DOHA: A new study on Arab families funded by the Doha International Family Institute (DIFI) has called for establishment of civil society organisations to address challenges facing Qatari families as a result of globalisation, rising consumerism and the demographic imbalance caused by the domination of expatriate male population in the country.
A prominent group of international and regional experts, in addition to local non-governmental organisations (NGOs), policymakers and researchers, launched the 11th annual Arab Network for NGOs report at an international conference which concluded here on Monday.
The forum provided scientific evidence-based research that sheds light on changes affecting the Arab family as a result of modernity and globalisation. The research findings aim to help create a solid base for policy-making.
Sixteen researchers from 11 Arab countries participated in the preparation of the 11th report of the Arab Network for NGOs titled ‘The Arab Civil Society Confronting Social Risks’.
Each country report includes a cognitive map of the main risks faced in the respective societies.
The reports identified and evaluated the role played by civil society organisations in preventing these risks or alleviating their effects. The main findings of country reports indicate major risks threatening the Arab family, specifically poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, growth of slums, social marginalisation and exclusion.
Presenting a summary of the Qatar report, Wisam Osman of Qatar University identified the main challenges facing Qatari families.
Negative cultural influences on Qatari families by the presence of a large number of foreign housemaids and the imbalance in the male-female ratio in the Qatari population caused by the huge number of male expatriate workers were cited among the major issues.
Popularity of foreign schools in the Qatari society, influences of the social media, late marriages by women, increasing consumerism, increasing divorce cases and weakening ties in extended families were also highlighted as major challenges. Osman stressed the need for a strategy to address challenges, including the reviewing of laws and regulations.
The country reports identified risks directly threatening the family entity; which included spinsterhood, early marriage of girls, widespread violence among the majority of Arab households either internally or towards society, drug abuse, dropouts from schools, street children, child labour and passive exposure to the Internet. Issues approached in the report are centred about social risks threatening the Arab family and the role played by Arab civil society organisations to alleviate them or manage their consequences. The Peninsula
