The
theme for this year’s International Day of Families, “Fathers
and Families: Responsibilities and Challenges”, focuses
on the important role fathers play in the lives of families
and children around the world.
Traditionally
in many societies, fathers have been moral teachers, disciplinarians
and breadwinners. In many countries, there is now an increased
emphasis on the father’s role as a co-parent, fully engaged
in the emotional and practical day-to-day aspects of raising
children. Recent research has affirmed the positive impact of
active involvement by fathers in the development of their children.
Yet
challenges persist for fathers – and for society and social
policy. Too many men have difficulty assuming the responsibilities
of fatherhood, often with damaging consequences to families
and inevitably society at large. Some fathers inflict domestic
violence or even sexual abuse, devastating families and creating
profound physical and emotional scars in children. Others abandon
their families outright and fail to provide support. Researchers
continue to explore how the presence or absence of fathers can
affect children, in areas such as school achievement and crime.
At
the international level, migration forces many fathers to often
face separation from their families. Migrant fathers may encounter
a starkly different concept of fatherhood in their country of
destination than what they knew in their home country –
and may even be rejected by their children as they grow up in
a new society. The HIV/AIDS crisis challenges fathers worldwide
as it demonstrates the critical importance of sexual responsibility
for fathers and all men. The crisis also challenges men to become
father figures to children who have been left orphaned by the
disease.
These challenges all highlight the deep and universal need for
positive father figures in families. As our understanding of
fatherhood grows, there is an opportunity for men to re-envision
imaginatively what it means to be a father and to see opportunities
to make a difference in communities. On this International Day
of Families, I call on fathers to honour their families. I call
on families to honour fathers for their important contributions
to family life. And I call on all of us to commit ourselves
to building a social environment that encourages and sustains
a positive vision of fatherhood.
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Ban
Ki-moon
UN Secretary-General |
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