International Day of Families

During the 1980s, the United Nations began focusing attention on issues related to the family. In 1983, based on the recommendations of the Economic and Social Council, the Commission for Social Development in its resolution on the Role of the family in the development process (1983/23) requested the Secretary-General to enhance awareness among decision-makers and the public of the problems and needs of the family, as well as of effective ways of meeting those needs.

History

In 1993, the United Nations passed a resolution to showcase the determination of the organization to encourage better living standards and social progress for families across the globe. In 1994, the United Nations officially declared the International Day of Families in response to the changing economic and social structures that are affecting the stability and structure of family units in different parts of the world. International Day of Families celebrates the fact that families are the central part of any society.

Celebrations of International Day of Families

The International Day of Families is celebrated in different ways across the globe. In some communities, public officials arrange for discussions and discourses on the various challenges faced by families in said communities. Some countries plan their activities and events organized based on the particular theme set by the United Nations. Individuals also choose to celebrate this day by spending time with their families. While this day is considered important by governments across the globe, the day is not a public holiday.

How to Celebrate

There are many ways in which you can celebrate the International Day of Families. This is a great day to spend time with your family. You can set up activities for your families like board games, singing competitions, and more. Make this day about bonding with your family.

Purpose of Family Day

UN General Assembly realized the importance of the basic family system and declared 15 May as International Family Day in 1993, and firstly was celebrated on 15 May 1994. The family system is the most essential element of social solidarity and a serene society. Since 1996 the UN has been proffering a yearly theme for this Day. UN Secretary-General urged the public policymakers to settle the obstacles in the family system. The working conditions of parents affect them to play a smart role for their families. The International Day of Families is, therefore, a source to attract the attention of policy-makers to develop need-based policies to create a nurturing environment at the family level for children, because a dysfunctional family system cannot build a functional society.

Families in Development

This is the theme of International Family Day 2020. In the year 1995, the conferences of Beijing and Copenhagen proposed the importance of family and its role in our social development and agreed to specify its worldwide observance as an initiative for the well-being of all individuals in the family. In the year 2020 UN in this regard has projected this theme to stress the importance of our families and how they mean to us, especially in the context of the pandemic Covid-19. A family has a worth of foundation-pillar in the development of society as social laws and norms are the anticipated form of family bonding and strength. UN through this theme has attempted to re-visualize the seized development of families, lacking which has dispersed our society apart. It is a family that can repatriate our sorrows and soothes our pain and does not allow us to sit back in the time of trial. Family is a source to overcome social and individual fears, a family is the part and parcel of our joys and distress; family helps us come out of economic burdens as every member of the family suffers during poverty and economic failures.

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