Nollywood actress Kemi Lala Akindoju has sparked a social media discussion by questioning the custom of married women taking on their husbands’ surname.
Akindoju questioned about the justice and theological basis for this behaviour in an insightful article on X.
Akindoju proposed that couples should combine their surnames to represent the merger of “two becoming one,” as opposed to women taking on their husbands’ last names.
She voiced worries about the way women’s duties in childbirth are overlooked and how children are automatically associated with the surname and state of origin of their father.
The actress also took aim at the social norm that says girls should adjust to a new name and identity after marriage, while boys are not brought up to anticipate a shift in who they are.
Akindoju supported a woman’s right to choose whether to use her maiden name exclusively, alter it, or combine the two.
She wrote:
“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.
“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.
“Scripture actually says the man cleaves to the woman (but what do i know). Most importantly, a woman should be allowed to choose. Whether she wants to change her name or not or compound it. It’s sha somehow that boys are never raised to think their identity will change.
She added: “But just because of a woman’s gender, she’s raised/socialized to know that she shouldn’t get too comfortable with a name and identity she’s known all her life. I don’t have the answers, but I strongly question this practice.”
