In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Sunday, several women have opened up about the significant economic challenges they face in maintaining their households.
The women, including mothers and a civil servant, described the struggles they endure to make ends meet.
Mrs. Abiola Dipeolu, a mother of four, expressed that her family’s expenses have increased significantly, and her husband’s monthly allowance barely covers their needs for two weeks.
Dipeolu said that when she newly got married, she usually saved some money from the monthly allowance she received from her husband.
She said that the reverse was the case now, saying that what she received as feeding allowance hardly sustained the family for two weeks.
“I have to wake up as early as 4.00 a.m. to begin the hustle for the day and close by 6.00 p.m.
“Marriage is boring and uninteresting because the time for husband and wife to be together has been put into hustling” she said.
Mrs. Ronke Adu, a mother of three, stated that she hasn’t received financial support from her husband in a long time and has taken on menial jobs to supplement their income.
Adu said that the financial responsibilities had been shared and each of them took up his or her responsibilities.
She said that the present economic challenges had rendered some husbands mere figure heads in spite of the energy they put up on a daily basis to make ends meet.
She noted that she had to do menial jobs like sweeping of compounds, cooking soup for the elderly and home cleaning on a daily basis to make ends meet.
Mrs. Busayo Adamolekun, a mother of two and former fashion designer, said she switched to selling food to make ends meet after her husband’s business struggled.
Adamolekun said that food was one of the businesses now thriving.
She said her husband had to join the food business and closed his business centre because he no longer received patronage.
She said that some women took up the main financial expenses at homes, while their husbands only rendered support.
A Civil Servant and a Mother of three, Mrs. China Okeke, a said she relies on loans to support her household, as her take-home pay is insufficient.
Okeke suggested that managing the home financially needed prudence.
“As a civil servant, I had to obtain loans to keep the home going,’’ she said.
A Grandmother and Pastor, Mrs Adefunke Clement, noted that many women seek financial assistance at her church, and some engage in multiple menial jobs daily to provide for their families.
Clement said that there was no day a woman would not come to the church soliciting for meal.
She said that before now, the church used to have philanthropists who donated voluntarily, saying that now the church authorities had to announce before getting few donations.
“Women are going through a lot to put food on the table.
“Some go into four or five menial works on daily basis to keep the home going,”