Uzor Arukwe: Marriage Puts More Pressure on Women

Nollywood actor Uzor Arukwe has said that marriage demands more from women than from men. He believes that being married does not determine a woman's value or happiness.

Arukwe shared his thoughts during an interview on the In My Opinion podcast, which was posted on Instagram on Wednesday. He was asked if society has put too much emphasis on marriage for women.

The actor explained that he has never been a big supporter of marriage because of the heavy responsibilities women face. These include pregnancy, childbirth, and changing their last names.

"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 mentioned that society is slowly starting to realize that marriage is not needed for a woman’s identity or happiness.

"So, I feel society is now beginning to catch on to the fact that marriage doesn’t define or make a woman," he explained.

The actor also talked about how views on marriage and having kids are changing. He noted that unmarried women often face questions about their marital status as they get older, especially in their late twenties and thirties.

He said that expectations have changed, and some women are choosing to remain single or not 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 shared.

Arukwe is married to Barbara Boyd-Arukwe, and they have two daughters.