Mechanisms to protect Tunisian family at centre of conference

Several mechanisms and programmes are in place so as to protect families from socio-economic phenomena and cultural changes which may affect its structure as well as relations among its members," said Minister of Family, Women, Children and the Elderly Amel Belhaj Moussa. The minister was speaking at a national conference organised in observance of Arab Human Rights Day in Tunis on the theme "Tunisian Family: National Mechanisms of Support and Protection." She said action is focused on the economic and social support of families. Some 5,650 women had access to economic empowerment programmes and RAIDET national programme for the promotion of women's entrepreneurship. The minister also laid emphasis on the importance of the pilot Spaces for the Family project which targets 11 governorates. Pilot spaces are set to open their doors before the end of the year in Souass (Mahdia), Douar Slatnia (Sidi Bouzid) and Metouia( Gabès). In another vein, Belhaj Moussa said the ministry is seeking to provide public fund ing to secure a higher pre-school attendance rate. Twenty-five thousand children were enrolled in pre-school facilities in 2024 at a total cost of TND 13.5 million. Additionally, five centres to take care of children with learning difficulties and support their parents came into operation in the governorates of Tataouine, Ariana, Kairouan, Béja and Jendouba. The adult foster care programme targets presently 366 seniors, the minister said. This in addition to 40 teams which provide home-based care for some 4,000 elderly people. The social empowerment programme is of crucial importance as it instills families with positive values to help them tackle such social challenges as delinquency, drug addiction among children, communcation issues and violence. The programme targeted nearly 10,000 families in 2023 in 19 governorates. It will be rolled out this year to Nabeul, Ben Arous, Tunis and Tataouine. Director General of the National Office of Family and Population (French: ONFP) Mohamed Douagi said this insti tution plays a key role in protecting families, notably in relation to sexual and reproductive health and the prevention of cancer diseases. Several indicators impacted Tunisian families, mainly violence against women, the rising divoce rate (25% to 30%), lower births and increase in median age at marriage. It is imperative to examine root causes and seek to put in place efficient mechanisms to safeguard the structuire of the Tunisian family, the official further said. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse