Mainstreaming family issues

Supporting family-centred social development
Highlighting family concerns

Implementation

The project of Santarém, a semi-urban/semi-agricultural region in Portugal, began with research into the real needs of local families, involving local authorities and schools in the processes. This resulted in family-awareness campaigns, foundation of marriages counselling centres, training programmes, parental education, poverty eradication initiatives etc.

Claim

There is still largely missing discussion of two important family functions: the establishment of emotional bonds between the spouses and insistence upon giving a child its father's name and status. What is also missing is any explicit focus on the rights and responsibilities of men.