Nigeria Side by side, not beneath: Kate Henshaw Challenges Nigeria's Gender Hierarchy

Nollywood legend Kate Henshaw's live TV critique has ignited nationwide conversations about gender equality. Using powerful symbolism—"not from the head, not from under"—she challenged how culture, religion, and law position women as inferior. Her intervention raises questions about why constitutional equality remains elusive despite promises, demanding a partnership rather than a hierarchy in Nigerian society.

Her critique exposes a systematic bias that affects boardrooms to bedrooms, requiring legal and cultural transformation.

Key Takeaways:

• Nigerian women face passport discrimination when married to foreigners, unlike men with foreign wives.
• Legal "chastisement" provisions legitimise domestic control, affecting millions of married women.
• Professional women report being undermined despite representing 60% of university graduates.
• Social media erupted with testimonies: Lagos banker earning less than junior male colleagues, entrepreneur needing permission for business trip.s

Henshaw's "side by side, not beneath" models conversations every Nigerian institution needs. When will we choose partnership over tradition? What changes when equality becomes natural rather than negotiated?

Share your experiences: What gender biases have you witnessed? How can we create the partnership-based society Henshaw envisions? Join our forum discussion.