Women still treated as second-class citizens in Nigeria – Kate Henshaw

Veteran Nollywood actress, Kate Henshaw, has called out the deeply rooted patriarchy in Nigerian society, stating that many Nigerian men have been conditioned to view women as inferior beings.

Speaking during an interview on Arise TV, the award-winning actress and fitness enthusiast argued that, despite biblical accounts of a woman being created from a man’s side — symbolizing equality — the mindset of most Nigerian men contradicts that intention.

“God created man and woman. He created the man first, no doubt, but He brought the woman from the side, not from the head to rule over the man or from under to be beneath him, but beside — to reign beside him, to be fruitful, multiply, bring up children, and grow together,” Henshaw said. “But Nigerian men see women as less than human.”

The mother of one went on to criticize Nigeria’s legal system, saying it is skewed in favor of men. She noted discriminatory practices, including laws that allow a man to easily confer citizenship on a foreign wife, while a woman must navigate bureaucratic hurdles to do the same for her foreign husband.

“Even our laws — the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act — still favours men. A man is reasonably allowed to chastise his wife. Why?” she questioned. “When you leave these shores and go somewhere else, they show you people pepper,” she added.