As each year, on 15 May, International Day of Families—an initiative promoted by the UN for over twenty years to sensitize the world society about the essential importance of the family as cornerstone of common life—will be celebrated in different parts of the world. The theme for 2015 is "Men in Charge? Gender Equality and Children’s Rights in Contemporary Families."
In fact—the UN says in a note for this year's Day—"in some regions, discrimination against women, often perpetuated at the family level, is built into legal frameworks and government policies. Family laws may actually codify discrimination against women and girls and place them in a subordinate position to men in families, replicated at the community and society level. Societal customs, often reflected in existing laws may condone practices reinforcing inequality and violate children's rights, such as dowry or early, enforced and child marriage, leading to various forms of gender inequality and injustice."
The International Day of Families was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993, and it reflects the importance given to the family by the international community. This special Day gives an opportunity to promote greater global awareness to issues related to families and to increase knowledge about social, economic, and demographic factors that affect households throughout the world. In many countries, on May 15, there are possibilities for families to speak out in public debates on different areas of interest and of paramount importance for the care and promotion of the fundamental cell of society. The activities of diffusion usually include workshops and conferences, radio and television programs, newspaper articles and cultural programs.
