Do Not Force Young Women Into Marriage – Ngozi Adichie Sends Stern Warning To Nigerians

Award-winning Nigerian Writer, Ngozi Chimamanda Adichie has berated those who are fond of looking down on young women because they are not yet married.

The novelist opined that pressuring women into marriage could push them to choose the wrong partner.

Adiche stated this on Friday during the 21st Annual Conference of the Women in Management, Business and Public Service as a keynote speaker.

The event was held at the Eko Convention Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The novelist explained that when women do not get married at a certain age it means that they have not met the man they truly want to be with.

The mother of one insisted that they (women) should be allowed to take their time to choose the man they love to spend the rest of their lives with.

Speaking during the Question and Answer session after her address, Adichie said it was wrong for older women to ‘keep watch’ on younger women, questioning them on when they would get married.

Adichie said, “I find that many young women here have this obsession about getting married. You’ll hear things like, ‘Is she married?’ ‘When is she getting married?’ ‘Who is she getting married to?’I think it is disastrous for us to have this kind of obsession. It puts young women under so much pressure.

“So, for the big aunties, please, don’t do it to young women. They too want to be happy. So, if they are not yet married, it just means they haven’t found the right guy to be happy with.

“It is not as if being single is anything bad. They simply want to be happy. It is so much pressure. I have spoken to many young women about this to find out. It is not just for the individual young women, but the participation of women in society

“If we weigh them down by culture, judgment and pressure, they are not going to go out there and change the world, and we want women to conquer the world.”