Taking up financial roles at home boosts women’s confidence and independence, and gives them a stronger voice in household decision making.
Women’s financial contributions to their homes also promote healthier relationships.
Some Nigerians made the assertion in interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Thursday.
They added that a couple’s contributions based on their skills and strengths would make their better.
A Financial Advisor, Mr Matthew Okoro, said that there was need for couples to communication effectively and have mutual understanding about their finances.
Okoro cautioned against couples sticking to perceived gender roles and stereotypes.
“Financial responsibilities should be shared based on individual strengths and interests, rather than pre-defined gender roles,” he said.
Mr Faith Ene, a psychologist at New Hope Specialist Hospital, Ihitte-Uboma, Imo State, said there was need to break the barriers and shun societal beliefs and expectations that assigned specific roles to women.
Ene said that couples should negotiate and re-define financial roles and contributions based on their unique circumstances.
“Modern times demand a shift, with shared financial responsibilities becoming the new norm.
“We need to be free from societal norms that dictate women’s primary responsibilities for households,” he said.
Mrs Emily Adebayo, an entrepreneur in Festac Town, Lagos State, that said that it was important to recognise individual strengths when assigning financial roles at homes.
“A balanced partnership, where both partners contribute based on their skills, fosters a healthier environment,” she said.
Mrs Uche Nwaeze, a businesswoman at No. 3, Obanikoro Street, Lagos Island, however, said that women’s financial contributions at homes were sometimes abused by their husbands.
“It is, sometimes, abused, and they (women) end up biting more than they can chew,” she warned.
Nwaeze regretted that the society which assigned financial roles to women also sticked to gender biases that mandated women to take physical care of their households.
“These women end up being encumbered with so much burden.
“Some women end up as the bread winners, mothers, wives, daughters, daughters in-law and employees expected to find solutions to everybody’s problems,” she said.
She advised men not to take advantage of women who worked hard to ensure the well-being of their families.
She also advises women to balance their roles effectively to avoid carrying much burdens. (NAN)
Joan Odafe
