Supreme Council for Family Affairs attracts over 6,000 visitors at SIBF 2024

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

As part of the activities and initiatives of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs (SCFA), the Council's participation in the 2024 Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) achieved significant success this year. The platform attracted over 6,000 visitors, including cultural enthusiasts, individuals interested in social and family matters, media professionals, visitors of all age groups, institutions, and partners who actively contributed to the success of this participation.

An Educational Platform and Interactive Space: The platform included four departments specialising in family affairs from various perspectives, offering over 66 diverse workshops led by 21 trainers and specialists. The Family Development Department and its branches provided over 22 family consultations and showcased more than 5 publications including 'Life Journey,' 'Marital Compatibility,' 'Marital Values Kit,' and conducted various interactive workshops and dialogue sessions.

The Child Safety Department (CSD) shared with visitors the optimal ways to address challenges children face while raising awareness against bullying. CSD received positive engagement in the bullying room from parents and students, emphasising the importance of parents avoiding behaviour that could contribute to their children becoming bullies or victims of bullying.

Additionally, the Child Safety Department provided interactive workshops for both adults and children on first aid and other activities. The Health Promotion Department (HPD) was notably engaging during the fair, attracting numerous visitors with its interactive nutrition workshops on healthy eating and the importance of healthy lifestyle habits in protecting families from chronic and contemporary diseases.

Cultural Leadership and Knowledge Contributions

The Cultural Office of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs reinforced its pioneering role in promoting culture and reading habits through 35 publications, notably the 'Pioneers of Emirati Theater,', a book that documents the creative efforts of Emirati female artists, particularly in the field of theatre, highlighting the contributions of four distinguished actresses: Razika Al Taresh, Moza Al Mazrouei, Sameera Ahmed, and Maryam Sultan.

Conscious Partnership for a Cohesive Society

Asmaa Hassouni, Director of the Media Office of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, stressed that the participation of the Council's departments stems from their commitment to providing valuable resources to Emirati families, supporting the family integration system in terms of marriage education, family cohesion, guidance on how to keep family members healthy and prevent diseases passed down through generations. She added that this participation is also a comprehensive awareness on child safety and challenges children face including bullying and accidents.

Underlining the role of partners and sponsors in the Council's participation at the Sharjah International Book Fair, she said that the participation represented the unified efforts of all departments to support family and community.

Hassouni praised the support provided by Sharjah Ladies Club (SLC) and the Rubu' Qarn Foundation for Creating Future Leaders and Innovators to deliver educational and interactive workshops, while SLC offered motivational prizes as well.

She also lauded Air Arabia’s support for SCFA’s competition to promote reading and encourage visitors to buy books. The competition was inspired by this year's participation theme, 'From a Reading Child to a Creative World”.

The platform saw this year a significant increase in the number of participants and visitors compared to the previous year, thanks to a wide range of activities that catered to the needs of all family members and attracted various creators and service providers willing to collaborate with the Supreme Council for Family Affairs to build a safer and more stable society.