Nollywood actress Kemi Lala Akindoju has voiced concerns about the tradition of women adopting their husbands’ surnames after marriage, advocating instead for couples to combine their names.
She questions the imbalance in how male and female children are raised regarding marriage.
The actress took to X on August 25, 2024, questioning why women are expected to adopt their husbands’ last names and whether this tradition is fair.
Akinyoju expressed her doubts, saying, “Honestly, if we really want to follow ‘2 shall become 1,’ the couple should merge both surnames. I still question the children automatically coming from the man’s state of origin, his surname, and the fact that the man “owns” the child. The whole thing messes with my head so much.”
She also highlighted how this tradition overlooks the woman’s role in childbirth, noting that she is yet to find scriptural backing for the age-old tradition.
“Yet it’s the woman who physically goes through a life transforming process to birth the children. Yet, she’s relegated. I may not have the answers, but it troubles my entire being and I am yet to find the scripture that says the woman must take the man’s name,” she wrote.
Akindoju also criticized how boys are not prepared for a change in identity, while girls are conditioned to adopt a new name and identity after marriage. She suggested that women should have the freedom to decide whether to retain their maiden name, change it, or use a combination of both.
