Odiereblog

There’s a lady who lives in my yard that most of the men disliked. According to them, she was a " hard-headed woman" who " didn't know how to please a man " and " would end up alone."   But recently she gave birth. And my neighbor was gist-ing me about her. But there was one thing he said that made me look at him eerily.   He said: " She is a feminist but gave birth to a boy, since she hates men then why didn't she give birth to a girl?" Before now, I didn't understand why he disliked her. Until now – Because she is a feminist. And to him, a feminist is someone who hates the slightest glimpse of men. I’ve heard this many times before. I’ve been called a " man hater " by uneducated people just because I knew my rights. Yes, I am a feminist too. And that’s why I’m writing this — to clear the confusion. If you’ve ever wanted to be a feminist but you’re scared people will see you as a bitter woman, don’t be scared. ...

While growing up, many times when I was learning how to cook, if the food had less salt or more water than usual, my mother would say, " You're a girl oh and your not learning" It was a simple statement, but it carried an ugly meaning. I would ask myself, “If I were a boy, would the statement be the same? I'm a girl, so what?” I grew up in a home where the women will come back from work, clean and cook, while the men will come back, watch TV, press their phone and wait for the women to serve food. What about mothers who have only sons? Does that mean she does all the work alone? What about married women with time-consuming jobs? Does that mean their husbands leave all the housework for them? what about pregnant wives does that mean their husbands during that crucial period they still have to take care of the house? For years, cooking, cleaning, and washing were labeled as " women's work " in many Nigerian homes. But the world has changed.  If...

 Last Saturday, I attended a wedding with my mom. It was her friend's daughter who was getting married, and the occasion was going smoothly until the bride and groom went to the registry to sign their marriage certificate. The bride refused to give up her father's name, to the point that the wedding was almost called off. It wasn’t until her mother and siblings convinced her not to overthink the matter that she finally agreed to sign using her husband's name. There was a time when a woman transitioned almost seamlessly from her parents’ home straight to her husband’s, usually in her early twenties. In that era, changing your last name felt like a natural rite of passage—a symbolic passing of the baton from one household to the next. But look around today, and the timeline of womanhood looks entirely different. Women are marrying much later in life. We are taking our time, chasing our ambitions, and building our own foundations first. By the time a modern woman s...