Gender stakeholders call for protection, restoration of boy child's dignity

Students from Oruba Boys during a capacity building and empowerment session at the school compound. May 20, 2025. [Anne Atieno, Standard] Gender stakeholders are now calling for the protection and restoration of the boy child's dignity. According to the stakeholders, there have been skewed psycho-social development strategies against the boy child, and that it was time to tilt over and bring the boy child up scale. Migori Gender Director Rev. Kenneth Oomo, while highlighting the challenges boys went through, said the boy child needed to come up to self-esteem. "It behooves us as a community and stakeholders to come together and voice our concerns. The aim was to voice the concerns of the boy and bring the esteem," Rev. Oomo stated. According to the director, a higher percentage of the boy child would be found in prison, criminal records and drug abuse. He said more focus needed to be placed on the boy child to help the boy child who for over the years felt discriminated against. "We are putting efforts together and I can say there is improvement," Oomo remarked. Migori Gender Chief Officer Rose Ogwang' said their greatest concern was to see both boys and girls grow and learn together without any equalities. "We want to foster the culture of inclusivity. We don't want parents discriminating against their children. All children are equal," Prof. Ogwang said. She highlighted that boys needed to be assured that their space was safe, even with an empowered girl child. According to Ogwang, the gender gaps between the boys and girls are very clear. She pointed out that the boy child should be elevated in a sense that he realizes that his position is very clear in the society and that he does not need to doubt. "We are assuring the boy child that an empowered girl is an added advantage to society," Ogwang' stated. She highlighted that by empowering the girl child, they don't disempower the boy child. The stakeholders are looking to have inclusivity where no one is left behind. Moreover, they believe that talking to the boy child would help reduce the level of gender-based violence that is being experienced in the country. The stakeholders were speaking at Oruba Boys, where they engaged male students in a capacity-building and empowerment session. Principal for Oruba Boys said that the boy child has been left behind in the recent past. He believed that activities where boys are involved would boost their self-esteem, make them believe in themselves and express themselves better. "This awareness is very crucial. The boy child needs a lot of encouragement considering the encouragement where they are brought up," the principal said. Emily Moturi, the Director for We for Him, a community-based organisation highlighted that it was high time they brought the boys and men on board so that the gains that have been put by other stakeholders in making sure that the girl child and women have their space does not go to waste. "If the boys and men are not included, then the girls and women will not reap the benefits of the efforts that have been put so far," Ms Moturi said. She said their focus was on ensuring that they want to ensure that the boy child is healthy, happy, work hard, productive and able to provide for their families.

Gender stakeholders call for protection, restoration of boy child's dignity

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