Nollywood actress Kate Henshaw has once again used her voice to address a pressing issue—gender inequality in Nigeria. In a recent interview on Arise TV, she spoke candidly about how many Nigerian men still view women as lesser beings, both in society and under the law.
Henshaw, who has spent over three decades in the Nigerian film industry, expressed deep concern over how women are perceived and treated. She believes this issue isn’t just cultural—it’s also backed by religious interpretation and legal loopholes that work against women.
According to her, “God created man and woman. He created the man first, no doubt. Even pastors and churches are at fault for this. He (God) brought the woman from the side, not from the head over the man or from under to be beneath him but beside, to reign beside him, to be fruitful, multiply and bring up children and grow together but Nigerian men see women as less than human that is why when you leave these shores and go somewhere else, they show you people pepper.”
Henshaw didn’t just speak in general terms. She went on to highlight flaws in Nigeria’s legal system that contribute to gender inequality. She said, “You see us as this wood…even our laws, the violence against person’s prohibition laws favours the man…A man is reasonably allowed to chastise his wife.”
To support her argument, she mentioned how citizenship laws in Nigeria are gender-biased. A foreign woman who marries a Nigerian man can easily gain citizenship. However, a foreign man married to a Nigerian woman doesn’t get the same benefit.
Through her words, Kate Henshaw urges Nigerians to rethink societal and legal norms. Her call is not just for awareness, but also for a fairer system where both genders are treated equally.
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