FIDA official attributes high rate of paternity fraud to abandonment

(From Joy Mbachi, NAN)

Dr Helen Obi, Vice-Chairperson, Federation of International Women Lawyers (FIDA) Anambra chapter, has described the alleged high rate of paternity fraud to the abuse and abandonment women experience in marriages.

Obi, an expert in Family Law, spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Tuesday.

She said that the cause of paternity fraud would be largely attributed to a high level of abuse, abandonment and second class treatment most women endured in their various marriages.

Obi said that the feeling of women not being in charge of affairs in their marriages had led many women to seek comfort and closure outside their marriages.

“Women most times do not want to get divorced but only in extreme cases where their lives are endangered,” she said.

Obi said that poor family relationships and paternity fraud in Nigeria appeared to be on the increase because women were being treated as a piece of furniture in the home.

She said in a situation where the wife was sidelined in decision making, there was a higher tendency that such person would rebel and may end up becoming unfaithful to her partner.

Obi said that as long as society continued to make women second class gender, women would continue to rebel against the social construction.

She said that it was apt for couples to adopt a more cooperative approach in decision making in the family.

Obi said that the cultural aspect that made women feel less relevant should be considered as a thing of the past.

The FIDA executive added that with the advent of modern civilisation, women should be allowed to make their views public.