The conversation over what roles men and women play in a marriage is really heating up in Nigeria with some ideas being thrown around.
A day after a married woman floated the idea of wives allowing their men to have side chicks to take care of them if their wives are too busy to do so, a Nollywood actress has weighed in with her own thoughts.
According to Ronke Oshodi, the strictly assigned gender roles in marriage are changing based on changes in society.
In the past, women stayed home to take care of their husband by cooking, cleaning and the likes, whilst the man goes out to make money for the family.
In that instance, she argues it’s reasonable for a man to have total control over the wife.
These days however, couples share the financial burden and even sometimes, the woman takes it over. In that instance, Oshodi argues that it’s unreasonable to expect the woman to go out and work and then come back and cook for you and generally be submissive to you.
“…I would bring 50 (% of household income), the man would bring 50 or I would bring 70 the man would bring 30 or he would bring 70, I would bring 30 because we have to work hand in hand. So how do you think we can sustain the marriage [if I have to be submissive?] It is not going to work. It is not because we don’t want to really be in our husband’s house or that we are not submissive enough, it is not just going to work.” she said.
“I am going to pay the NEPA bill, I would provide foodstuff if you don’t have, I would pay the school fees if you don’t have, I would do some certain things if you don’t have. And then you would now come and expect me to cook for you or come and meet food when you come back home, it is not going to work. It is not just going to work. That is just it.”
“But if you are a man and you are doing everything, absolutely everything, that is when you can have total control of your wife” she concluded.