New Delhi (NVI): May 15 is celebrated as ‘International Day of Families’ every year. ‘Family’ is one word, but there are many emotions attached to it.
This year, the day resonates amid the current coronavirus pandemic, as people realise the importance of their families in these tough times.
This year’s theme is ‘Families in Development: Copenhagen & Beijing+25’.
“This year’s 25th anniversary of Copenhagen Declaration and Beijing Platform for Action comes at a time of one of the most challenging global health and social crises,” the UN said in a statement.
UN said that the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic brings into sharp focus the importance of investing in social policies protecting the most vulnerable individuals and families.
“It is the families who bear the brunt of the crisis, sheltering their members from harm, caring for out-of-school children and, at the same time, continuing their work responsibilities,” it said.
The Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 and reflects the importance the international community attaches to families.
Every year, this day is observed to celebrate and spread awareness about the benefits of the family systems to the masses.
The day is being marked as Family Day since 1995 to celebrate the importance of families, people, societies and cultures around the world.
Each year, this day is also used as a platform to highlight the various issues plaguing families around the globe and the necessary measures that can be taken to resolve these issues.
According to the United Nations (UN), “This day provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase the knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families.”
The symbol for the International Day of Families consists of a solid green circle with an image in red. The image consists of elements of simple drawings of a heart and a house. It indicates that families are the center of society and provide a stable and supporting home for people of all ages.
