By Nimi Ekere

Each year, May 16 reminds us to pause and reflect on a group too often left in the shadows of child protection and empowerment narratives — the boy child. As Dr. Nimi Ekere marks the International Day of the Boy Child 2025, with the theme “Building Self Esteem in Boys: Stand Up, Be Heard, Be Seen,” she is called not just to remember our boys, but to act — intentionally, urgently, and with compassion.

As a Family Physician and Child Advocate, Dr. Ekere has sat across from too many boys — hurting, confused, voiceless — whose emotional wounds were dismissed because “boys are supposed to be strong.” She’s listened to boys who were silenced when they tried to speak, who were unseen when they reached out for help, and who were discouraged from expressing pain because society had taught them that vulnerability is weakness. It is time to rewrite that narrative.

For too long, the global conversation around child development and protection has leaned heavily — and understandably — toward the girl child. But in our push for equity, we must not lose sight of inclusivity. Protecting the girl child should never mean neglecting the boy child. Both deserve to be safe. Both deserve to be heard. Both deserve to thrive.

This year’s theme demands more than awareness — it demands a cultural shift. Self-esteem does not grow in a vacuum. It is nurtured in homes, schools, communities, and policies that allow boys to show up as they are — curious, expressive, afraid, hopeful, joyful, and human. Dr. Ekere believes we must teach our boys that their voices matter. That it is not shameful to cry, to speak up when touched inappropriately, to ask for help, to dream differently. That strength includes softness, and courage often comes cloaked in vulnerability.

We must mentor them right. Not just to be men, but to be whole men. Mentorship that goes beyond teaching ambition and authority, to modeling empathy, respect, and emotional intelligence. Boys need positive male and female role models who show them that being seen does not mean being loud, and that being heard is not about dominance, but about authenticity.

Let us create safe spaces — at home, in classrooms, in churches, on football fields — where boys are allowed to question, to fail, to explore identity, to talk about abuse without shame, and to build a self-esteem that is not tied to rigid gender expectations, but to human dignity. If we want fewer broken men tomorrow, we must listen to our boys today.

As the world marks this day, she challenges every parent, educator, policymaker, and community leader to reflect: When was the last time you truly saw the boy child — not as a potential man, but as a person worthy of value now? May our boys stand up with confidence, be heard with respect, and be seen with love.