Expert Group Meeting (Pretoria, 23-25 January 2023)

The Regional Expert Group Meeting on “Demographic Changes and Family Wellbeing in Africa” took this week at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. The meeting was a great illustration of how academia and civil society organizations are committed to put the family unit first at the policy-making agenda in the region. It was organized by the Faculty of Humanities, University of Pretoria in cooperation with the Focal Point on the Family, Division for Inclusive Social Development (DISD) of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), Doha International Family Institute (DIFI) and the International Federation for Family Development (IFFD).

At the opening ceremony, Renata Kaczmarska from DISD UN-DESA highlighted the importance of experts’ recommendations to enrich the Secretary General’s report on the family situation. From the Civil Society Organizations angle, Dr. Sharifa from DIFI stressed on family wellbeing as one of the core thematic priorities that the Institute she leads will work on as a crosscutting thematic issue and Ignacio Socias from IFFD stated the importance of including the voice of parents and families in the discussion for better and holistic policy design, implementation and evaluation.

The Expert Group meeting incorporated contributions of 28 experts and practitioners from all over Africa set to contribute with family friendly policy recommendations to prepare the thirtieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family in 2024. The experts, coming from academic, social, political and non-governmental institutions, explored several aspects of demographic trends as well as their interlinkages with other megatrends in Africa. In particular, the meeting explored significant socio-economic and demographic transformations that have direct and indirect implications for the well-being of families in the region.

From a local perspective, professor Zitha Mokomane from the Department of Sociology of the University of Pretoria stressed that “while the important role of the family in society has been recognized everywhere in the world, it also needs to be substantiated through comprehensive and effective family policies.” In turn, the representative of the African Union Commission on Social Affairs pointed out the need to develop Management Information Systems on the African Family for better data collection on family interventions.

Representatives from the United Nations’ Department of Economic and Social Affairs, UNICEF Regional Offices and the Africa Union brought into consideration regional instruments relating to family policy in Africa including the African Union Agenda 2063 (2013). The conclusions and recommendations that emerge from the meeting will inform the work of the United Nations Secretariat.

Concept

The meeting built on the findings of the Expert Group Meeting held in 2020 which recommended focusing on several megatrends to guide the preparations for the thirtieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family, 2024. Those recommendations were reflected in the Reports of the Secretary-General (2020-2021). In 2021, the United Nations General Assembly resolution on the Preparations for the IYF+30 endorsed those recommendations and advised focusing on the trends of new technologies, migration, urbanization as well as demographic trends and climate change as part of the preparations for IYF+30. It is in accordance with this resolution and relevant United Nations mandates, that the Expert Group Meeting is to address demographic trends and their impact on families in Africa.

To mark the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family (IYF) in 1994, the African Union Commission adopted the Plan of Action on the Family in Africa which advocates for the “promotion, formulation, implementation and monitoring of policies to ensure the protection of and support to the African family so as to enable it to play its vital role more effectively in the development of Africa.”

At the time the Plan of Action on the Family in Africa was adopted, key challenges affecting the family in the region included high levels of poverty, inadequate social protection mechanisms, low levels of educational attainment, high levels of unemployment, gender inequality, rural to urban migration, displacement, family disintegration, poor sexual and reproductive health indicators and high levels of communicable diseases such as HIV and AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

In the three decades since the adoption of the Plan of Action, however, there have been significant socio-economic and demographic transformations that have direct and indirect implications for the well-being of families and their members in the region. It is for this reason that a focus on the family continues to be underscored in other regional instruments such as the African Union Social Policy Framework for Africa (2009) and the African Union Agenda 2063 (2013).

The Expert Group Meeting provided an opportunity to share good practices on policies and programmes that have improved family well-being, take stock of remaining and new family challenges, and recommend a way forward for the post-2024 period.

Purpose

The primary objective of the Meeting was to bring together experts to discuss and explore the issues noted above. The conclusions and recommendations of will provide Member States and other stakeholders with expert analysis regarding a number of issues impacting the family in Africa in the context of demographic trends.

The findings and recommendations from the Expert Group Meeting will be reflected in the upcoming Report of the Secretary-General on the Preparations for and observance of the thirtieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family.

Methodology

Experts were asked to provide a paper; make a short presentation; participate in group discussions and give their expert opinion and policy recommendations on family policy development, monitoring, and implementation in the areas mentioned above. The experts were also expected to provide specific examples of good practices on topics under discussion and offer detailed and including policy recommendations. Papers by experts cover issues identified in the agenda, explain their relevance, provide quantitative and qualitative evidence, analyze the roles of social institutions, give examples of good practices, and offer conclusions and recommendations.

Experts

• Azza Abdelmoneim, Director of the Family Research Department, Doha International Family Institute
• Ahmed M. Aref, Planning and Content Manager, Doha International Family Institute
• Benlacence Badrane, Ibn Khaldon Center, Qatar University
• Shingairai Chigeza, Department of Psychology University of Pretoria
• Stephan de Beer, Centre for Faith and Community, University of Pretoria & Tshwane Homelessness Forum
• Ider Dungerdoj, UNICEF, ESARO, Johannesburg
• Mokhtar El Harras, Mohamed V University, Rabat, Morocco
• Sheren El Feki, UNAIDS Regional Director
• Sharifa Al Emadi, Executive Director, Doha International Family Institute
• Elmoubasher Abu Baker Abd Farag, Acting Head of Communicable Disease Control Programs, Supreme Council of Health, Qatar.
• Steven Gordon, Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa
• Lauren Graham and Tanusha Raniga, University of Johannesburg
• Ignatius Gutsa, Department of Community and Social Development University of Zimbabwe
• Sheila Houghton, Lifeline Pretoria
• Renata Kaczmarska, Focal Point on the Family, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
• Lefhoko Kesamang, Department of Social Affairs, African Union Commission
• Mohamed Mohieddin, Professor of Sociology and International Consultant, Egypt
• Zitha Mokomane, Department of Sociology, University of Pretoria
• Elena Moore, University of Cape Town
• Faith Morwaagole, Mafa, Communications and Media Officer, Re a Nyalana Association, Botswana
• Achraf Othman, ICT Accessibility Innovation and Research Section, Mada Center, Doha, Qatar
• Charles Puttergill, Department of Sociology, University of Pretoria
• Nicky Roman, Director and SARChI Chair: Human Capabilities and Social Cohesion through the family, University of the Western Cape
• Sven Ruygrok, International Federation for Family Development
• Pragna Rugunanan, Department of Sociology, University of Johannesburg
• Ignacio Socias, Director of Communication and International Relations, International Federation for Family Development
• Alex Vazquez, Representative to the UN, International Federation for Family Development
• Jane Wathuta, Strathmore University, Kenya

Presentation of the good practice on IFFD Family Enrichment by Sven Ruygrok.