Award winning actor, Temitope Christopher Tedela aka Tope Tedela, is a firm believer in feminism and strong advocate for gender equality.
The thespian, who makes use of every opportunity to speak up for the right of women, feels there’s still a long way to go in terms of women’s rights.
“The road to freedom may be laced with thorns and thistles, but the hurt and pain is part of the journey to change,” he stated. “The notion that women have to sleep their way into roles is a microcosm of the broader notion that successful women got successful because they slept their way there. I think it is vile, disrespectful and nonsensical because it paints an incomplete picture.”
Tedela continued: “On the one hand, there are men and women in positions of power who abuse their power by trying to sexually exploit people. That is a part of the problem. On the other hand are individuals, male and female, desperate and non-desperate, who are willing to give their bodies away in exchange for what it is they want. We have to try to look at issues holistically and not erroneously jump into conclusions.”
Still on issues relating to women, the actor minces no word in considering himself a feminist. “Yes. I identify with feminism and the core ideas behind it. I can go into a long sermon about the different strands of feminism, which I identify with; but thinking about it, that’ll be a waste of space. I think people should read up on it to know more. I’m a believer that women should have equal access and equal rights to opportunities. So, yes, I’m a feminist,’’ he said matter-of-factly.