Abu Dhabi shines spotlight on giving children a voice

Abu Dhabi has teamed up with the UN to launch a campaign that highlights the importance of effective communication between adults and children.

Titled "Listen First", the initiative aims to increase awareness among community members in general, and families in particular, of the need to listen to children from early childhood to 18 years of age.

Launched by the Department of Community Development (DCD) in Abu Dhabi, along with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), it's the first for the Arab region and designed to help families understand the importance of positive communication and its potential impact on children's behaviour.

It also aims to help foster children's linguistic, cognitive, social, emotional and physical development while ensuring their growth and prosperity in an enabling and supportive environment.

Dr. Laila Al-Hayas, Executive Director of the Monitoring and Innovation Sector at the DCD, explained that a team of specialists have developed several programmes that highlight the principles of positive parenting, communication and conflict resolution.