Tina Amanda
As the World Marks International Day of the Boy Child, the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Rivers has urged boys in the state not to suppress or bottle their emotions as it can cause mental imbalance.
Chairperson FIDA Rivers State, Adata Bio-Briggs, stated this while commemorating International Day of the Boy Child with the theme: “Boys and Mental Health” at Enitonna High School Borokiri and Community Boys Secondary School Elelenwo, Port Harcourt.
She explained that over the years, much intervention, sensitization, and advocacy had been given to the girl child while ignoring the boy child, who is now subjected to much psychological, physical and emotional violence and abuse, amongst others.
According to Bio-Briggs, it has become pertinent to advocate for the right of the boy child by making them aware there is a need for them to be mentally balanced and be themselves, rather than the compulsory behavioural attitude society have created for boys.
“As an Association, we thought it was apt to do this because we noticed that we have been doing lots of attention and more advocacy on the girl child and in the process, we forgot about the boy child.
“We decided to advocate for their right and make them aware there is a need for them to be mentally balanced. They need to be their person other than the stereotype society has created for them.
“Society has given the male gender a specific stereotype they must be, such as boys do not cry; boys should do the hard work; boys can not do house chores and so on. These have led to many emotional breakdowns in boys because they are not expected to cry, which is not the best.
“Each child should be seen as an individual; there should not be compulsory behaviour for a boy because he is a male child.
“Gender discrimination should end on both sides, there is an increase in abuse of boys, and because the awareness is not out there, the boys do not know what to do. With this sensitization, we should have a society that would have balanced individuals”.
Some of the student participants in an interview with our Correspondent thanked FIDA for sensitizing them on their rights while assuring that henceforth they will put their mental state in check and shun harmful vices like sexual crimes and drug abuse that may hinder them from being who they want to be in future.
They, however, said the sensitization had equipped them to live as individuals and not what society, in general, has pictured them to be.
