Empowering boys in Ghana is an urgent and often overlooked agenda that demands balanced attention alongside the progress made in girls’ empowerment.
While significant strides have been made in supporting the girl child, the boy child faces unique challenges that threaten their mental health, social development, and prospects. Reports of boys joining dangerous groups and struggling academically highlight the consequences of neglecting their empowerment.
Key factors affecting boys include insufficient positive male role models and mentorship, as well as a lack of fair treatment in educational settings, which can perpetuate harmful gender stereotypes and social dysfunction.
Initiatives like Junior Shapers Africa and gender equality programs involving men and boys emphasize the importance of engaging boys as champions of gender equality, promoting healthy masculinities, and providing life skills and career guidance.
Community-based efforts such as the “Real Fathers’ Club” in Ghana’s Oti Region demonstrate how transforming traditional notions of masculinity—encouraging men to share household responsibilities and care for their children—can foster healthier family dynamics and eradicate harmful practices.
For Ghana to build a just and prosperous society, empowering boys must be part of a holistic approach to gender equality. This means creating supportive environments where boys receive mentorship, mental health support, and opportunities to thrive academically and socially, while also encouraging them to become allies in the fight for equal rights. Only then can both boys and girls contribute fully to the nation’s development.