BUILDING RESILIENT FAMILIES BEGINS WITH UNHINDERED DIALOGUE BETWEEN PARENTS AND CHILDREN

By Precious Mupenzi.

• A three-day Mother and Daughter/Father and Son programme focusing on intergenerational relationships and communication within families is being held in Upington, Northern Cape.
• The programme fits naturally into the theme of Social Development Month, “Building resilient families for sustainable livelihoods”.
• The programme provides a safe and interactive platform where parents and children can have open conversations about real-life issues faced by young people today.

The Department of Social Development (DSD), in collaboration with the Northern Cape Department of Social Development, is hosting a three-day Mother and Daughter/Father and Son programme in Upington, Northern Cape.

The engagement, from 8 – 10 October 2025, forms part of Social Development Month, commemorated under the theme “Building resilient families for sustainable livelihoods”.

The initiative seeks to strengthen intergenerational relationships, improve communication within families, and empower both parents and children to address challenges such as mental health, substance abuse, gender-based violence, and sexual and reproductive health.

Building bridges across generations

The Mother and Daughter/Father and Son programme provides a safe and interactive platform where parents and children can have open conversations about real-life issues that affect young people today — including teenage pregnancy, social pressures, gender identity, and the impact of online violence.

Through guided discussions, group work, and wellness activities, the sessions aim to create understanding between generations, promote positive values, and build stronger family bonds.
Facilitators from both national and Northern Cape DSD, together with experts from partner organisations, are leading discussions on mental health, communication, sexual and reproductive health, and parenting.

Policy alignment: Strengthening families and protecting children

The engagement takes place at a time when the department is advancing key policy reforms to strengthen South Africa’s family and child protection systems.
On 29 September 2025, the Department gazetted the Children’s Amendment Bill for public comment over a 30-day period.

The Bill seeks to enhance the child protection system through a continuum of services, including prevention, early intervention, and alternative care, ensuring that every child grows up in a safe and nurturing environment.

Recently, DSD also launched the Parenting and Policy Benchmarking Report in partnership with UNICEF (the United Nations Children’s Fund) South Africa, which highlights evidence-based approaches to improve parenting support and promote positive family functioning.

Empowering youth under the SheDecides movement

The programme is also aligned with the SheDecides movement, a global initiative championing the rights of women and girls to make decisions about their bodies, lives, and futures.

“The Minister of Social Development is a Champion for South Africa for the SheDecides Movement,” explained Adila Hargey, Deputy Director: Gender Focal Point.

“As both Minister of the Department and a SheDecides Champion, she is expected to drive programmes that advance sexual and reproductive health and rights across the DSD sector and government.”

Hargey added that the Mother and Daughter/Father and Son programme is one of the department’s flagship interventions under the SheDecides umbrella, alongside other youth-focused initiatives such as YOLO, ChommY, and Ke Moja.

“Intergenerational dialogues are critical in South Africa, where teenage pregnancy and early sexual debut remain high. Creating safe spaces for parents and children to engage meaningfully can help shift attitudes and improve access to health and psychosocial services,” she said.

Responding to social challenges

The need for these intergenerational dialogues is underscored by recent findings from the South African Demographic and Health Survey, which show that:

•⁠ ⁠Around 30% of young people experience mental health challenges such as anxiety and depression.
•⁠ ⁠Nearly one-third of high school learners have experimented with alcohol or marijuana.
•⁠ ⁠About 10% of births occur among mothers aged 15–19 years, reflecting persistently high teenage pregnancy rates.
•⁠ ⁠Young women aged 15–24 are among the most vulnerable to new HIV infections, often hindered by stigma and limited access to youth-friendly healthcare.

Against this backdrop, the programme in Upington creates a supportive space for parents and children to learn, reflect, and find practical solutions together. Sessions focus on communication, parenting roles, substance abuse prevention, gender-based violence, and child protection — all central to DSD’s mission of building resilient families.

“The Father and Son and Mother and Daughter programmes go beyond discussion — they are about building bridges between generations and ensuring that both parents and children feel equipped to tackle contemporary issues together,” added Hargey.

Towards resilient families for sustainable livelihoods

By hosting this engagement in the Northern Cape, the department reaffirms its commitment to strengthening family systems as a foundation for sustainable livelihoods. Initiatives like these complement DSD’s national efforts to create a caring, inclusive society where families are supported, children are protected, and communities thrive.