The family is the “cell of society”—how many times have we heard this phrase! But have we ever reflected on what it means? Do we take it seriously? Do we believe it?
International Day of Families is celebrated on May 15, established in 1993 by the United Nations General Assembly. It is a good opportunity to ask ourselves what it means to be a family today.
To speak of family today, in fact, means reaffirming that it is something vital, important, and fundamental, but it also means recognizing that we face various challenges, which must be met with hope and foresight. Two issues in particular are urgent and require answers: the demographic crisis and gender equality, which is linked to the issue of inequality.
Building confidence in the future
The Istat report for 2021 records the lowest birth rate ever recorded in Italy. This figure can be interpreted and explained from several perspectives: it is the result of the low number of births, but also of the increase in average life expectancy, which, together with the decline in births, contributes to the aging of the population.
What can be done to reverse the trend and regain confidence in the future? There are many ways: for example, we can support the birth rate by providing financial support to those who choose to have children; we can recognize in practice the family’s key role in society by introducing policies aimed at work-family reconciliation understood as support for relationships among family members; and we can promote a culture of “life,” recognizing the central importance of motherhood and ensuring women genuine freedom to become mothers.
Alongside women, for the family
Several studies promoted by the United Nations General Assembly have also examined how the family impacts women's rights, which must be given particular protection. Indeed, the family is certainly a place of love and solidarity, but it can also become a space where human rights are violated and gender inequalities are perpetuated.
To give just a few examples: in 19 countries around the world, women are legally required to obey their husbands; while it is true that women are increasingly taking a leading role in the labor market, it is also undeniable that marriage and motherhood limit participation in the workforce.
The root of this inequality lies in the fact that women continue to take on much more family care and housework than men. In this regard too, politics and society can and must do much more: for example, by guaranteeing paid parental leave and state support for caring for children and older people, in order to support families.
The family truly is the cell of society, and society must realize this once again by charting concrete paths for development and support so that people can recognize “how beautiful, true, and good it is to form a family, to be a family today; how indispensable this is for the life of the world and the future of humanity” (Pope Francis).
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