Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Compound Name

I suddenly found myself in a hot argument on my way home from work in a commercial car popluarly referred to as "our family car", since everyone practically knows one another.

We plunged into a discussion on how daring it is for married women to combine thier fathers' names with the husbands' names.The school of thought of 3 men including our driver insisted that it's not done.According to them traditionally, a woman is to drop her father's name and take that of her husband. It's a must and any man who allows his woman to form a compound name is no man enough. It was even mentioned that in the bible that women answered their husbands' names.

I was quick to piont out that nobody was referred to with thier surnames in the bible unless they are reffering to who begat who, so it's not suffice to say it was bible that set the pace. Well, it was a tough one because the men cannot see beyond thier traditional roles. They forgot a woman as a right and a choice of either combining her surnames or sticking to one by either ing to her husband's or keep her father's .

No logic was enough for them to sumbit to. No superior argument to bow to. Their minds (the argumentative men) are made up. Aren't we still backward? My telling them that I even formed a compound name further infuriated them and some insults were thrown at me.

Hmmmm...... this will never deter me from advancing women's rights. We have a choice and the right to be who and what we want to be without fear or favour.

1 comment:

Gbemi's Piece said...

Women absolutely have a right to choose. I choose to continue to bear the name I was born with today. Tomorrow, I might choose to bear my husband's name. The day after, I might decide to combine them both. I have the right to choose and I love it.

My Passion, my focus, the change that I want to see in the world - is my propellent factor.

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