According to her, the certificate is a legal document that protects a woman and entitles her to a share of the husband’s property in case of divorce. She noted that women are most vulnerable in cases of divorce and therefore need some form of protection, which the certificate represents. “The certificate serves as one of the guarantees in a marriage that makes the woman a legal part of the man in the marriage and entitles her to the rights of inheritance. “Every woman should obtain and keep her certificate of marriage in a safe place. “Most women just go to the church for their wedding and ignorantly refuse to come to the registry to obtain marriage certificate,’’ she lamented. Mangadi said this often leaves women vulnerable at such times of a breakup, warning that most men are not concerned about the plight of women immediately after the marriage. “Some men may go all the length and do anything to discourage their wives from taking them to the registry so that in the event of divorce, the women will not be entitled to a share of their property legally as a wife,” she said. She said the importance of the certificate to the woman could not be overemphasised, noting that the registry is involved in massive awareness campaign to sensitise women in the area to the issue. Mangadi urged women whose marriages lac the certificate to talk their spouses into obtaining one, as it would cover the children upon the death of either spouse.]]>