Dr. Sharifa Al Emadi
Executive Director of the Doha International Family Institute (DIFI) — a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) — Dr. Sharifa Al Emadi renewed the meanings of belonging and loyalty to the homeland, with the country’s celebrations of the National Day, which comes this year under the slogan “Ancestral Meadows: A of Trust”, that embodies the values of preserving the heritage of the ancestors and the environment and the sense of belonging.
Dr. Sharifa Al Emadi pointed out that the National Day is also an occasion for all competent authorities to promote programmes aimed at raising environmental awareness and preserving wildlife, in line with Qatar National Vision 2030, which has adopted the pillars of sustainable environment.
In a statement on the occasion of the States National Day, she said, “On this occasion, we celebrate together the achievements made by our beloved country in advocating the welfare of the family,” adding, “Our efforts to develop family policies and programmes have succeeded.”
Dr. Al Emadi noted the decisions that were issued this year regarding flexible work arrangements, referring to the Cabinets approval of a draft decision on the conditions and controls of the part-time system in government entities, which provides more flexible options for Qatari female employees by taking into account their family circumstances and career requirements, as well as the establishment of an independent Ministry of Social Development and Family, which emphasizes support for family issues. These decisions reflect Qatar’s keenness on the development and prosperity of the Qatari family, and on placing it among the priorities of its development plans, she added. Dr. Sharifa Al Emadi said DIFI is continuing its efforts by conducting evidence-based studies on “assessment of marital relationships within the first five years of marriage in the Arab world”, which supports the institutes proposal on the importance of developing programs to qualify those planning to get married in Qatar and the region with scientific evidence.
She added that there is a lot of evidence that the DIFI is about to produce on parenting programs and their necessity, a comprehensive program for the welfare of adolescents in the State of Qatar, and on the strengthening of the fertility system by studying all social and health aspects and providing evidence to support population policies in Qatar, in addition to introducing the idea of adding a psychological assessment for those planning to get married.
In addition, DIFI continues to support the implementation of family-friendly policies such as extending employee grants, the right to flexible working hours, and the extension of paid maternity leave, with the need to issue a law obligating private and public institutions to establish high-quality nurseries and nursing rooms within them to receive the children of female employees, in order to help them reconcile family and work requirements.
