Supreme Council for Family Affairs tackles challenges, marks progress

• Dr. Mariam Al-Azmi, Acting Secretary-General, highlights major achievements and challenges of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs. Key challenges include a shortage of specialized human resources and a lack of a dedicated budget for critical activities.

• Ongoing initiatives focus on gender equality and family protection, including the development of a gender balance guide and a comprehensive family protection guide.

Dr. Mariam Al-Azmi, the Acting Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, has outlined the key challenges and significant achievements of the council since assuming her role.

One of the primary challenges facing the council, as identified by Dr. Al-Azmi, is the shortage of specialized Human Resources, reports Al-Anba newspaper.

This deficit hampers the council’s ability to effectively address the complex issues within families. Additionally, the absence of a dedicated budget for crucial activities such as awareness campaigns, brochure production,and workshop organization poses a significant obstacle.

Focus on gender balance and family protection

Dr. Al-Azmi highlighted her commitment to promoting gender equality. She is currently developing a gender balance guide aimed at increasing female representation in leadership and decision-making positions.

Furthermore, she is working on a comprehensive family protection guide. This guide will consolidate the services offered by various state institutions in cases of violence, including health, legal, psychological, social, and shelter support.

The council has established a training plan to utilize the Child Protection Building in Khaitan.

This facility will serve as a platform for conducting awareness-raising courses and discussion sessions for government employees in collaboration with public benefit organizations and academic experts.

Dr. Al-Azmi mentioned the council’s plans to re-launch the “Qudwa” Award, which recognizes distinguished women based on international standards.

Initially launched in 2019, the award aims to celebrate and honor women’s achievements in Kuwait.

Protection Department’s achievements

The council’s Protection Department has made significant strides. A hotline for receiving reports and another for family consultations have been established and are accessible online and through the council’s official website.

These hotlines have played a crucial role in supporting various cases, providing shelter, and offering consultations.

The department has implemented standardized forms to safeguard the rights of sheltered abuse victims and employees.

A policy guide for the Center for the Protection of Abused Women is currently under development to ensure the center operates with a defined system and maintains institutional records to protect the rights of residents and staff.

To enhance its services, the council has opened two family violence protection centers in different provinces. Efforts are underway to establish a third center to expand its reach and support more victims.

The protection centers offer a range of services, including psychological and social support. Collaborations with agencies such as the Social Development Office, the Ministry of Health, Manara Center for Mental Health, and the Community Police Department are essential in providing comprehensive care to victims.

These partnerships enable the creation of social and psychological reports, offer necessary psychological support, and facilitate the victims’ rehabilitation and reintegration into society.

The council has implemented a confidential and free psychological and social consultation hotline to provide additional support to individuals and families in need.

Strengthening marriage procedures

To protect women’s rights, the council has implemented a system requiring women’s fingerprint consent for marriage.

This measure has been approved by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs and is currently being coordinated with the Ministry of Justice for implementation.