I’ve Started Facing Harassment In Nollywood as I’ve Gotten Older – Susan Pwajok
Susan Pwajok, a Nollywood actress, practically grew up in front of a large number of us. The actress began performing in the popular Africa Magic television series “The Johnsons” at a very young age, and her participation on that program truly helped to elevate her profile and career.
Susan was protected from the predatory elements of the entertainment business, though, because of how young she was. The actress is getting sexually offensive remarks and invitations from movie directors and other industry professionals now that she is older. Susan Pwajok talked extensively about her experience as a woman in this industry during a recent episode of her podcast, “Surviving Lagos,” and why it’s difficult.
She said:
I’m young and when I’m saying some things like this, they’re some people who are like “hmm what do you know?” So, because I grew up on the screen, I’ve had like male directors be like “ah! Okay now you’re older, do you accept kissing and intimate roles?” I’m like “what do you mean?”
Obviously it’s your career, you would want to take a role that would help boost your career. But it’s also a thing where it’s like the way you’re saying it, I know it’s not just kissing and intimate roles, like why are you saying this? Then you also have directors that would literally like message you and be like “oh what time are you free? Let’s meet up at my hotel”
Like why are we meeting at your hotel sir? There are so many other places we can meet. Why do we have to meet at your hotel? And I get that most businesses are done at like hotels and everything, but it’s not gelling. I’m young. If anything, you should be like let me talk to your manager, you know. You shouldn’t want to meet alone. Why are you trying to meet alone? The camera dey there? Why are we meeting in your hotel room?
People don’t know how much women actually struggle in the industry. They just feel like she’s a woman, she will have it easy.
And it’s not every one that wants to open their legs and sleep with people for a role, or a job. Like not everyone actually wants to have sex for something. Some people just want to work hard and get to the top but people don’t get that. Cuz then I would have conversations with people and they’ll be like oh you’re a lady na, you will have it easy. I’m like what do you mean? How? If anything you [men] have it easy because hardly will you ever hear it that a woman wants to sleep with you.
