CWU Holds Seminar on Age Support Issues for 'Shidu' Families

The "2016 Forum on Life Quality and Age Support Issues for 'Shidu' Families" was held in Beijing on July 1 and co-sponsored by China Women's University (CWU) and the Zhongmin Social Assistance Institute.

Parents who have lost their only child are known as "shidu" families in China. CWU vice-president Liu Meng pointed out that the government and society have attached great importance to families who have lost their only child. Their survival and development is not only a social issue, but also a problem that needs to be solved in family construction.
 
Theorists and experts should work together to look at how to improve the living conditions of such families, build an aged living support system with Chinese characteristics, efficiently promote policy advocacy, integrate resources and establish an interdisciplinary team to serve "Shidu" families, Liu added.

Qi Xinjie, official from the Department of Family Development of the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC), stressed that the Department of Family Development of the NHFPC has paid great attention to accompanying issues for "shidu" families.

Yu Hua, deputy secretary-general of the China Population Welfare Foundation (CPWF), introduced CPWF's objectives, as well as its planning and achievements.

Dang Junwu, vice-director of the China Research Center on Aging, gave a keynote speech at the forum. He pointed out that life and ethical issues are the real problems for this group, while analyzing the history, current situation and growing trends of "shidu" families. Dang also said that root causes can only be removed by developing life and philosophical education and reinforcing the impact of science, arts, and culture. 

Participants exchanged opinions on self-help and mutual elderly care models, shared their own experiences, and defined a new target and direction in serving the elderly. The forum was a beneficial reference in exploring a security model for the aged and provided related government departments with important support and valuable suggestions, organizers said.

Attendees at the forum included some 110 officials from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Department of Family Development at the NHFPC and the China National Committee on Ageing; scholars from the Beijing Institute of Technology, Communication University of China, and Minzu University of China; and, representatives from relevant public organizations and the media industry. 

(Source: China Women's University/Translated and edited by Gender Study Network)