The Doha International Family Institute (DIFI) Research to advance Family Polices in the Arab World World Family Summit, 2015

Purpose Share DIFI’s views on the importance of research for creating knowledge that could inform the development of family policies Update on DIFI’s key initiatives designed to specifically promote research that could eventually, advance family policies in the Arab world. 2

HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Chairperson of Qatar Foundation 3 The Doha International Family Institute (DIFI) was established in 2006 by HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development as an “institute for the study of the family”, mandated to promote the aims of the Doha Declaration of the Family, the outcome of the International Conference hosted by Qatar in 2004 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family. DIFI Story

DIIFSD From 2006 to 2012, DIFI was known as the Doha International Institute for Family Studies and Development (DIIFSD) its work, up to that point in time, was centered on supporting research on the Global Family by providing grants to conduct research and organize research conferences around the globe and establishing and supporting research networks on family issues in different parts of the world 4

Promoting Family Policy DIFI also promoted family policies at all levels by collaborating with different UN programs in holding several expert group meetings and seminars designed to inform the work of the UN Economic and Social Council on family and social issues, including, All these events have been noted in reports of the UN Secretary General on the family and other topics. 5

Main findings There are many players in the arena of family research and policy at the global level, but very few in the Arab region, focused on research on Arab families and consistently providing credible, evidence based information on family issues, The voice of an organization from the Arab world itself supplying information on the Arab families was notably missing in international discussions! The family has not been an essential component in designing development policies and that the individual, not the family as a unit, remains the focus of development strategies. Not enough attention to family policies in the Arab world! 6

From DIIFSD to DIFI These findings convinced DIFI to adopt a new strategic direction in 2013, focusing its activities on fostering knowledge on the Arab family through research aiming to advance family polices. DIFI promotes, supports and conducts research on the Arab families in order to be the voice of Arab families at the International level. While our research agenda is motivated by trends in the regional and international landscapes, the type of research that will be funded or conducted by DIFI will aim at informing new family policies, by assessing the state of the family, and evaluating existing family policies and their impact on the family 7

1. State of the Art book on Arab families Despite the central importance of the family in Arab societies, research on the family is surprisingly, underdeveloped in this region. A special grant for USD in 2013 to Dr. Suad Joseph, a distinguished professor of Anthropology, Women and Gender Studies at the University of California and the founder of the Arab Families Working Group to carry out a systematic review of the literature on the Arab family and produce an edited book on the subject. 26 scholars are cooperating on this three – year project that is expected to be published next year. 8

2. OSRA Research Grant OSRA means Family in Arabic OSRA, which means family in Arabic, is a jointly funded research grant between DIFI and Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) launched last March. OSRA is a unique grant because it focuses solely on research on Arab families and family policy related issues. OSRA aims to support innovative and high quality research initiatives that advance knowledge on Arab families and provide policy makers with evidence based research and analysis that supports the design and implementation of new or more effective family policies and programs. OSRA constitutes a grant of up to one-year and up to US$ 50,000 with the possibility of up to a six month, no-cost extension, if justified. It is open to researchers from all Arab countries. 9

Research Topics 1. Marriage in the Arab world Grant objectives: generating knowledge on the health and stability of marriage in the Arab world by analyzing societal, cultural and other factors that shape contemporary marriages. It also aims at identifying strategies, policies and programs that could increase marital quality and well - being. 1. Parenting in the Arab World Grant objectives: supporting research that provides insight into parenting styles in Arab families and endeavors to understand the dynamics of the parent/child relationship, highlighting the development of evidence-based parenting policies and programs that support the raising of children in contemporary Arab societies. 10

Research Topics 3. Family - work balance in the Arab world Grant objectives: investigating the status of family- work balance in the Arab world by assessing the effectiveness and extent of existing national policies for supporting working parents and individuals to care for their children and /or elderly family members; the impact of these policies, or the lack of polices, on the advancement of women and gender equality in Arab families and societies. Ultimately, this research should seek to present evidence and recommendations for the development of national family policies for the reconciliation of family life and work. 11

Research Topics 4. Family laws and practices in the Arab world Grant objectives: reviewing the impact of existing family laws and practices and assessing if they meet the needs of contemporary societies including, strengthening family stability and promoting gender equality. Research should also evaluate the constraints and practices of family courts in Arab countries. Ultimately, the research should provide evidence for the reform of family laws and practices. Winners of the first cycle awards will be announced in March

Annual Conference This initiative has been designed to respond to the lack of regional or international conference that is held on an annual basis that focuses on fostering knowledge about Arab families through research. International Conference on Family Research and Policy will be held annually. The annual conference seeks to achieve a number of objectives, including: Increasing the knowledge base on the Arab family, Influencing the regional research agenda, Highlighting new trends and innovations in international family research to inform research in the region, and Building family research networks. 13

Second Annual Conference Date and venue: October 17-18, 2016 in Doha, Qatar. The theme of this conference is (Wars, Conflicts and their Impact on Arab Families ). Call for Abstracts for second conference is open until January 15 th. To reach out to researchers in all Arab countries, especially young researchers, DIFI will sponsor the participation of the authors of the accepted abstracts. DIFI is committed to making this conference the platform of choice for all professionals in the social and human sciences, policy makers and practitioners who are interested in understanding and promoting the well being of Arab families, everywhere. 14

15 Thank you