Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, the Minister for Women Affairs, has advised Nigerian women not to argue or fight back when arguing with their husbands at home.
The minister, during a Conference of Commissioners of State Ministries of Women Affairs in Nigeria on Wednesday in Abuja, said avoiding trading words would prevent physical assault that may lead to injury or death.
The conference was organised by the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Phase II Programme and funded by the European Union through the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).
“I am equally begging my women not to look for trouble, not even at home. Maintain peace in your home because if a home is peaceful, the woman has 80 per cent to contribute to that. If you need peace, you can equally achieve it.
“Keep your mouth shut. Talking back does not yield fruit; rather, it leads to death and destruction, and it leads to bringing up bad children for society. Keep your mouth shut; it does not make you a fool but a wise person. When the man is shouting and saying all sorts of things, act like a fool and keep your mouth shut.
“After a while, watch him. If he is a good man, he will come back to apologise. If he is not a good one, ignore him. Have what you want to do in your mind, but when we show who we are and we fight back, most times, it leads to hitting; you could be injured.
“The same man that injures you will come back to say I am sorry. What will you do? Will you kill him? Even if we come out to fight for you and you lose one eye, are we going to replace the eye? So prevention is better than cure.”
The minister, while calling for the signing of a law that would provide a mobile court to try gender and sexual based offences, maintained that she and the commissioners would lead a protest to the office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the federation to sign the law.
She also said the minister would launch an integrity group to monitor all funds donated to uplift women in the country, adding that it was necessary as the country’s current situation did not suggest donor funds for women empowerment were used for the right course.
