For the past few years, I have watched the Nigerian society fighting for the girl child and discouraging any form of injustice against the girl child. As much as I applaud this move and solidarity for the girl child, I want to say that it has shifted beyond just fighting for justice.
Everywhere on social media, you see the new movement called "feminists" blasting people if they don't associate with their beliefs and philosophies about the girl child. I am particular about rights to education, social welfarism and justice for the girl child, but I beg to say that WE HAVE TOTALLY FORGOTTEN THE BOY CHILD!
Look around you, every where you turn, you see empowerment for women and young girls, how about the boys? are they not human too? Don't they deserve to be empowered too? Are they not being abused on a daily basis by young female maids assigned to care for them? Are they not be abused by school teachers and aunts?
But the society turns a deaf ear to the cries of these yearning boys, because they are so concerned with the girl child.
Everyday, young boys keep getting stronger notions that 'yahoo yahoo' is the only way to get rich, yet we are bothered with feminism instead of FAIRminism.
Everyday, young boys in primary schools are being initiated into cultism and fraternities, yet we are bothered with girls getting empowerment only...
Everyday, young boys go into kidnapping, carrying guns, and we are bothered with only ladies getting attention.
These boys, if unattended to, will grow up to be the thieves that we rob the empowered girls of their properties, sexualities, pride and even lives.
These boys, will grow up to marry some of these empowered girls and turn them to punching bags
These boys, will become fathers who abuse their children physically and even sexually
These boys will become ritualists who might end up 'using' any of our relatives...
These boys need help too. They are vulnerable. They need listening ears.
Don't let us concentrate on the girls alone, everyone deserves empowerment, justice and sympathy!
Even boys too...
Feminism is a borrowed idea from the western world. As Africans, we need to embrace our own uniqueness and live our lives according to our standards. I believe girls should be catered for but not at the neglect of the male child.
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