Don’t burden your wife, Nigerian women attack Buhari over kitchen comment

The Nigerian Feminist Forum, NFF, an umbrella body of several women groups in the country, has faulted President Muhammadu Buhari’s statement that his wife belongs to his kitchen and  living rooms.

 This is as a result of the  president’s further assertion in an Interview that his wife’s job is to take care of him,   “We equally admonish your follow up comments or confirmation of your earlier position to a journalist that your wife’s sole duty is to ‘take care of you’ is equally unacceptable. We believe that you are not physically disabled or incapacitated to warrant 24hours personal care and if that is the case, may we suggest you seek qualified paid professional care.”

The group,  has described the president’s statement as condescending,  demeaning and a violation of the right to dignity of every woman as recognized under section 34 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

It will be recalled that President Buhari, while responding to critical statements made by his wife, Aisha in an interview with the Hausa Service of the BBC, said: “I don’t know which party my wife belongs to, but she belongs to my kitchen and my living room and the other room”.

“It is notable that Mr. President’s condescending comment relegating his wife’s role exclusively to his ’’kitchen and the other room’’ was made whilst in  Germany, a first world nation with advanced democracy, headed by a woman (Ms. Angela Merkel).

“Ms. Merkel serves as a clear example that women can attain to the highest leadership position anywhere in the world if given the right support and opportunity. Ms. Merkel would not have become the German Chancellor if she as a woman was solely relegated to the kitchen or the other room. Ms. Merkel, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Michelle Bachelet, Thersa May, Doris Leuthard and other women in similar position demonstrates that women just like men, are capable of making important decisions in the ‘boardrooms and conference rooms’. 

In fact, we are entering the age of women, the age of men have elapsed which calls for equal opportunities for women as well.

 source:www.ripplesnigeria.com