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

Uche Jombo, a veteran Nigerian actress and producer, has stated that when career-driven women seek to excel at the top, they work twice as hard.

In an interview with Saturday Beats, she discussed the obstacles women face in becoming successful trailblazers and remaining relevant in the industry.

Many of her male colleagues who started creating films before her have departed to pursue other hobbies, according to the filmmaker; however, she is still slogging on.

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.”