This year, Olajumoke Orisaguna begins her modeling career. Though her story encapsulates the oft-used phrase: grass to grace; her success, however, reveals the patriarchal shenanigans, and the misguided notions certain Nigerians have about successful women. But except for a few reasonable individuals, Orisaguna’s story strikes some as a bad thing.
Successful women in Nigeria frighten men and women, especially if the woman has achieved unfathomable success. Jenna Goudreau, in her Forbes’ article titled “Why Successful Women Terrify Us”, argues that prosperous women invoke “either a cold, sterile rigidness or an erratic, vengeful fury–distinct but equally scary.” Orisaguna is getting her fair share of sterile hostility in a particularly patriarchal society.
One Adesola Ayo-Aderele states via facebook that, “With all the publicity she has received in recent times, and considering the type of people (men) she has been meeting these days, which man (even if well educated and well-heeled) won’t be concerned about his relationship with his woman, knowing that any unscrupulous money-miss-road man can yank her off his embrace? And when you consider that for now, Jumoke controls the family’s purse strings, the husband has reasons to be apprehensive.” From the above, Ayo-Aderele, claims that “ Orisaguna’s husband needs to be apprehensive” because his wife is successful and concludes that the man is at risk of losing his wife. She drew her conclusion from Olajumoke’s success story. But, the question remains: why should a woman’s success bring about the death of a marriage? Perhaps, our society frowns at successful women and see women as mere commodities in a marital shop.
Michelle Rosaldo, an authority in sociology, claims “sociological traditions see women as essentially uninteresting and irrelevant”. That is, our society readily sees a woman as “irrelevant” and looking at the numerous arguments on social media about Olajumoke Orisaguna, one may conclude that this irrelevance stems from an extreme patriarchal pathos plaguing Nigeria and Nigerians. Godiya Allanana, from the Department of Political Science, Nassarawa State University captures the psychosis well: “[…] the average Nigerian woman is seen as an available object for prostitution, forced marriage, street hawking, instrument of wide-range trafficking and a misfit in the society.”
It’s therefore not surprising to hear castigating remarks about Origusana’s fortunes. Had she stuck to hawking, she would be seen as a normal, respectful, and blessed woman. Then again, a woman (TY Bello) gave her the opportunity to rise above her current state. We should be asking critical questions: are women given enough opportunity to compete with men in every field?
Nigerians should be proud of Origunsanya, and as she explores her new career, Nigerians should learn to treat her with respect. The onus is on the lady to decide on how to manage the remaining of her life with her family.
Her story should serve as a platform for every Nigerian to elevate women in every field. That way, a truly egalitarian society can exist. Seeing women as elements for specific purposes—child bearing, kitchen chores, etc—only widens the gap between genders.
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