Female lawyers in Abuja have called on women to resist the temptation to make unrealistic demands compelling their husbands to cut corners.
They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday that the manner in which some women rebuked their husbands was largely responsible for the widespread corruption.
They were speaking on the occasion of the International Women’s Day with the theme: “Be Bold for Change’’.
A respondent, Ms. Mary Akpa, told NAN that women were the bedrock of the society and could do all within their powers to ensure that their husbands live above board while holding public offices.
“Basically, women have the task of training the children well to be honest, hard working and humble; they groom these children to be shining examples in the society as future leaders.
“It is agreed that they need finances to handle this task but some women make demands that drive their husbands out to do all sort of things just to satisfy their needs.
“This must be discouraged because women are known managers and so they should be able to manage whatever legitimate resources their husbands bring home,’’ she said.
A lawyer, Mrs Alexis Enumah, advised women to be contented with whatever their husbands offered them for their upkeep.
“I am not saying the men are corrupt because of women but most often, the men are driven to engage in corrupt practices to impress their wives just to have peace at home.
“So the women should be contented with what the husband is bringing home and not put undue pressure on him.
“They must also never compare their home with others bearing in mind these popular saying: ` not all that glitters is gold’ and `the sea weed is always greener in somebody else’s lake”, she said.
Another lawyer, Florence Nwachukwu, told NAN that women should be bold enough to do the right thing when their children were not doing well in school, rather than “paying their way through the nose’’.
She expressed displeasure at the attitude of some women ever eager to give bribe or push their husbands to do same, rather than tackling the causes of their children’s poor academic performance.
Nwachukwu also emphasised the need for women to acquire entrepreneurial skills so as to become self-reliant and employers of labour.
“I think that one major way we can contribute will be to stop the occurrence of sorting either in cash or kind at every level.
“Stop sorting lectures to pass exams; stop sorting male executives to get jobs and after getting the job, we must be hardworking and not sort to get to the top,’’ Nwachukwu said.
She said that the pride and dignity of womanhood were much more valuable than material gains, saying that this year’s theme: “Be Bold for Change’’ is a wake-up call to every woman to take a bold step to be part of change for a better society.
NAN reports that the International Women’s Day, originally called International Working Women’s Day, is celebrated on March 8 every year.
It is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women as well as a call for gender parity. (NAN)