A non-governmental organisation for the welfare of the boy-child, Kenya Boy Child Initiative, has challenged the government to put measures in place to safeguard the interest of the boy child.
The NGO chairman said the boy child has been discriminated against as the girl child continues to be empowered.
Speaking during a boy child forum at the ACK Hall in Kikuyu sub-county on Saturday, the initiative Chairman, Sammy Karanja, said that the boy child has continued to suffer adding that if the situation continues, the boy child will remain marginalised in the society.
"The initiative is not against empowerment of the girl child but empowering the girl child should not be over emphasised at the expense of the boy child," said Karanja.
He condemned the current method used to admit students in public universities where boys must attain higher cut off marks as compared to girls, saying this was a kind of discrimination.
Karanja pointed out that the society seems more focused on the girl child who is rapidly suffocating the male child where over 80% of street children are boys.
He said they are conducting a research to show the extent to which the boy is sidelined adding that there was need for intervention to save the endangered boy child.
He therefore urged the government to also safeguard the rights and interests of the boy child not only for the purpose of gender equity but also for gender empowerment.