Two security experts, Dakore Ekpendu and Senator Iroegbu, have raised concerns over the disproportionate emotional, financial and domestic responsibilities borne by African women, particularly first daughters, warning that cultural expectations and economic pressures threaten their well-being and family stability.
Ekpendu, Chief Executive Officer of Public Intel Security Africa, and Iroegbu, Editor-in-Chief of Global Sentinel, said the expectation that women must remain strong and endure hardship regardless of their circumstances had become an overlooked human security challenge.
They expressed their concerns while examining the theme, “The First Born African Girl Child (Human and Gender Security Perspective),” with particular emphasis on “The Politics of the Strong African Woman.”
Ekpendu, who also hosts a security-focused programme on Nigeria Police Radio, said African society often measures a woman’s worth by her ability to manage family challenges, support relatives and endure hardship without complaint.
She noted that women were frequently expected to prioritise their husbands, children and extended families, sometimes at the expense of their emotional and personal well-being.
According to her, the belief that a good African woman must never give up, tolerate difficult marriages and make unlimited sacrifices has normalised emotional suffering while portraying endurance as a virtue.
She identified first daughters as particularly vulnerable, explaining that many were compelled to assume adult responsibilities from childhood and function as second mothers to their younger siblings.
These responsibilities, she said, often include childcare, household management, supporting parents and contributing financially to family upkeep, sometimes undermining their education, personal ambitions and emotional development.
While acknowledging that such experiences could foster leadership, independence and resilience, Ekpendu warned that excessive responsibilities could also lead to emotional exhaustion, trauma and psychological distress.
Contributing, Iroegbu said human security should extend beyond conventional threats such as terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and armed robbery to include emotional stability, psychological well-being, personal safety and family security.
He argued that the emotional and economic conditions under which people live significantly influence their ability to maintain healthy relationships, build stable families and contribute meaningfully to society.
Iroegbu linked poverty, unemployment and excessive family responsibilities to broader security challenges, warning that young people under intense pressure to provide for their families could become vulnerable to criminal activities, including internet fraud.
He also observed that economic desperation and the desire to escape difficult family circumstances could influence relationship and marriage decisions, potentially exposing vulnerable individuals to exploitation and abusive relationships.
The experts maintained that insecurity should not be viewed exclusively through the lens of physical threats, stressing that emotional distress, economic vulnerability and family instability could have far-reaching consequences for society.
They called for a broader understanding of national security that recognises the relationship between individual well-being, family stability and sustainable social development.
The speakers urged society to reconsider the traditional portrayal of the strong African woman, insisting that strength should not be measured by the amount of hardship a woman can endure, but by the dignity, support, protection and opportunities available to her.
