Group Calls for Affirmative Actions to Improve Wellbeing of the Boy Child

Mary Nnah

To mark the year 2022 National Sons Day which holds annually on March 4, A Mother’s Love Initiative (AMLi ), a social change initiative that campaigns for the overall wellbeing of the African child, has made a clarion call to alert parents in the Nigerian and African space on the growing neglect of the boy child.

This neglect, they say adversely affects their wellbeing, and consequently threatens their future too. 

“In the wake of affirmative actions geared towards safeguarding the rights of the girl child, virtually every civil rights group jumped into the bandwagon literally.

 “This led to subtle neglect of the needs of the boy child, and a near-total erosion of the erstwhile attention given to the boy child. 

“This situation has put the boy child in an unfair balance. The talk is no longer whether the boy child is thriving, but whether in the circumstances, the boy child can survive the onslaught and myriads of societal pressures weighing on, and against him,” they opined. 

At the helm of the objectives of AMLi is the recognition that Children are the Future, and prime attention must be given to their general wellbeing. To achieve this objective, AMLi runs a TV Series “Children na de Future”.

Speaking during the unveiling of activities leading to the celebrations of the “National Sons Day”, Uchechukwu Michael Ginika, (Esq), Press Secretary/Legal Adviser, A Mother’s Love Initiative said “The rights and roles of both genders must be adequately protected and preserved in the right proportions – none should be neglected. 

“When the rights and roles of the boy child are neglected, they barely survive. It is paramount to note that Today Sons are Tomorrow’s Dads! They are Tomorrow’s Leaders, Role Models, and Change Agents. Neglecting them today has grave consequences on the future of any society. 

“While we should still advocate for the rights of the girl child, we must strike the balance”.

Ginika observed that in recent times, the boy child has been identified with several negative vices at all levels of society leading to further disintegration and malfunctioning of the society. 

He said, “A lot of expectations placed on the boy child by the family and the society in the areas such as security and protection, sourcing livelihood, and leadership roles make it difficult for him to thrive. 

“Some are forced into child labour to help provide for their family. Some work their way through school. They suffer silently.”

He, therefore, called on all stakeholders to give ample attention to the physical, health, mental, educational, and emotional needs of the boy child.

He added that “we demand that African practices which tend to hurry the boy child into adult responsibilities should be shunned, discouraged and discontinued. 

“There should be social justice for the boy child. There should be affirmative actions to improve the wellbeing of the boy child. 

“A well-balanced boy child today is a well-groomed gentleman tomorrow, who will respect the rights of the girl child or lady. The reverse is the case if we neglect the boy child today.”

He admonished fathers, male family members, and male political leaders to exhibit appropriate behaviours, morals, and ideals worth emulating by the boy-child, adding that the Nigerian government and other African countries should also adopt, dedicate, and officially recognised the annual Sons Day, which is mostly celebrated in the Western world as this will help promote the wellbeing of the boy child in Africa and position him to thrive and not survive.