Yvonne Jegede, a Nollywood actress, has denounced remarks made about women’s menstrual cycles by Femi Lazarus, the head pastor of Light Nation Church in Abuja.
After a video from one of Lazarus’s lectures appeared online, he reportedly experienced harsh criticism.
In the video, he made the argument that women’s mood swings during their periods were more likely to be the result of their attitudes than of biological factors.
“Your menstruation is not the issue because you are not the first woman to notice your period. There is not a single instance of a woman complaining about menstrual pain in the Bible. He remarked, “You are just not a calm person.”
Social media users were outraged by the statement, accusing the pastor of being insensitive to the plight of women.
Yvonne responded to the preacher’s remark on Instagram on Wednesday, calling on men to refrain from drawing conclusions about experiences they have never had.
“I saw a trending video yesterday of a clergyman seemingly trivializing menstrual pain,” she wrote.
“Please refrain from making strong claims about things you haven’t experienced if you haven’t gone through the hormonal changes that women go through during their periods, ovulations, or pregnancy. Please be kind, men.
Many users supported Pastor Lazarus, arguing that his remarks were taken out of context, while others agreed with Yvonne.
Angie Joseph posted on Instagram: “He wasn’t trivializing menstrual pain.” To understand his context, please listen to the sermon. I occasionally wind myself in the hospital due to my severe cramps, but it doesn’t make me a rude person.
