Ashleigh Onfroy | Do not forget the boys: Restoring balance in gender advocacy

Since the 1970s, Jamaica has advanced women’s rights. However, a growing, rarely discussed concern has emerged: the rise of anti-male sentiment and systemic disadvantages affecting young black Jamaican males.

Jamaica’s top quintile is dominated by light-skinned men; the middle quintiles are dominated by educated women; and the base comprises mainly poor, young, dark-skinned men.

Based on preliminary findings of a study on how education is funded in Jamaica, these poor males have nine times fewer resources for tertiary education and training than the average young woman; but the women in the poorest quintile have only two times fewer than the average male.

This is not a criticism of women’s progress, but a call for balance. While promoting the well-being of girls and women is necessary and ought to continue, the pendulum appears to have swung too far, where poor, African-descended young Jamaican males are often overlooked and vilified, facing educational inequity, over-policing, extra-judicial killings, and systemic disregard.

FALLING BEHIND IN EDUCATION

Jamaica’s education system, the main avenue for upward mobility, has consistently favoured girls since the 1970s. Data from The Reform of Education in Jamaica 2021 Report show girls outperform boys in PEP and CSEC, not because boys are less capable, but because they under participate due to systemic neglect.

Studies done by Chevannes, Gayle and Figueroa over the last 30 years reveal the harsh reality in Jamaica; when households face financial hardship, boys are often pulled from school while girls continue their education.

Equal resources yield equal performance, but boys rarely receive them. What kind of society are we creating when a female who attends one of the top-three all-girl schools is 33 times more likely to matriculate to university than a male who attends a low-performing new secondary school?

Preliminary findings of a study on how education is funded in Jamaica reveal that men (fathers, partners, brothers, even sons) finance 80 per cent of women’s tertiary tuition, yet are later castigated for lower educational attainment.

In the Caribbean, traditional ideas of masculinity are tied to providing, pushing many young men out of school and into work early. Reinforced by societal pressure and labour patterns favouring male employment, this leaves men occupying only 30 per cent of top universities.

This educational gap is not just academic; it is a precursor to lifelong inequality and violence. Young men who fail to attain qualifications are more likely to be unemployed, underemployed, and commit crime. While programmes exist to empower girls in STEM and leadership, promote remedial learning, and there are dozens of scholarships dedicated to girls specifically, similar initiatives for disadvantaged boys are few. This disparity, left unaddressed, threatens the development of a balanced and productive society.

OVER-POLICING AND UNDER-PROTECTING

Young, black Jamaican males are also disproportionately targeted by law enforcement. They are more likely to be searched, arrested, or become victims of extrajudicial killings.

According to INDECOM, a third of young men killed had no firearms. While crime statistics do show that men commit most violent crimes, they are also overwhelmingly the victims, a conversation rarely had.

In fact, calculations from police statistics for the past 25 years show that males make up 91 per cent of homicide, one of the highest proportions not just in the Caribbean, but in the world.

However, public empathy tends to lean heavily in favour of the 118 female victims, rather than the 1200 males who die on average yearly since year 2000; and with little attention paid to the trauma, poverty, and marginalisation that push many boys and men into criminal environments in the first place.

RISE OF ANTI-MALE RHETORIC

The normalisation of anti-male rhetoric in public discourse is concerning. Masculinity is frequently framed as inherently toxic, with little distinction made between what might be harmful gender norms and male identity itself. Men expressing frustration about their struggles are often met with ridicule or accusations of misogyny while misandry is excused and often celebrated.

Sayings, like “never trust a man”, “all men are trash”, and “man a crosses”, have become culturally accepted catchphrases, further entrenching the idea that masculinity is something to be feared and ashamed of. While such expressions might stem from genuine frustration with male-perpetrated violence or abuse, their widespread and misplaced use damages the mental health of boys and young men struggling to find their place in a society that appears inherently hostile to them, and yet expects them to give their all to provide for, care and protect the same people who appear disgusted by them.

NEED FOR BALANCE

Being pro-female does not need to mean being anti-male. Operating in such a binary proves deleterious to our progress as a nation. Jamaica cannot achieve equitable national development if half the population continues to fall behind.

A more holistic approach is needed. We cannot afford to shy away from addressing the unique challenges faced by men and boys. Policymakers must craft gender-responsive strategies and programmes that include males.

Educational reforms must address why boys are disengaged from learning and provide mentorship and improved pedagogy. Social services must be expanded to support male victims of abuse, and public campaigns must promote healthy, positive masculinity, not shame it. Gender advocacy means advancing the well-being of girls and boys, women and men – not one over the other.

Ashleigh Onfroy is a social anthropology researcher and United Nations-European Union Youth Advisor. The views expressed have not been endorsed by and may not reflect the views of the United Nations or European Union. Send feedback to ashleighconfroy@gmail.com.