In Nigeria, there are certain expectations placed on women when it comes to relationships and marriages and when you don’t live up to these expectations, you are judged harshly.
Women are told that the most important achievement in their lives is getting married. It doesn’t matter who they get married to or how these men treat them, they must not complain because men are scarce.
Below are 10 things expected from Nigerian women in relationships and marriages:
1. As a Nigerian woman, you have to accept less than you deserve just so you can be in a relationship.
2. You are expected to put up with mediocrity and bad behaviour from men so that you can be married and be called a wife.
3. As a Nigerian woman, you have to manage bad sex, put up with one minute man so you can be good and virtuous.
4. As a woman in Nigeria, you are expected to manage any man that says hi to you because you must not have a choice. You will soon expire.
5. As a Nigerian woman, you are expected to tell the world your man buys you expensive gifts even if you are the one feeding him.
6. You are expected to praise your husband to high heavens even if he’s as useless as a used tissue paper.
7. As a Nigerian woman, you are expected to keep quiet when a man is slut shaming you, insulting you and provoking you so you won’t be called a bad woman.
8. As a woman in Nigeria, you are told to think about your children when you defend yourself and state your own side of the story.
9. As a Nigerian woman, you are told to shut up and pray when you are dealing with an abusive partner. You are also told to stop disgracing yourself when you react to a man’s provocation.
10. You are not supposed to have a voice. You shouldn’t have a choice, how dare you? You must do everything this society wants.
But this society will still not be satisfied. You will damned if you are subservient and damned if you are opinionated and independent. The choice is yours.
If you are a woman and you are still living to please this society, you will live a sad, unfulfilled and frustrated life.
No matter what you do as a Nigerian woman, this society will still call you names so why not live life on your own terms and do what’s best for you?