Nollywood actress, Kate Henshaw, has criticised the way Nigerian men view women, saying they treat them as inferior and not as equals.
She made the statement during an interview on Arise TV, where she addressed the topic of gender inequality in Nigeria and called out both religious institutions and the legal system for enabling the problem.
According to Henshaw, the Bible’s creation story does not support the idea that women are beneath men, and yet churches and religious leaders continue to push such beliefs.
“God created man and woman. He created the man first, no doubt. Even pastors and churches are at fault for this. He (God) brought the woman from the side, not from the head over the man or from under to be beneath him but beside, to reign beside him, to be fruitful, multiply and bring up children and grow together. But Nigerian men see women as less than human. That is why when you leave these shores and go somewhere else, they show you people pepper.”
She also criticised the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) law, saying it still gives room for men to mistreat their wives under the excuse of discipline.
“You see us as this wood… Even our laws, the Violence Against Persons Prohibition laws favour the man. A man is reasonably allowed to chastise his wife.”
Henshaw, who recently celebrated 32 years in the Nigerian film industry, went on to condemn the existing citizenship law that allows foreign women married to Nigerian men to receive citizenship, while denying the same benefit to foreign men married to Nigerian women.