The Dubai Foundation for Women and Children (DFWAC) announced it will take part in The 44th conference on Gulf and Arab family issues in light of digital transformation organized by the International Organization for Women's Empowerment and Capacity-Building (Tamkeen), in collaboration with the Association for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies (AGAPS) at Kuwait University, Kuwait.
The conference, titled "Arab and Gulf Family Issues in Light of Digital Transformation," took place on October 16 to 18, 2023.
Aisha Al Midfa, Director of the Studies, and Research Department at DFWAC, presented a working paper titled "Threats to the Arab and Gulf Family in Light of Digital Transformation: and the Role of Institutions in Confronting Them", using DFWAC as a case study. The discussion will delve into the digital era's perils on family structures and the paramount role of institutions in mitigating these threats.
HE Sheikha Saeed Al Mansouri, DFWAC’s Acting Director-General, emphasized that the foundation's participation underscores its extensive experience and global prominence in addressing women and children's issues, adding that the foundation has become a role model, capable of sharing its knowledge, expanding the scope of benefits, and fostering cooperation and strategic partnerships to achieve sustainable goals.
In her paper, Al Midfa explord the digital realm’s impact on various target groups within the foundation, addressing issues like domestic violence, child abuse, and human trafficking. The analysis extended to the function of different departments within the foundation, such as the Care and Rehabilitation Department, Outreach and Community Service, and the Legal Affairs Office, among others, in ensuring family protection in the digital age.
The discussion navigated through the digital transformation's various dimensions, identifying digital threats to families and strategies to mitigate them, leveraging digital transformation to fortify family safety, and discerning the role of civil society institutions in family protection amidst digital transformation.
This transformation will evaluate the efficacy of programmes and activities conducted by civil society institutions in safeguarding the family in the digital era and addressing the risks posed by the spread of virtual reality across social media, smart applications, and websites.
The paper addressed major challenges facing Arab and Gulf families due to digital transformation, including family disintegration, socialization issues, moral decay, exposure to cybercrime, and addiction to electronic devices among family members. This is in addition to children's desire for electronic games and the subsequent impact on children's behavioural patterns and academic performance, along with a decline in work productivity among adults.
Al Midfa also discussed the solutions adopted by the foundation through the adoption of digital transformation for fostering a healthy family environment.
Furthermore, she shed light on the exemplary role of the foundation and highlighted its services. Such services like the safe shelter services, health services, social services, psychological services, recreational activities services, the case empowerment program, and projects within the customer empowerment program. Included in these initiatives are vocational training, a free training programme, and life skills projects, all aimed at nurturing a robust support system for the individuals and families they serve.