Nollywood actress Etinosa Idemudia has described discriminatory behaviours against women who visit clubs, bars and hotels without male companions.
In an Instagram post, Idemudia cites an example of when she was denied entry into entertainment venues because she arrived alone, despite being willing to pay like other patrons in the establishment.
Calling on feminists to join her campaign, said women often receive restrictions when trying to access such spaces without male accompaniment, while it is not so for men.
The actress criticised the double standard, questioning why women are subjected to scrutiny over their presence in social spaces, while men are allowed unrestricted access.
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She said, “I am a one-man Mopol, and I know there are other ladies like me. I remember when, in 2014, I was an engineer, surviving a messy marriage.
“I went alone to clubs to spend my oil and gas money to drink and forget my difficult situation. I went alone. Yes, I experienced this, so I went to just one place where I knew me to avoid nonsense and insults. I spent my own money, enjoyed myself and went home.
“When I came to Lagos to start my acting career, I remember going to some places alone to chill and facing the same issues. I wasn’t a hook-up; I just wanted to enjoy music and watch others dance. I fought, and I got in (probably when they hear the big, big English I’m speaking)
Idemudia stressed that a woman’s decision to visit a venue alone should not be interpreted as an indication of involvement in illicit activities. She also faulted the assumption that unaccompanied women are engaged in transactional relationships.
Sharing that some of these experiences occurred during a challenging period in her marriage, she called for collective action to confront and change the prevailing social norms.
“This thing has gone on for so long, and I wonder, why are men not facing it. Why do they think every girl who is not with a man is an OS?
And if they are OS, isn’t it the same men who want them? Why don’t they discriminate against men who are alone? So men cannot be OS??? It’s sickening, though.”
