Ghanaian blogger and humanitarian, Kobby Kyei, has cautioned society against neglecting the emotional and social needs of boys, stressing that the consequences could create a generation of men unable to express love, empathy, or responsibility.

Speaking on The Career Trail with Irene Adubea Aning on Joy Learning TV and Joy News, he revealed the motivation behind his new advocacy initiative, Boys Lives Matter.

According to him, growing up as a boy, he never heard affirmations like “I love you” or “I’m proud of you” from his parents, a reality he says many African boys share.

He explained that such neglect leaves lasting scars.

“How do you build a society of boys where boys are neglected? Girls are taught how to care for themselves, but how many people are teaching boys how to wash their boxer shorts or shave their armpits? Boys are left behind, and this is dangerous,” he argued.

Kobby Kyei warned that society’s imbalance in prioritising girls’ empowerment while sidelining boys will backfire.

“We’ve empowered the girls and left the boys behind. A generation is coming where we are going to cry for not empowering the boy child. Because the boy child that has been left will grow up to be the man you expect to be the head of the family, but he won’t have the tools,” he stated.

He shared a moving experience from South Africa, where after one of his talks, a 61-year-old woman broke down in tears, admitting her son had grown emotionally detached because she and her husband had shown more love to their daughters than to him.

For Kobby Kyei, Boys Lives Matter is not a campaign against women but a call for balance.

“Don’t blame this generation of boys who are heartless. Don’t blame them when they can’t say 'I love you' to their wives or show affection. It is not their fault; they never got that love growing up,” he cautioned.

He emphasised that grooming and supporting boys emotionally is just as critical as empowering girls if society is to raise well-rounded men who can lead their families with empathy.