what they are and their role in society
Issues involving the family today
after two wars that led to the deaths of tens of millions of people, including young soldiers and the civilian population, and the various regional civil wars that followed during the Cold War (and still continue in various parts of the globe), there was radical transformations in the social fabric. In several countries in Europe, for example, the population “got old”, that is, there was no balance between the number of elderly citizens and the number of young people in full conditions of work. In other regions, the opposite occurred.
In addition, the accelerated process of globalization, new work modalities and new habits, such as the option for housing in small apartments, the intensive use of technology, among other factors, contributed to the generations (grandparents, parents and children) were increasingly separated from each other. This is a phenomenon that interests and worries heads of state from around the world.
Added to these issues is the occurrence of abandoned children, early pregnancy, alcoholism, chemical dependency and domestic violence (against women and children), facts that are directly or indirectly related to the most elementary problems that arise within the nucleus familiar.
See too: Social inequality – another problem that affects families around the world
UN Statements on International Family Day
Generally, on every 15th of May, the UN Secretary General issues a press release or makes a statement regarding these issues and possible actions that can be taken regarding them. In 2012, for example, the then Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon made observations about the relationship between work and family, highlighting themes such as woman in the world of work and others more. See an excerpt of his statement:
This year's International Family Day highlights the need for a work-family balance. The aim is to help workers everywhere support financially and emotionally to their families, but also to contribute to the socio-economic development of their societies.
Current trends emphasize the growing importance of policies on the relationship between work and family. These trends include greater participation of women in the labor market, and increasing urbanization and mobility in search of employment.
As families become smaller and generations live apart, the extended family is less available to provide care, and working parents face increasing challenges.
In 2020, because of the pandemicin COVID-19, which affects several countries around the globe and emerges as one of the most challenging health crises in recent history, the UN highlighted the importance of protective measures for the most vulnerable families. Economic problems and insecurity about the future tend to increase violence against women and children, among other problems.
With this in mind, the UN stated that “support for vulnerable families, including those who have lost income, who have young children, the elderly and people with disabilities, is more needed now than Never."
The International Day of Families has exactly this purpose: to debate the issues that involve the family today and to propose measures to support those in vulnerable situations.
By Claudio Fernandes
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/datas-comemorativas/dia-internacional-das-familias.htm