Nollywood actor Lola Idije has urged people to stop pushing women into marriage at a young age, arguing that some may not marry until their 40s or 50s and should not face criticism for bringing up children without a spouse.
Speaking on the Africanlist Podcast, Idije voiced support for women who take sole responsibility for raising their children. She said not every mother has a husband available to share the demands of parenting, leaving many women to manage those obligations alone.
“Not everyone will have a husband to help raise their children, so women must carry the burden themselves. It is not a life all of them selected,” she said.
The actress said single motherhood can result from situations outside a woman’s control and maintained that the absence of a husband should not be treated as evidence of irresponsibility.
Idije also challenged social expectations that encourage women to marry early. Pressuring someone to wed at 20, she said, offers no assurance that the person will avoid entering into a marriage with an unsuitable partner.
“If they are pressured from age 20, how can anyone be sure they will not end up marrying the wrong person?” she said.
On motherhood, Idije added that women tend to become gentler after they begin having children.
