The Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland hosted a conference on family services
Between March 11-13, 2019, the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Poland, has hosted its first international conference on family services. Amongst the speakers of the event were Ignacio Socias, President of the International Federation for Family Development (IFFD) and András Székely, Head of Policy Analysis of KINCS.
In addition to local experts, participants from all over the world have attended the event, from Europe, Asia, Africa, USA and Australia. The conference focused on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and on their role in the implementation of the actions for families. At the event, the rapporteurs presented their research on current issues affecting families in their country. The topic of the lectures was more about problems in families, poverty, domestic violence, child abuse and related social policy measures. Jane Wathuta, from the Strathmore Institute of Family Studies & Ethics in Kenya, talked about the steps and results of infant mortality and maternal mortality.
András Székely, on behalf of KINCS, has reported on a Hungarian incentive that could contribute to a better reconciliation of work and family life. He presented an analysis of the experience of the Family Friendly Workplace application and award. He said that several steps had been taken to achieve a work-life balance in Hungary, including the creation of this prize and award, which, in addition to the title, was accompanied by a cash reward. So far, around 160,000 employees have benefited from the family-friendly measures at their workplace. The most popular workplace measures include family events, the support of children's daycare in the holiday period, and the introduction of atypical, flexible forms of employment. The lesson learned from the application is that family-friendliness is important not only for organizations employing female but also male employees, which, on the one hand, refers to the increase in the role of men and fathers, and, on the other hand, helps mothers. A significant number of applicants were state-funded institutions, emphasizing the spread of family-friendliness within the public sector.
