Veteran Nollywood actress Rita Edochie has condemned what she described as society’s double standards on marital infidelity, insisting that women should receive the same forgiveness extended to men when they cheat.

The actress expressed her displeasure after a video shared on her Instagram page showed a master of ceremonies addressing a couple identified as Thomas and Mirabel during what appeared to be a marriage-related event.

In the video, delivered in Igbo, the MC told the wife that if she cheated on her husband while he was away for months, she would “die and run mad,” and asked her to respond with “amen.” However, when addressing the husband, the MC reportedly stated that if he cheated on his wife, “God will forgive him because he did not do it intentionally.”

Reacting to the remarks, Edochie said she hoped the video was merely a joke or social media content.

“I am very angry. This morning, I pray this is just a joke and content. Look, if men can be excused because they are “polygamous by nature”, then women deserve the same grace, the same mercy, and the same forgiveness. Enough of this gender inequality!!” she wrote.

The actress argued that society often excuses men for infidelity while harshly condemning women for the same offence.

“For too long, society has preached one gospel for men and another for women. When a man is unfaithful, many are quick to call it “his nature” or a moment of weakness, but when a woman commits the same offence, she is branded, condemned, nd often told she no longer deserves her home.

“How can the same act produce two different verdicts? How can one person be offered restoration while the other is shown the door? If the vows were exchanged equally, then the standard should also be applied equally.”

Edochie maintained that infidelity should be judged by the same standard regardless of gender.

“If infidelity is a sin, then it is a sin for both. If forgiveness exists, then it should not be reserved for one gender. Justice that favours men while crushing women is not justice; it is witchcraft,” she wrote.

She added, “The rules of marriage should not change based on whether the offender is wearing trousers or a skirt. Accountability must be equal. Mercy must be equal. Dignity must be equal until we stop measuring men and women with different scales. We cannot honestly claim to be defending the sanctity of marriage. A principle is only a principle when it applies to everyone.”