The Minister for Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, has counseled women across the country not to fight back or dispute when they have disagreements with their husbands at home.
Avoiding verbal abuse will stop physical assault that could cause harm or death, the minister stated on Wednesday in Abuja at a Conference of Commissioners of State Ministries of Women Affairs in Nigeria.
During a Conference of Commissioners of State Ministries of Women Affairs in Nigeria held on Wednesday in Abuja, the minister said Avoiding verbal abuse will stop physical assault that could cause harm or death.
Minister Kennedy-Ohaneye urged women to prioritize peace in their homes, asserting that their contributions to fostering harmony within the household are paramount in accounting for up to 80 percent of the overall tranquility.
“I am equally begging my women not to look for trouble, not even at home. Maintain peace in your home because if a home is peaceful, the woman has 80 percent to contribute to that. If you need peace, you can equally achieve it.
“Keep your mouth shut. Talking back does not yield fruit, rather it leads to death and destruction, it leads to bringing up bad children for society. Keep your mouth shut, it does not make you a fool but a wise person. When the man is shouting and saying all sorts of things, act like a fool and keep your mouth shut.
“After a while, watch him. If he is a good man, he will come back to apologise. If he is not a good one, ignore him. Have what you want to do in your mind, but when we show who we are and we fight back, most times, it leads to hitting; you could be injured.
“The same man that injures you will come back to say I am sorry. What will you do? Will you kill him? Even if we come out to fight for you and you lose one eye, are we going to replace the eye? So prevention is better than cure.”
Emphasizing the potential dangers of confrontations, Kennedy-Ohaneye urged women to exercise restraint, even in the face of provocation.
The minister also called for the implementation of legislation to combat sexual offences and gender-based violence. She announced plans to advocate for the establishment of mobile courts to expedite the trial of such crimes.
Additionally, Minister Kennedy-Ohaneye promised to launch an integrity group to oversee the proper utilization of funds allocated for women’s empowerment initiatives. She expressed concerns about the misappropriation of donor funding meant to support the nation’s women’s advancement, and called for accountability and openness in the distribution of resources.
