Nollywood actor Uzor Arukwe has said marriage places greater demands on women than men, arguing that being married does not define a woman’s worth or fulfilment.
Arukwe said this during an interview on the In My Opinion podcast, shared on IG on Wednesday, where he was asked whether society had oversold the idea of marriage to women.
The actor said he had never been a strong advocate of marriage because of the responsibilities and changes women often experience, including pregnancy, childbirth, and taking their husbands’ surnames.
“I’ve never really been an advocate of marriage because I feel like it’s more tasking for the woman. She’s the one that bears the child. She takes your last name. A lot of things happen,” he said.
Arukwe added that society was gradually recognising that marriage was not a prerequisite for a woman’s identity or fulfilment.
“So, I feel society is now beginning to catch on to the fact that marriage doesn’t define or make a woman,” he said.
The actor also reflected on changing societal expectations around marriage and childbearing, noting that unmarried women were often questioned about their marital status as they approached their late twenties and thirties.
He said expectations had evolved, with some women choosing not to marry or have children.
“Growing up, people would ask you why you weren’t married at 25 or 30 and talk about how they already had five children by that age. Now, there are even women who don’t want to have children. I’ve met at least two or three,” he said.
Arukwe is married to Barbara Boyd-Arukwe, and they have two daughters.