Editorial
Promote well-being of Boy Child
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On May 16, Ghana joined the world in marking International Boy Child Day – a day set aside to reflect on the experiences, challenges, and potential of boys in our society.
While national efforts have rightly championed the empowerment of girls, today is a timely reminder that boys, too, face unique hurdles that must be addressed with equal urgency.
Across Ghana, many boys grow up navigating rigid expectations of masculinity. From an early age, they are taught that expressing emotion is a sign of weakness, that strength is defined by dominance, and that vulnerability is unmanly. These beliefs can hinder emotional development, leading to mental health struggles that are often overlooked or dismissed.
In our schools, boys are frequently labelled as troublemakers rather than understood as young people in need of guidance and mentorship.
In our communities, many boys grow up without consistent male role models, with absentee fatherhood and economic pressures further complicating their paths. And in our homes, the boy child can often be assumed to be self-sufficient, receiving less nurturing attention than needed.
Yet, Ghanaian boys are full of promise. They are future leaders, fathers, husbands, professionals, and agents of change. When we invest in their well-being – emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and socially – we help build a more balanced and just society. A boy raised with compassion, empathy, discipline, and confidence is more likely to become a man who respects others, values equality, and contributes positively to national development.
International Boy Child Day is not about diminishing the progress made in supporting girls. It is about balance. It is about recognising that the development of any nation including Ghana requires the holistic empowerment of all its children.
The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MGCSP) in a statement to mark the Day has pledged its commitment to promoting the wellbeing and development of children regardless the gender.
It said “ we recognise that boys have the vision to create safe spaces where boys can expresss their feelings without judgement as well as provide emotional support for vulnerabilities.”
It is the hope of The Spectator that the Ministry will live to its promise to promote the well-being of children and also provide safe spaces for boys.
The Spectator also calls for a collaborative action from parents, educators, policymakers, and community leaders to be intentional in mentoring and nurturing boys.
“Let us challenge harmful stereotypes and create safe spaces where boys can express themselves, learn healthy behaviours, and understand that true strength lies not in aggression, but in character.”
As we celebrate the boys of Ghana, let us also pledge to support them in becoming the men our nation needs; responsible, respectful, and ready to lead with heart and purpose.
Dear Editor,
I want to use this platform to create awareness on the growing safety challenge at some of our beaches, particularly the lack of adequate safety measures to prevent accidents.
Beaches are important recreational spaces that also contribute significantly to Ghana’s tourism industry. However, many beaches lack trained lifeguards, emergency equipment and proper supervision.
During weekends, holidays and sometimes weekdays, families visit these beaches to have fun and some, for relaxing, yet the necessary safety measures are often inadequate.
The situation becomes even more worrying when children and inexperienced swimmers enter the water without proper guidance; it can quickly turn a day meant for enjoyment into a tragedy for families.
I urge beach operators and local authorities to strengthen safety measures at our beaches, make trained lifeguards available at busy beaches, warning signs clearly displayed and emergency responses system established.
Public education is equally important as well. Visitors must be encouraged to obey safety instructions, avoid dangerous places and remain vigilant especially when children are around.
Ghana has beautiful beaches with enormous potentials that attract both local and international tourists, but we cannot promote beach tourism effectively whiles neglecting the safety of the people who visit these places.
I hope the authorities will treat beach safety as a national priority before it cause any tragedy.
From Elvis Amoako
Teshie-Nungua.
Dear Editor,
In Ghana, it appears that the moment a prominent politician is arrested or convicted, we fail to ask of the person’s offence but rather think of the person’s political affiliation.
Taking the recent 20-year imprisonment handed to New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti regional chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi has once again exposed this troubling culture.
An Accra high court convicted him on illegal-mining related charges and sentenced him to 20 years in prison. The NPP has since announced its intention to appeal the conviction.
What concerns me is not whether one belongs to the NPP or the NDC, what concern me is our growing tendency to attach a political identity to every arrest, investigation or court judgment. If an NPP member is arrested, some immediately say the NDC government is targeting the opposition. If an NDC member faces legal trouble the same argument will easily be reversed when political circumstances change.
We must ask ourselves; Are we defending justice or are we simply depending on our political colours? Political affiliation should never determine whether we believe a person deserves investigation, prosecution or a fair trial. If someone is accused of wrongdoing the proper institution must investigate, the court must determine guilt and the accused must have the right to challenge the decision through legal process.
Ghana cannot build a strong democracy if every criminal investigation becomes a political battle. Let us learn to separate politics from justice, a wrongdoing does not become right because the accused belong to your party and an accusation does not become true simply because the person belong to the opposing party.
Our loyalty should first be Ghana, the rule of the law and justice not to political colors.
From Desmond Yaw Frimpong
Pentecost University
