“Women work twice as hard to prove ourselves” – Uche Jombo

Veteran Nigerian actress and producer, Uche Jombo, has emphasized that career-driven women aiming for success at the top often need to put in double the effort.

In an interview with Saturday Beats, she delved into the challenges that women encounter in their quest to become successful trailblazers and maintain relevance in their respective industries.

Uche Jombo noted that some of her male colleagues who began their filmmaking journeys before her have since moved on to pursue other interests.

Despite this, she highlighted her enduring commitment and continuous hard work in the industry, emphasizing the additional effort often required for women to excel in their careers.

Jombo said, “Women are very serious-minded people. I remember when I started producing movies, there were a lot of my male colleagues who started producing at the same time.

“Some of them started doing other things and are no longer interested in filmmaking as of today. But I am still here, toughening things out. In essence, when women put their minds to something, they do it because, normally, women would work twice as hard to prove themselves.”

When asked why women must work extra hard to prove their worth in Nollywood, she explained that it dates back to the early days of the industry.

According to the actress, the industry began as a “boys club,” and it takes a long time for men to consider and acknowledge her as a woman in their midst.

She explained, “When Nollywood started, it was a boys club. As a woman coming to produce your film, it takes a while to be taken seriously. I think the film that made people take me seriously was ‘Damaged’. But I had done three films before ‘Damaged’ as an executive producer and producer. That film did well. It was an advocacy film.”