Nigerian social commentator Yakaka Yerima has called on divorced women to come together for what she described as a meeting, while urging them to maintain dignity and protect their privacy when discussing failed marriages.
Yerima made the call in a post shared on her Facebook page, where she addressed divorced women and encouraged them to focus on rebuilding their lives rather than publicly ridiculing their former husbands.
“Dear divorced women, come close… I have a meeting with you all,” she wrote.
She acknowledged that divorce can follow a painful or unhealthy marriage but argued that some aspects of the experience should remain private.
According to her, women can acknowledge what happened, heal, rebuild their lives and move forward without making their former husbands subjects of public ridicule in an attempt to gain sympathy.
Yerima urged divorced women to focus on becoming stronger and more confident after marriage, rather than making the public condemnation of their former spouses the centre of their lives.
She encouraged them to build their careers, pursue legitimate sources of income, achieve financial independence, raise their children properly and protect their peace.
The social commentator also drew attention to the possible impact of how divorced parents speak about each other on their children, particularly daughters.
She questioned what children may learn about men, marriage and relationships when they constantly hear their mothers insulting or speaking bitterly about their fathers.
Yerima warned that parents should be careful not to raise generations of women who grow up believing that men are inherently bad or that every failed relationship must end in public humiliation.
However, she clarified that her position should not be interpreted as defending abusive men or asking women to remain silent about serious mistreatment.
She specifically acknowledged domestic violence, coercion, deliberate deprivation of rights and other forms of abuse, stressing that such matters should be addressed.
According to her, serious allegations should be handled through appropriate channels, with dignity, accountability and a focus on justice rather than insults and public character assassination.
Yerima ultimately urged divorced women to concentrate on rebuilding themselves instead of attempting to destroy the reputation of their former partners.
“You don’t have to destroy your ex’s reputation to rebuild your own,” she said.
She concluded by suggesting that surviving divorce, learning from the experience and building a fulfilling life afterwards could itself be the strongest response.
“Sometimes the most powerful statement after divorce is simply: ‘I survived it, I learned from it, and I am building a beautiful life beyond it.’”
