Nollywood actress Lola Idije has defended women raising children without husbands, saying not every woman chooses to become a single mother as some are forced into such situations by circumstances beyond their control.

Speaking during an appearance on the Africanlist Podcast, the actress stressed that some women have to shoulder the responsibility of raising their children alone and should not be judged because they do not have husbands.

“Not everybody will have a husband to help them raise their children. So women have to carry their burden alone. Not all of them choose that life.

“Some situations are caused by enemies and others by family circumstances. So the fact that a woman doesn’t have a husband doesn’t mean she is a fool or does not know what she’s doing. Such a woman should be praised because some people are destined to marry at the age of 40 or 50.

“But if you start pressuring them at 20, how can you be sure that they won’t marry the wrong person?” she said.

Lola also cautioned against judging women based on their marital status, maintaining that some people are simply destined to find love and get married later in life.

She further remarked that motherhood changes women, saying, “When women start giving birth, they become softer.”