KUWAIT CITY, Sept 2: Minister of Social Affairs, Family and Childhood Affairs, and Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs Dr. Amthal Hadi Al-Huwailah said Tuesday that bolstering family stability and empowerment amid rapid changes is a collective commitment for GCC states, calling for unified efforts, exchange of expertise and practical plans that preserve identity and values and support quality of life for GCC families. Speaking at the “Gulf Family Forum: A Stable Family in a Changing World,” Al- Huwailah said the forum embodies joint Gulf action and reinforces the family’s status as the solid nucleus of development and stability, welcoming participants from GCC states to Kuwait.

She added that Kuwait’s attention to the family is anchored in the Constitution, which provides for protecting its entity and strengthening its bonds. She referred to the establishment of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs and a specialized legal framework that includes the Family Court Law (2015) and the Domestic Violence Protection Law (2020), in addition to providing psychosocial support centers, financial assistance for eligible cases and a shelter mechanism for domestic-violence victims.

She explained that government entities and public-benefit organizations participate in an integrated services ecosystem that upholds the best interest of all community members, affirming that such integration strengthens human capital and raises the efficiency of responses to family needs. Al-Huwailah voiced hope the forum would produce actionable recommendations and initiatives that enhance Gulf cooperation on family affairs and serve GCC societies as a whole.

For his part, GCC Secretary General Jassem Al-Budaiwi said the Gulf family faces growing challenges amid digital and technological openness and its direct impact on social stability. He pointed to intensified efforts across GCC states to raise awareness among children, youth and families on proper technology use and to entrench citizenship and Gulf identity through a joint digital initiative on online child safety adopted by GCC information ministers at their 27th meeting in Oman in May 2023.

The initiative targets children aged 5-18 to face online risks, avoid misuse and act against abuse or potential danger through training on safe internet use.

Al-Budaiwi said GCC states continuously care for the child as the basic building block of society, noting that schools provide free basic services, internet access, textbooks, computers for learning, appropriate infrastructure for students with disabilities and basic sanitary facilities, with coverage reaching 100 percent in all GCC states for all services. He added that attention also extends to women, the backbone of the family entity, and to senior citizens by providing all means that ensure a dignified life. He noted that GCC-Stat has issued child-oriented statistical booklets presenting Gulf figures in an entertaining and objective manner to instill a sense of belonging to Gulf unity. Recent statistics, he said, indicate 12.6 million children under the age of 15 in GCC states, with males accounting for 51.1, alongside rising rates of ICT skills among youth and adolescents, reflecting the GCC’s keenness to create a supportive environment for raising youth capable of serving their homelands.(KUNA)