Family Futures

[

] 38

dvancing

ocial

ntegration

and

ntergenerational

olidarity

played a major role in providing childcare services, particu-

larly in households where multiple generations cohabitate.

However, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and

Cultural Organization survey

in 2010 indicated that the

majority of childcare services for the 0-3 age band are only

available for select urban populations and are provided for by

for-profit commercial enterprises and in limited capacities.

There is evidence to suggest that transferring services tradi-

tionally rendered by the family to external parties is becoming

increasingly accepted. In Lebanon, for example, the decline

in fertility with the gains in schooling and employment for

women have given rise to formal and long-term care facilities,

particularly noting that 11.8 per cent of older people were

living alone in 2004.

Consequently, it can be observed that

social relations are changing within the Arab family, where

the patriarchal authority is increasingly challenged by the

growing and more educated youth cohort, and by Arab women

who are carving for themselves new roles given the increasing

opportunities for engagement and work within urban settings.

These changes reveal a paradigm shift on the social roles of

members of the Arab family, intrafamily relations and societal

changes within Arab communities towards empowerment of

the individual at the expense of the collective.

Such a move away from dependence on the extended family

in the provision of care will lead to an increased need for care

provided by the state, social welfare organizations or the private

sector. The complexity of this challenge is of particular concern

for slum populations and displaced people. These marginalized

groups face the dual challenge of lacking the traditional wide-

ranging extended family support and facing the new realities of

expensive housing and cost-of-living issues, as well as emerging

biases against slums and associated security risks.

One key realization that emerges from this paradigm shift

is the popular recognition of the deficit in social protection.

Arab populations continue to highlight the shortages in govern-

ment-sponsored social service delivery and social protection

platforms, particularly towards poorer segments of society.

These shortages mean that individuals continue to depend to a

degree on their families to fill the gap in care and social support.

This comes in the light of governments’ limited resources and

capacity to address the individuals’ needs and supplement care

provided by the family or the private sector for Arab families.

In a region which has witnessed a surge in conflict during the

past few years, resulting in significant population displacement

and an increased demand for care and social support, the need

for traditional family support as well as government and commu-

nity support is very high. Conflicts deprive affected populations

of many of their human rights, impact adversely on development

and the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals,

and create conditions that reverse the impact of development.

Impact of displacement on the family

It is estimated that there are over 7 million displaced persons in the

Arab world, from conflicts in Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and, most

recently, Syria. Population displacement forces families to seek critical

and life-saving support from their extended families, as well as from

the state and from social welfare organizations. In Yemen, around

half a million people were displaced in 2011 as a result of previous

and ongoing conflicts in the country. Only a small fraction of that

population was housed in camps; the majority had to seek refuge

in slum areas of urban centres with close proximity to livelihood

opportunities. This adds an increased burden on host communities

and results in considerable tensions within the extended family and

increasing resentment over resources within the vulnerable slum

community. The Humanitarian Response Plan for Yemen appealed for

US$702 million in 2013, out of which US$39.5 million were required

for the immediate shelter needs of vulnerable displaced families.

Many families in Egypt resort to living in substandard urban housing on the outskirts of cities. Commuting considerable distances to markets, livelihoods

and services becomes a necessity and in some cases a hazard for families and children

Image: Alena Yakusheva, Fotolia.com