Prioritizing Family Policy for the Welfare and Wellbeing of All

Our growth and development are influenced by the community around us, including our family. Yet, poverty and inequality persist as enormous obstacles for a family in creating a supportive environment for the individuals in it to thrive. This underscores the importance of family policy in providing safety nets and creating interventions to ensure the welfare and wellbeing of all.

The Smallest Social Institution

Families are the first and the smallest social institution we encounter as we grow and learn to navigate the world. From early childhood, the presence of parents or caregivers is essential to children’s proper growth and developmental milestones in their cognitive, emotional, and physical aspects. In short, access to basic needs and a supportive environment are crucial enabling factors to ensure a healthy and prosperous family.

Unfortunately, poverty and inequality have been the biggest factors that hinder families from having sufficient resources and opportunities for a good life. The most apparent indicator is income disparity, which impacts a family’s ability to access nutritious food, quality education, and health services.

Furthermore, inequality in various other aspects also factors into a family’s livelihood. A report by UNICEF states that the risk of poverty is higher in households with a female head, migrant families, and families living in rural areas or urban slums.

Importance of Family Policy

The quality of individuals significantly contributes to the economic and social development of a society. Of course, fair and inclusive enabling systems must exist to support and realize this vision. As the smallest social institution, the role of family in cultivating the potential of these individuals must be supported at a systemic level, with participation from governments and the private sector alike. Here, family policy becomes an essential instrument in providing systemic support for families.

Family policy refers to a set of policies aimed at promoting and supporting the wellbeing of children and families. This policy encompasses various aspects of our lives, including economic, gender equality, and employment. This support can manifest in the form of social assistance, childcare and early education services, and frameworks for family-related leaves from work, among others.

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon once stated, “In effect, the very achievement of development goals depends on how well families are empowered to contribute to the achievement of those goals. Thus, policies focusing on improving the wellbeing of families are certain to benefit development.”

However, according to a 2020 report by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), family policy is lacking in many national policies and SDG strategies. One example is the lack of quality and affordable childcare services, which hinders children’s development outcomes. Additionally, while the implementation of maternity protection policies has improved over the years, a survey by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2021 reveals that 649 million women remain uncovered. Meanwhile, around 1.26 billion men live in countries without entitlement to paternity leave.

Addressing Root Causes

Achieving sustainable development is a complex process that requires addressing the root causes of the most urgent issues in society, including poverty and inequality.

Expanding and strengthening the implementation of family policy in both national regulations and business frameworks is a crucial part of tackling the issues at the smallest unit, which can produce multiplying positive impacts in the future.

Editor: Nazalea Kusuma

Thank you for reading!
Subscribe to Green Network Asia for unlimited access to all content purposefully designed to showcase cross-sectoral insights on sustainability-related issues and sustainable development across the Asia Pacific and beyond.

Subscribe Now