“We need our young fathers to step up and ensure that your children do not get recruited into these gangs” – Holness

The Prime Minister is calling on Jamaican fathers, especially young and absent biological fathers, to take a more active role in their children’s lives, not just financially, but emotionally.

The Prime Minister honoured Jamaican fathers on Wednesday during a special Father’s Day event held at the Office of the Prime Minister, OPM, where he delivered a powerful message on the importance of fatherhood in shaping families and the nation. Holness said emotional support is crucial to provide stability to help prevent children from joining gangs.

Speaking at the event, Holness addressed the urgent need for more young fathers to be active in their children’s lives beyond financial provisions. “Much more is expected of you as fathers,” he stated. “Because, and in particular in the case of our society, where we have gangs that are active, that are looking to play the father role in the lives of our young men, we need our young fathers to step up and ensure that your children do not get recruited into these gangs.”

Holness continued, “I use this platform on Father’s Day to appeal to the biological fathers who may not be playing their role to step up to their financial role, step up to their emotional support role, and support the other fathers who may not have the economic wherewithal, but they are doing their role, they are playing their part, and if all our fathers played their part, Jamaica would be a far better place than it is.”

Prime Minister Holness also urged absent biological fathers to step up both financially and emotionally and play their part in building a stronger, better Jamaica.

National effort to support good fathers

Holness said there will be a collective national effort to support and uplift fathers, emphasising that strengthening fatherhood is critical to strengthening the Jamaican society. Holness noted that even in economically difficult circumstances, a father’s presence can have a lasting impact.

Holness commended fathers who are committed to playing pivotal roles in strengthening families and, by extension, the nation. He declared fatherhood as one of life’s most sacred callings and acknowledged fathers who embrace their responsibilities and make sacrifices for their children.

“We honour those fathers who play their role, who make the sacrifice, whether it is for the school fee, the lunch money, or a significant moment in the development of their child, that they ensure that those moments can be realised… Aside from the economic roots that we expect our fathers to provide, there is an emotional coverage that fathers give, even if they don’t have the economic wherewithal, the economic means.

On Father’s Day, the recognition of the children, it’s not so much about what they got financially from their fathers, it is more so what they got in emotional support from their fathers,” stated Holness.

Holness pointed out that although research from the Caribbean Child Development Centre and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has shown that a significant number of Jamaican households are female led, it also highlights the importance of fathers in the home.

“There is a growing appreciation of the importance of the male role model in the presence of the child, particularly in the early stages of development. This is, therefore, growing acknowledgement of the importance of having the father involved in the child’s development and, indeed, involved in the household in which the child is growing up,” said Prime Minister Holness.

The event feted 110 fathers of the OPM and the Cabinet Office including, Ministers, Senator, police officers and members from the Montego Bay office.