The quintessential award winning writer of Igbo origin has been in news of recent for her feminist views directed to Igbo culture. It is not strange that her opinion causes a lot of stir especially on the internet tabloid and pages. For someone who has written her name in gold among writers it seems like a feather to her cap inversely.
Being a master storyteller and wordsmith has not given her a better standing on some issues she delves into. Recently, her comments about the Igbo cultural bride price and women marrying fellow women being lesbianism has gotten her more knocks than accolades.
In the first place, she sounds a novice about the woman-woman marriage relationship in Igbo culture. This occurs when a constituted family never had offspring. In most cases when the man of the house seems uninterested in taking a second wife or if the man is late without heirs, the wife is allowed by the law to "marry" a woman. Now in this situation, the family will agree on the person who will sire the new and most often a young wife to bear children. The children from such unions are legal also. This scenario is what our learned Chiamanda Adichie termed lesbianism. Does lesbians produce children?
In the issue of bride price, she made a gaffe also. Unfortunately, she is married and the bride price was also paid on her. Why did her parents demand it and she allowed her husband pay and now speak against it? Although she stylishly termed it a symbolic part of marriage rites, that has been what it is. It is sad to note that in Igbo culture, if a million dollar event took place for a marriage ceremony without bride price paid, the two people involved aint legally married. It remains symbolic and costs no real money. What she ought to lend her voice to is unwarranted expenses in the name of getting married both customarily and church wise.
I was thrilled that she speaks Igbo fluently but lacks the basic knowledge about our culture. From her experience, it is clear that this notion of feminism can cause more harm than good. It will be wise to ask questions, sieve what you have gathered as information yet carefully taking opinions that may kill the good you must have done earlier.
