Veteran Nollywood actress, Rita Edochie, has hit out at what she described as society’s unfair treatment of women when marital infidelity is involved.
The actress reacted angrily after a video surfaced online showing a master of ceremonies addressing a couple, identified as Thomas and Mirabel, during what appeared to be a marriage-related event.
In the video, spoken in Igbo, the MC warned the wife that if she cheated on her husband while he was away for months, she would “die and run mad”, before asking her to say “amen”.
But when he turned to the husband, the same MC said that if the man cheated on his wife, God would forgive him because he did not do it intentionally.
The comment did not sit well with Edochie, who took to Instagram on Monday to condemn the message behind the video.
She said she hoped the clip was only a joke or a skit, adding that society must stop creating one rule for men and another for women.
“If Forgiveness Exists, It Should Not Be For Men Alone”
Edochie said she was angry because men are often excused for cheating under the claim that they are “polygamous by nature”, while women are condemned for the same offence.
According to her, if men are allowed to receive mercy, forgiveness and understanding after cheating, then women should also be given the same grace.
“For too long, society has preached one gospel for men and another for women,” she said, arguing that a man’s infidelity is often dismissed as weakness, while a woman who does the same is branded and pushed out of her home.
The actress questioned why the same offence should produce two different judgments simply because one person is a man and the other is a woman.
She said if marriage vows are exchanged equally, then accountability should also be applied equally.
Edochie added that if infidelity is considered a sin, then it must be treated as a sin for both men and women.
She described any form of justice that favours men while crushing women as unfair, insisting that marriage cannot be built on a system where the man is always understood while the woman is expected to be perfect.
According to her, the rules of marriage should not change because the offender is wearing trousers or a skirt.
She said accountability, mercy and dignity must be equal, stressing that society cannot honestly claim to defend marriage while measuring men and women with different standards.
For Edochie, a principle is only a principle when it applies to everyone.
