Members of the Shura Council meet at the Council headquarters with Her Excellency the Minister of Social Development and Family, Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al-Misnad, within the framework of enhancing cooperation and achieving development, discussing social challenges and strategies, and explaining the competencies of the Ministry, which include proposing and implementing relevant national strategies, plans, and policies.

The Ministry of Social Development and Family educates society about the importance of protecting the family and family cohesion, and supervises the organization of the charitable sector, providing social security services to those entitled to it, proposing and implementing policies related to housing, following up on their implementation, and collecting and analyzing data and statistics related to the family issues.

The meeting focused on people with disabilities, widows, and the services provided to enable people with disabilities to obtain suitable job opportunities, qualify and integrate them as active elements in society, and provide them with all the facilities and tools to achieve success. It is done through diversity in the fields of vocational training by their capabilities, and employing medical, social, psychological, educational, and vocational services to help them achieve the maximum possible degree of job effectiveness. A cooperation document was recently signed with the Qatari Company for Manpower Solutions (Jusoor) to employ those people.

Her Excellency pointed out that the programs and services provided by the centers concerned with social groups contribute to the sustainable development of the family, children, women, and elderly. These centers also supervise the organization of the charitable sector, provide social security services to beneficiaries, and discuss problems facing social work and family development.

HE Minister Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad touched upon the ministry's efforts devoted to supporting the social and cultural heritage of the Qatari community through adopting an array of initiatives such as the Qatari Family Charter initiative, alongside the awareness campaigns that aim to bolster communities’ values and cohesion, in addition to focusing on giving and production among the community members.

HE the Minister focuses on supporting national productive projects within "From the Homeland" initiative that seeks to consolidate the culture of sustainability, encourage individuals to pivot from consumption to production, develop the productive family system, as well as hold training sessions, and support craft entrepreneurs, she pointed out.

Her Excellency underscored the Ministry's keenness to organize events that highlight the Qatari social legacy, such as helping others and benevolence, citing the "instill value" campaign.

She also affirmed the Ministry's keenness to promote moral and social values through the Ministry's participation in several artistic exhibitions, festivals, and shows to foster the community's awareness and understanding, operationalize the role of those values in building cultural identity, and safeguard the Qatari social legacy.

For their part, members of the Shura Council hailed the Ministry’s role, affirming their keenness to support the Ministry’s efforts in consolidating family’s position in the community, safeguarding the national identity and cultural privacy, as well as promoting moral values and good behaviors of family members considering the educational and moral challenges facing the family and community.

Her Excellency affirmed that the Ministry is committed to deepening the family's position and achieving its welfare based on the directives of the wise leadership, stressing that The Ministry dedicates its efforts to strengthening the building of a cohesive family system filled with compassion and solidarity among family members to ensure the integrity of families.

HE the Minister pointed to the programs that encourage marriage and reduce divorce rates, such as the national program for those who are about to get married, First Year of Marriage, which primarily aims to rehabilitate individuals who are considering marriage, raise the community's awareness on the rights and duties of couples within the framework of the Islamic Sharia and reduce the divorce rates in the state.

“The First Year of Marriage program which is implemented in partnership with Wifaq Family Consulting Center and the Social and Sport Contribution Fund (Daam) seeks to support emerging families, strengthen their stability, provide essential family services to have a successful marriage, in addition to reducing divorce rates to achieve the Ministry's objectives represented in the motto of "Qatar is strong with the cohesion of its families", Her Excellency highlighted.

She noted the Ministry's efforts in collaboration with relevant entities in conducting field and survey studies and research to figure out the reasons behind divorce in the Qatari community, comprehend the roots of the problems that lead to separation, chart the policies that aim to reduce this phenomenon and make change in the community accordingly.

In this framework, Her Excellency pointed out that the Ministry has launched Watad service to offer family and educational consultations to help couples and families address challenges that adversely affect the family's entity through providing professional consultations that observe family privacy and preserve confidentiality.

She elucidated that the Ministry hires the existing expertise in social centers to provide this service, such as the Family Consulting Center (Wifaq), Behavioral Health Care Center, Shafallah Center for Persons with Disability, and other Ministry-affiliated centers.