National Family Protection Plan Proposed

A proposal has been put before Parliament for a national strategy to strengthen Bahraini families and protect them from trends seen as clashing with the country’s religious, moral and cultural values.

It calls for a national approach linking ministries, state bodies and civil society groups working on family affairs, with one framework for policies, schemes and public messages.

The proposal says Bahraini families face fast social and cultural change, along with individual trends and outside ideas that might weaken family bonds and the role of parents in raising children. It argues that a national strategy would help build awareness, strengthen prevention work and bring together efforts across housing, education, labour, media and social care.

The proposal is tied to the National Action Charter and Article 5(a) of the Constitution. Both state that the family is the basis of society and that the law protects its lawful structure, strengthens its bonds and protects motherhood, childhood and young people from neglect and exploitation.

The Ministry of Social Development said the matter involved several government bodies and needed a government-wide review. It said it would complete its study with the bodies concerned and submit the government’s final reply should Parliament refer the proposal to it.

The Ministry of Information supported the proposal, saying protection of the family from harmful intellectual and behavioural influences would help social development, national identity, belonging and social responsibility.

It said it was ready to take part in the media and awareness side of the proposed strategy through public campaigns, positive content, programmes on family issues and the use of digital platforms and social media to reach different groups in society.

The ministry also called for work with other government bodies to place family-related media messages under one national approach.