By Debo Omilani, LAGOS
The Executive Director of Support Towards Advancement Networking and Development for Women and children Foundation (STAND FOUNDATION), Ms. Olusayo Adeleye, has called for the right policies for strengthening and empowerment of the family as a panacea to the problems of society.
In a statement released in commemoration of the 2019 International Day of the Family, describing the family as a microcosm of society and the thread from which the fabric of society is woven, she posited that strengthening and empowering the family will translate to a saner, stronger and more efficient society.
Adeleye, a legal practitioner and women and children’s rights advocate said further that many of the problems we face now as nation are as a direct or indirect result of the fragmentation of the family with its attendant undesirable effects.
“if there is an attempt to compare the family unit as it was about 50 years ago to what it is now, we would have a clearer understanding of why we are today witnessing an upsurge in unsavoury events such as insurgency kidnapping, ritual killings, internet fraud, sexual offences and domestic violence, she said
She advocated for the formulation of various policies as well as the establishment and strengthening of requisite institutional frameworks to restore the lost glory of the family.
She added that the policies must be all-encompassing ranging from education, health including family planning and maternal health , childcare, counseling in appropriate situations, work-life balance and the abolition of harmful traditional practices that weaken the family such as some widowhood rites and inheritance laws.
She reiterated further that if the government can demonstrate firm commitment to the formulation and implementation of these policies, we would witness a dramatic turnaround for better in the society, while also advocating for awareness- raising campaigns for designing support and reinforcing the role of parents in raising children and helping to prevent the development of negative patterns of interaction and psychological problems in children and young people
“To reduce the possibility of family breakdown, there should be preventive public education programmes and on-going sensitization sessions through lectures, workshops, and media programmes on issues such as gender equality, gender sensitization and called on all stakeholders to join hands to rescue the family institution from degenerating further, She said
