Fathers Urged To Assume Greater Responsibility

The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has urged parents and guardians, particularly fathers, to assume grater responsibility for the nurturing of their families. A statement signed by Mr. Richard Quayson, Deputy Commissioner of CHRAJ, to mark International Day of Families which falls on Thursday, reminded parents that under the Children’s Act, they had the primary responsibility to care and support their children by giving them parental love, affection and emotional attachment for their development. May 15 every year is the United Nations (UN) International Day of Families. The day was set aside by the UN General Assembly in 1993 to reflect the importance the world community attaches to family. The theme for this year’s celebration is “Fathers and Families: Responsibilities and challenges.” The Commission called on the government to strengthen social and economic policies designed to meet the needs of families and their individual members especially the most disadvantaged and vulnerable members, with particular attention to the care of children. The Commission urged civil society, especially educational institutions, faith-based organizations and individuals to strengthen their support of families in the face of enormous challenges of disease, poverty, homelessness, crime and abuse by advancing a better understanding of the strengths, needs and responsibility of families, particularly the role of fathers in promoting economic, cultural and social development of the family. It also said it had recorded a significant rise in family-related cases, more specifically cases on child and spousal maintenance. It said the trend suggested that many fathers were neglecting their responsibility to maintain their families resulting in the denial of basic socio-economic rights such as the right to food, shelter, health, clothing and education. The statement said the trend also showed that while mothers worked longer to support families, many fathers were disengaging themselves from basic parental roles. The result was that children were getting less parental support and attention and leaving more families distressed.