Ms. Chioma Oduenyi can clearly pinpoint the woman who inspired her determined drive to make change – her mother. When she was just eight years old, her father passed away unexpectedly, leaving herself, her mother and four siblings without a means to survive. Ms. Oduenyi recalls her mother’s struggles to support the family and her insistence on the importance of education.
“I had dreams and visions for myself. I wanted to become the person my mother would have wanted to be. I just wanted to be that someone who can break barriers for others and yes, I did it!”
Now Ms. Oduenyi holds two master degrees and is completing a Doctorate on Sustainable Development and Diplomacy. At 43, she is not only a successful scholar, but an accomplished gender and development expert with more than 18 years of hands-on experience.
She has pioneered gender integration and mainstreaming through her work in Nigeria for Jhpiego, an international non-profit health organization affiliated with Johns Hopkins University. She is currently Project Director for the USAID-funded MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership project in Nigeria, led by Jhpiego, where she oversees work to prevent and respond to gender-based violence.
As a mother of four herself, and echoing her own mother, Ms. Oduenyi’s advice is frank when it comes to the demands of juggling family and managing her career.
“Just put in the hard work, build your self confidence and get out there. I believe that any woman who is ready to break the barriers of gender norms, stereotypes and expectations can get it done.”
Under USAID’s Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP), Ms. Oduenyi successfully led policy advocacy in Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH). It was there that she supported the FMoH to develop the first-ever Gender and Health Policy in Nigeria, accompanied by a strategic implementation plan.
Ms. Oduenyi’s passion for gender equality and women’s rights has taken her across Nigeria and internationally. As a result of her encounters with other women, she has worked to champion advocacy efforts on
gender based violence (GBV). She is currently leading the implementation of a $9 million four-year project in Nigeria to prevent violence against women and girls, end child marriage and promote early adoption of family planning.
From the outset of her work in gender equality, she recognized that the true meaning of equality and equity begins with the understanding that equality is for everyone, not just women.
“I realized that we stood a chance to gain more if people understood what gender equality means. It’s about three things; creating equal opportunities; equal access to resources; and providing people with a fair chance in life so we can all have equality. It is not about pushing anybody down at the expense of women.”
Ms. Oduenyi believes that female empowerment is key to achieving greater representation of women in decision making, and that inclusion of women must take many factors into account including their educational, social, political, economic and financial needs. She is a strong proponent of solidarity among women and is proud to have paved the way for other women in Nigeria.
“With every opportunity I have, I will continue to be a voice for gender equality and to have women sit at that table and be a critical part of mainstream development.”
