Why do women hide their age?

The Home front sought to find out why women hide their real ages. Muibat Asiyu Suleiman, a beautician said women lie about their age to make them appear younger before other people.Asked if lying about their age really makes them appear younger, or make people think they are younger than they are , she said […]

The Home front sought to find out why women hide their real ages.
Muibat Asiyu Suleiman, a beautician said women lie about their age to make them appear younger before other people.
Asked if lying about their age really makes them appear younger, or make people think they are younger than they are , she said it does not make them younger but since they already have that mentality they just continue to do it.
 Grace Adams, a civil servant said lying about age is not only done by women but it is a ‘Nigerian thing’.  She said: “In fact these days men lie more about their age than women for a lot of reasons like to secure employment, attract younger girls or just for the fun of it. Before, the popular saying was ‘don’t ask a woman her age’ but now it should be ‘don’t ask a Nigerian his or her age.’ In other climes it could be women but here it is both sexes.”
Amina Okatahi, a journalist said: “For me, women try to hide their age basically because of society. The society in which we live does not encourage truth and base everything on falsehood. Let us look at an instance where an intending couple are about to get married. The woman may be a few years older than the man but because of societal pressure and assumptions, he will be forced to lie about the age of the lady just to save their love and marriage intentions.  
“Also many women tend to hide their real age due to the fact that they were unable to get married on time. Due to their desperation to find a partner on social media or by any other means, they tend to lie about their age. Our society only values women of a certain age for marriage or any other purpose for selfish benefits.” She explained.
Amici  John, a self employed lady said lying about age seems like modernization or what is in vogue for some women these days such that you see women in their 50s and 60s getting angry when called mummy because they prefer to be called aunty.
She said: “I met a woman in a bus sometime ago who the conductor told ‘mummy, your money’ and she flared up asking why he should call her mummy  but from the woman’s looks, it is obvious to the rest of us in the bus that she can give birth to someone far older than  the conductor.  By the time she alighted, she became the subject of ridicule for the passengers. The case is so bad these days that some women even tell their children to call them aunty not mummy! Some reduce so many years that people begin to laugh at them.”
Lucian Okereke, a lawyer said “From time immemorial, women all over the world attach importance to being young and beautiful because men appreciate and get attracted to them in contrast to old age and bad looks.”
She said beauty goes together with youthfulness and so even when women are increasing in age, they live in denial and still want to feel they are still young and beautiful so they hide their age. “It is the same reason why they continue to buy and sew clothes that make them younger than their age or  buy all manner of cosmetics and do surgeries to look young and beautiful” She said.
Jasmine Atokolo, a student on her part said some women naturally look older than their age and so to appear young give ages even far younger than they are so that people can say ‘oh that lady is young,  it is her genetic makeup or nature  that made her look that old,”
Like Okatahi, Atokolo said women particularly single ladies hide their age in order not to be too old to their suitors. “Some women know they are older than their suitors or intending spouses but because they like them, they go ahead to lie about their age so that the men  will not think they are older than them or say they are too old and run away.”
 Mrs Bosede  Akinola, a retired nurse said she does not lie about her age and see no reason why women should hide their real age. “Any girl or woman that lies about her age is just being silly. Where I come from, age is a thing of respect, even if you are older than a person by just days. When we were young and single we proudly told our ages to everyone and we earned respect.
Akinola said: “I really feel ashamed when I see women condescend to claiming age with somebody their junior. There is no reason lying about age because it is a waste of time and a disgrace. You can lie with your mouth but can’t hide the signs all over your body.”
Joyce Bitrus, a civil servant said it is just some women that lie about their age and not many of them. “Many women tell their real age but the attitude of some women make people  believe we all lie about it. I once told somebody my age and he said ‘real or official?’ I asked what that means. As for me I tell my real age and quite a lot of other women I know also do so.”
She said the perception that women hide their age is affecting women who naturally look older than their age so that even when they tell their real age people believe they are lying.
While it is true that some women lie about their age, not all women do so, as such people should not always believe the age any woman tells them to be a lie.