Women don’t need marriage to be fulfilled, says Yeni Kuti

Yeni, a daughter of afrobeat legend, Fela Kuti, has said contrary to what some people think, a woman does not need to get married to feel fulfilled or complete.

The former dancer, in an interview with The Punch, said, “I think women have become more independent and now know who they are. They now know that they don’t have to be married to ‘be somebody’ (fulfilled or complete).

“They now know that they are a person in their own right. For me, it is a good thing. Women are now getting married because they want to, not just because they want to addressed as somebody’s wife.”

Yeni also said she did not enjoy any benefits with her father’s name while growing up.

She said, “I did not enjoy any benefits because back then, people used to look down on us because we were Fela’s children.”

On if she later had such privileges as an adult, she said, “No, I did not. My father felt sorry for me when I was over 30 years old and bought my sister and I a television. However, I could afford to buy myself a TV then because I was already working.

“My father did not spoil children. The best treatment we had then as children were chopper bikes and before we got them, my mum had to speak for us.”

On the changes she will like to see in the country, she said, “I desire a leader who has the genuine interest of Nigeria at heart. I do not want a leader that is self-centered but one who considers the people all the time.”