Dubai: The Dubai Foundation for Women and Children (DFWAC), in cooperation with the Erada Center for Treatment and Rehabilitation, organized a virtual workshop entitled "Do Not Underestimate Your Presence." The workshop covered four main pillars: the importance of the emotional presence of fathers, the impact of positive paternal roles, building trust between fathers and their children, and the role of paternal presence in preventing addiction.

The virtual workshop is in line with Dubai Social Agenda 33, launched by His
Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime
Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, under the slogan "'Family: The
Foundation of Our Nation". The agenda aims to foster stable families and
nurture future-ready, confident generations who are true to their identity.
The workshop also aligns with DFWAC’s ambitious vision of creating an ideal
society where families perform their responsibilities fully, fostering cohesion
at both family and community levels. DFWAC reaffirmed its commitment to
creating a nurturing environment, enabling the development of conscious
generations who are capable of shaping the future of society and promoting
its sustainable growth.

HE Sheikha Saeed Al Mansouri, Acting Director General of the foundation,
highlighted that the workshop aimed to promote parental awareness,
emphasising the importance of parents, especially fathers, being positive and
influential in their children's lives.

She stressed that fathers are often the primary source of safety and protection
for the family, adding that a father’s positive involvement is essential for
ensuring the psychological and emotional stability of all family members.
Al Mansouri further noted that the workshop's value stems from its
comprehensive approach, which highlighted the crucial role of extended family members within the broader family structure. She underlined that DFWAC, through its various initiatives and events, including workshops, focuses on achieving specific outcomes that significantly enhances community awareness and development.

While addressing paternal emotional presence, Dr. Maryam Aljaaidi emphasized that parents’ emotional availability plays a key role in fostering a strong and independent personality in their children.She explained that understanding and enhancing this role has a positive impact on children’s psychological and social health, contributes to developing a healthy self-relationship, and establishes positive behavioural models.
As for the positive paternal roles, Dr. Aljaaidi highlighted the critical role of a
father in a daughter's life, noting that his presence helps prevent unhealthy
relationships with males at an early age. Additionally, a father’s support of the
mother in parenting teaches the child mutual respect and contributes to
mental health and robust social interactions. It also helps in forming healthy
concepts of masculinity and improving academic performance.

The workshop also covered the role of relatives in the absence of the father.
Dr.Aljaaidi stressed on the importance of relatives in supporting children and
the families by providing emotional support, creating a safe environment,
offering financial assistance, contributing to living expenses as much as
possible, being present at all important occasions, and continuously guiding
through shared advice.

As for the pillar on cultivating trust between fathers and children, Dr.
Maryam Aljaaidi noted that the nature of this relationship largely depends on
the father’s personality and his behaviour towards his children. She stressed
on the importance of a father's consistent presence, commitment, effective
communication, encouragement, support, and promotion of values and ethics
in parenting.
While touching on the role of paternal presence in preventing addiction, Dr.
Aljaaidi highlighted that a father's active and positive involvement in his
children's lives is a crucial preventative measure against addiction. She
explained that by offering emotional support and proper guidance, fathers
can help shield their children from psychological pressures that may lead to addiction. Additionally, she discussed the importance of educating children about the negative effects of certain media content and the wise use of technological tools and the internet.

For his part, Abdullah Al Kawkabani, Rehabilitation Specialist at Erada Center for Treatment and Rehabilitation, spoke on the role of fathers in protecting children from drugs. Through his participation, he highlighted the main causes of drug abuse among children and outlined methods to protect them from this matter. Additionally, Mr. Abdullah stressed that this virtual
workshop provided parents with knowledge and strategies to strengthen their bonds with their children and foster a positive and nurturing environment.