Dr. Anis Ben Brik, associate professor and founding director of the Program for Social Policy Evaluation and Research (PROSPER) at the College of Public Policy, participated in an Exclusive Brown Bag webinar organized by the European region of the International Federation for Home Economics (IFHE), on May 14 titled The Impact of the COVID 19 Pandemic on European Families and Children. 

The goal of the webinar was to bring together civil society organizations, academia, and UN entities to discuss the European results of the global study on the impact of the pandemic on family life across cultures. IFHE is a key partner in the project, along with several universities, civil society organizations, and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.  

The webinar discussed the results of 23 European countries on topics ranging from parents and children’s mental health, relationship satisfaction, parenting, gender roles, and family policies, among other areas. The meeting was also an opportunity to highlight the important role of the family in achieving sustainable and inclusive societies, facilitating exchanges and collaboration among various stakeholders, to identify and discuss challenges and family policies amid the pandemic.

Led by Dr. Ben Brik, the study and its findings constitute a unique opportunity to gain a truly global understanding of how COVID-19 has influenced families as well as a lever for understanding the implications for policymakers.