Media personality Toke Makinwa has urged unmarried women not to succumb to societal pressure that equates fulfilment with marriage and motherhood.
The 40-year-old, who recently welcomed her first child, Yakira Eliana, reflected on her journey in an emotional Instagram post. She revealed how, despite career success, society often undermines women by highlighting what they lack rather than what they have achieved.
“Funny how no matter how much you rise career-wise as a woman, society still glorifies the things that haven’t happened for you yet. Marriage has become a yardstick to fulfilment, and if you don’t have a child, you face another level of trolling,” she wrote.
Makinwa admitted that she faced hurtful comments during her pregnancy, which made her withdraw from the public eye. However, she credited her faith for giving her strength and expressed gratitude for experiencing motherhood in God’s timing.
Encouraging women to stay strong, she advised: “Drown out the noise, focus on God, and celebrate yourself at every stage. You are becoming, and everything good will come.”
The entrepreneur also reassured single ladies who feel time is slipping away, stressing that no one is “expired” and fulfilment comes at the right time.
Just days earlier, Makinwa penned a heartfelt note to her daughter, describing how motherhood had healed her long-standing emotional wounds and brought her unmatched joy.