Transform discriminatory gender norms to achieve global equality

Transform discriminatory gender norms to achieve global equality

Chioma OduenyiJhpiegoMOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership Project Director

In this interview, we talk to Chioma Oduenyi about her incredible work for global equality and her recent Health Hero award.

Can you please introduce yourself and tell us what inspired your career in women's health?

My name is Chioma Oduenyi and I am a gender and development expert with over 18 years of practical experience in public health and social development. My mother's sheer resilience to break barriers inspired me to dream of becoming a woman who breaks the glass ceiling and stops at nothing to make huge strides.

I was fortunate to find myself in an inspiring career in global healthcare. The visible impact of my work in keeping humanity healthy motivates me to work even harder every day. Working extra hard put me on the fast track to where I am today.

Women currently make up 70% of the global health workforce, but are often excluded from decision-making, showing that women deliver health, not lead it. As a woman in healthcare, what are some of the biggest challenges women currently face when starting a career in healthcare?

In my opinion, the biggest challenge has remained “gender stereotypes” that see women as good at doing the majority of work in healthcare, but not good enough to be/become managers and leaders in the same healthcare system in which they serve and deliver optimally.

Photo credit: Ground Picture/Shutterstock.com

How will recognizing gender inequalities in the health workforce help improve global health security?

Consciously promoting gender parity in training, hiring, promotions, appointments, elective positions, etc. will help improve global health security and give women the platforms and voices to drive necessary change in global health.

You were recently recognized with the Heroine of Health Award by Women in Global Health for your contributions and achievements. Can you please tell us about the work you are involved in that led to this award?

I pioneered gender integration and mainstreaming through my work in Nigeria for Jhpiego, an international nonprofit health organization affiliated with Johns Hopkins University, and am currently leading gender-based violence prevention and response work in Nigeria through USAID's MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership.

Additionally, I successfully led policy advocacy at the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) in Nigeria, where I supported the development of the first-ever gender and health policy in Nigeria, accompanied by a strategic implementation plan under USAID's Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP). in 2018.

Heroines of Health 2022: Leading ChangePlay

What does this award mean to you?

This award means a lifetime to me because I never imagined that my work in Nigeria would receive such global recognition. What an honor to be recognized as a Health Hero! I am truly honored and would especially like to thank my organization Jhpiego for nominating me for this prestigious award as my joy sincerely knows no bounds. I would also like to thank my family for the immense support that gave me the courage and resilience to get this far.

I received this award on behalf of my colleagues around the world who continue to inspire me every day to continue to work for an equal world, and I dedicate it to everyone who works every day for fairer and more resilient health systems. With this award, I will stop at nothing until all barriers holding women back are completely broken down!

Photo credit: Women in Global Health

These awards were created to highlight incredible women who form the backbone of global health systems but are traditionally unrecognized. As a gender equality advocate, how important is it to showcase all the incredible women working to make the world a better place, and what more should governments and policymakers be doing to support women in healthcare and improve inequality?

Very important because as you know, women are the foundation of global health systems. From the over 80% of women who make up the global health workforce providing frontline health services in the hinterland to the countless number of women who provide unpaid care work for their families around the world, women at the heart of health service delivery remain largely unrecognized.

Governments and policymakers need to pay conscious attention to the active participation of women in the development process, especially in health management. If we are not intentionally educating today's women, then we already know that we will not be able to find women with the knowledge and skills needed to fill the healthcare workforce of the future. Special;

1. Durch ehrliche politische Fürsprache können wir patriarchalische und diskriminierende Politiken dekonstruieren, die Frauen in mehreren Ländern weiterhin unterordnen
2. Durch globale Solidarität, Gerechtigkeit und Achtung der Menschenrechte können wir das absichtlich Entwicklung frauenfreundlicher Richtlinien, die den Raum für Vielfalt, Gerechtigkeit und soziale Inklusion öffnen
3. Schließlich sollten wir ganz bewusst „Entwicklungspläne für Frauenkapital“ Dies wird die Verfügbarkeit einer kritischen Masse von weiblichen Führungskräften sicherstellen, um in Zukunft die Bereiche des Gesundheitsmanagements zu besetzen, wenn wir gerechte und belastbare Gesundheitssysteme erreichen müssen.

You have dedicated your career to improving gender equality worldwide. How important is equality in the world we live in and how can empowering women lead to better representation in decision-making?

The importance of advocating for equality in our world cannot be overstated. Imagine if we neglect the over 50% of the world's population who are women; then the world would stand on one leg and be ready to fall without being pushed.

If we consciously empower women through education, financial and social inclusion, the return would be a highly productive and prosperous world.

Photo credit: Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock.com

What has been your proudest achievement in your entire career?

Incidentally, my proudest career achievement was one of my most important works that helped earn me this award and that was my successful policy advocacy for the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) to support the development of the country's first-ever gender and health policy in Nigeria under the USAID/Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP).

Do you have hope that with continued awareness and support for women in healthcare, we will one day see these women move into higher, higher paying positions? What would that mean for global equality?

I am very confident that women will one day be equal to their male counterparts in global health because we will continue to push for equality until the narrative of inequality is completely reversed. And that would be a resounding success for global equality.

How will improving women's health awareness subsequently impact younger generations of women? Why is it important to inspire young women to pursue a career in healthcare?

Challenging gender stereotypes that portray women as inferior is crucial to influencing younger generations of women. We must continue to take both individual and collective action to change the narrative for women. We must be united in the effort to eliminate the drivers of gender inequality and send a strong message that knowledge and skills are neither male nor female; Instead, knowledge and skills are bisexual! This will help create more space for younger girls, entrusting them with new opportunities.

What's next for you and your work?

More work, more passion, more dedication and more commitment! I'm excited to just do a lot more for global health; Thanks!

About Mrs. Chioma Oduenyi

In Nigeria, Ms. Oduenyi leads MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership's efforts to address the leading contributors to maternal mortality and morbidity. The project contributes to preventing and mitigating the consequences of violence against women and girls, addressing possible causes of child and early forced marriage and supporting the early introduction of family planning.

With decades of expertise and experience combating gender-based violence, Ms. Oduenyi supports local organizations in empowering their communities with information and knowledge so they can act to transform discriminatory gender and social norms. She has pioneered gender integration and mainstreaming through her work in Nigeria for Jhpiego, an international nonprofit health organization affiliated with Johns Hopkins University and leading the MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership project. Read Ms Oduenyi's full profile Here.

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