The International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA, has berated Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, for asking the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and other Nigerian men to marry second wives. FIDA insisted that such call from the Senator was “disparaging and meant to demean Nigeria women”.
The body, in a statement in Abuja on Friday, said it was outraged by the fact that Ndume gave the advice on the floor of the Senate, saying such utterance portrayed women as “sex objects”, whose clamour for gender equality could only be realised by being married off by men.
“May we remind the Senator that Nigeria is a signatory to the Convention
on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and his
utterances negate the provisions of Article No 16 that ‘State parties
shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against
women in all matters relating to marriage and family relations’ and the
General Recommendation in Article No 21 which states that ‘polygamous
marriage contravenes a woman’s right to equality with men, and can have
such serious emotional and financial consequences for her and her
dependents that such marriage ought to be discouraged and prohibited”,
the group stated.
It noted that the Marriage Act only recognizes a monogamous marriage - one man, one woman.
“The Holy Bible which Senator Ndume referred to does not recognise
polygamy as the wording of Mathew 19: 4-6 refers to the union of one
man and woman to the exclusion of any other being.
“FIDA Nigeria states that on March 8, 2016, men all around the world
adopted policies to accelerate gender equality in support of th
e theme,
‘planet 50-50 by 2030: Step it up for Gender Equity.
“We urge Senator Ndume and other distinguished Senators to pledge for
gender parity and not trivialise the role of women in the society.”
Senator Ndume had insisted that there is nothing wrong a man marrying two or more wives:
“I urge men to marry more than one wife. The first care of a woman is marriage. Men should take care of women by not just befriending them, but by going further to marry them.
I know there is nowhere in the Bible that prohibits marrying more than
one wife. Starting with the Senate President, I ask him to consider
marrying more than one wife”.
