Few decisions in life are as consequential – or as emotive – as whether to start or grow a family. For many couples, the intimately human desire to bring new life into the world often has to be weighed against some hard realities, particularly when it comes to the financial strains that can come with parenting.
In a global report published last month, the UN Population Fund found that nearly 20 per cent of reproductive-age adults surveyed in 14 countries believed they will be unable to have the number of children they desire. In addition, nearly 40 per cent reported that financial limitations had affected or would affect their ability to have their ideal family. “Millions of people around the world are unable to have the number of children they want – whether they want more, fewer, or none at all,” the report’s authors added.
The UAE is not immune from the wider demographic trend of declining birth rates; a recent meeting of the Federal National Council heard that there had been an 11 per cent drop in births among Emiratis between 2015 and 2022. But an examination of the country’s response to this challenge shows that, when it comes to incentivising more young people to start families, the Emirates is focusing on more than just finances – it is building the sort of supportive society in which people feel empowered to take on the many ups and downs of parenthood.
A statement sent to The National by Sana bint Mohammed Suhail, Minister of Family, has revealed some of the thinking behind this approach. “Behind every data point is a young couple making decisions about marriage,” she said. “A working mother balancing ambitions with nurturing. A father wanting to give more time but stretched by economic pressures. These are not only social realities – they are policy challenges, and more importantly, national opportunities.”
Widespread and practical support for the social scaffolding necessary for parents to raise happy and healthy families is critical. This means accessible schools, high-quality health care and flexible employment. In this sense, Ms Suhail is right to describe this as a “national opportunity” because it requires different branches of government and the private sector working together to improve and co-ordinate policy across all kinds of areas, all with the goal of supporting families.
Plans for a national fertility strategy discussed at the FNC meeting have focused on improving the lives of young Emiratis rather than merely boosting population numbers. Indeed, such an approach is already in the works; Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, last year approved the Emirati Family Growth Programme “to enhance family stability and reinforce community cohesion”. Part of the Abu Dhabi Family Wellbeing Strategy, it aims to help young people build stable families as a driver of economic and social development in the emirate.
As some western societies become more individualist and atomised, often with unrealistic ideas about family life, other societies in the Middle East and Asia remain resolutely focused on the importance of the family unit, something that perpetuates a sense of cohesion and continuity. This sense of family and togetherness may be one of the reasons that decision makers in the UAE are looking past hard numbers and general trends to appreciate the complexities of a challenge as human as raising family.
If it takes a village to raise a child, then the UAE is showing the wisdom of taking that approach to the national level.
