Health ministry officer says Jamaican men must build manhood before fatherhood

Ahead of Father's Day, a senior public servant has urged Jamaican men to settle the question of manhood in their own lives before taking on the duties of fatherhood.

Alan Carter, senior quality management officer at the Ministry of Health and Wellness and co-chairman of the Men's Coalition Committee at the Jamaica Civil Service Association, said society often equates manhood with paying bills and getting things done. He argued that leadership, discipline, consistency, and bringing order to family and community life matter just as much.

Carter distinguished between simply being a man and becoming one. Becoming a man, he said, means passing through hard experience and accepting that no one will rescue you — then taking full leadership of your own life. He prepared by watching men in his family, especially his father, whom he described as his hero and model for protecting and providing within his sphere.

He said guidance from elders matters, but only if a young man is willing to receive it. Among today's challenges, he cited weak connection with self and with God, which he said shapes how men relate to women. He also warned that many men have grown demotivated and are stepping back from society, leaving communities less protected. Men and women, he stressed, must share responsibility in balance.

On fatherhood, Carter said the right time comes after key personal milestones — when a man knows he is responsible for his own life and can carry responsibility for another. He defined fatherhood as protector, provider, and presider, noting that provision includes shaping the home environment, not only earning money.

Daily presence in the household is essential, he said, because children need a father's voice, problem-solving, and security through formative moments such as bullying at school. Qualities he named for effective fatherhood include consistency, discipline, integrity, accountability, and time management. Fathers should also play with their children while maintaining firm, balanced discipline.