The world celebrates the International Day of Families on May 15th of each year, a day designated by a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly in 1993.
This year’s celebration in 2025 comes under the theme: “Family-Oriented Policies for Sustainable Development: Towards the Second World Summit for Social Development”, emphasizing the vital role of families in achieving the goals of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
This day aims to highlight the importance that the international community places on families as the foundation of societies and to shed light on the crucial role families play in shaping individuals based on human values and human rights, while raising awareness of the social, economic, and other conditions that affect them.
On this occasion, the National Centre for Human Rights affirms the significance of national efforts aimed at protecting the family, starting with the Jordanian Constitution and its 1952 amendments, which state in Article Six that: “The family is the foundation of society. Its pillars are religion, ethics, and patriotism. The law shall safeguard its legitimate existence and strengthen its ties and values.”
Jordan has also ratified the Arab Charter on Human Rights, which was published in the Official Gazette and defines the family as the natural and fundamental unit of society, with marriage between a man and a woman as its foundation. The Charter affirms that the state and society shall protect the family, strengthen its bonds, and ensure protection for its members—particularly women and children—against all forms of violence and abuse. It also guarantees appropriate protection and care for motherhood, childhood, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.
Similarly, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights guarantees families protection and assistance while they bear the responsibility of raising their children. The Convention on the Rights of the Child also recognizes the rights and duties of parents and the child’s right to live within a caring family environment.
At the legislative level, the Child Rights Law of 2022 affirms the child’s right to enjoy all rights stipulated therein, supporting the family’s role in preserving its legitimate structure based on religion, ethics, and patriotism. The Family Protection Law of 2017 and the Personal Status Law of 2019 further address the rights and responsibilities of spouses and children. A national team has also been formed to protect families from violence.
The Centre stresses the importance of strengthening and supporting national efforts to enhance the status of families, ensure their protection from fragmentation and violence, secure their stability and cohesion, and empower low-income families through income-generating small projects. Special attention must also be given to empowering families of persons with disabilities to overcome the challenges they face in raising their children. Awareness programs must also be implemented for female-headed households to educate them about their rights under international standards and national legislation, and to empower them across all areas of life, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Centre also calls for broader awareness of the Family Protection Law of 2017 and the provision of free psychological counseling and therapy services for victims of violence across all governorates. Moreover, it is essential to provide pre-marital training programs and take active steps to limit family breakdown and child marriages under the age of eighteen.
The National Centre for Human Rights reaffirms that the family must be considered a cornerstone in achieving and implementing the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
