Nollywood actor Uzor Arukwe on marriage has said he has never strongly advocated for the institution, arguing that women face more responsibilities and challenges within it.
Arukwe made the remarks during an interview on the In My Opinion podcast, where he discussed marriage, family expectations and changing attitudes towards women’s marital status.
The actor said women carry several responsibilities in marriage, including pregnancy, childbirth and, in many cases, adopting their husbands’ surnames.
He said these experiences had shaped his views on the institution. He also noted that society was increasingly recognising that marriage does not define a woman’s identity or worth.
“I’ve never really been an advocate for marriage because I feel like it is more tasking for the woman,” Arukwe said.
“She’s the one who bears the children, takes the man’s last name, and has to deal with a lot of things.”
He added that social attitudes towards unmarried women had changed over the years.
According to the actor, women previously faced questions about why they remained unmarried at 25 or 30. Such conversations often included comparisons with people who had married and raised children at younger ages.
However, Arukwe said he had noticed a shift in how some women approached marriage and parenthood.
He said some women were choosing not to have children, adding that he had personally met two or three women who held that position.
The actor’s comments focused on the responsibilities associated with marriage and the expectations society places on women.
His remarks also highlighted changing views about marriage and whether women should be judged by their marital status.
Arukwe’s position, as expressed during the podcast interview, centres on the demands women face in marriage and the growing recognition that a woman’s worth does not depend on whether she marries.
The discussion adds to ongoing public conversations about marriage, personal choice and changing family expectations.
