GENDER & DEVELOPMENT STUDIES RESEARCH GROUP

Gender and Development Studies Research Group

 

Main Research Focus of the RG: Reproductive health issues associated with sexuality, mechanisms for protecting women’s reproductive health and rights, and the need to enhance male involvement in reproductive health.

 

Title of most recent research project: Promoting positive masculinity for sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender equality in informal settlements in selected cities in sub-Saharan Africa, 2019-2023

 

Name of the Coordinator: Dr Chidi Ugwu

 

UNN email address of the RG: gdsrg.unn@unn.edu.ng

UNN email address of the coordinator: chidi.ugwu@unn.edu.ng

Current webpage of the RG: 

Phone number of the RG: 08068092148

Phone number of the coordinator: 08060910453

Base Faculty/Institute/Center of the RG: Social Sciences

Department of the Coordinator: Sociology & Anthropology

 

Brief profiles of members

Chidi Ugwu has a background in cultural anthropology and a PhD in medical anthropology. He has taught anthropology and qualitative methods at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka since 2011 and has guest-lectured in the University of Melbourne’s School of Population and Global Health since 2017. A fellow of the Harvard Radcliffe Institute, his research interests circulate around the asymmetries of knowledge and power; and, to highlight these, he casts nuanced glances at the landscapes of public health, politics and religion. His studies have been supported with funding from the American Council of Learned Societies, Harvard Radcliffe Institute, Werner-Gren Foundation, International Development Research Center, African Population and Health Research Center, and TETFund Nigeria. His work has featured in American Anthropologist, Ethnography, Journal of Asian and African Studies, The Lancet, The Qualitative Report, World Archaeology and Africa Spectrum. Google Scholar Citation link. ResearchGate link.

Ijeoma Igwe holds a PhD in population studies. She has taught Demography and Social Research Methods at the undergraduate and graduate levels in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Her research borders on issues in population, health and development, and has been supported by the World Health Organization, the World Bank and TETFund. Google Scholar Citation link. ResearchGate link.

Chiemezie Atama holds a PhD in Sociology. She is a Senior Lecturer in the

Department of Sociology & Anthropology, UNN and is the Founding Director, Equity Watch Initiative [E-WIN], a non-governmental organization committed to promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls. A climate activist, she passionate about promoting gender justice in environmental sustainability. She is a certified Empowerment Self Defense level 1 Instructor, a skill she is leveraging to reduce gender-based violence especially sexual harassment and abuse in Nigeria. She is a fellow of 1000 Voice of Every Woman Treaty, a global campaign to end violence against women and girls. Google Scholar Citation link. ResearchGate link.

Ngozi Idemili-Aronu is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sociology & Anthropology, UNN. She holds a PhD in Medical Sociology and has more than twelve years of teaching and research experience. Her research interest mainly focuses on women’s health, community health, health technologies and clinical research. She is Principal Investigator, Co-PI and key personnel in several ongoing funded projects. An avid team player, she has participated in several multidisciplinary and multi-institutional research studies. Google Scholar Citation link. ResearchGate link.

Uchenna Teresa Okonkwo is a teaching staffer based in the Department of Sociology & Anthropology, UNN. I have a doctorate in the field of Gender and Family Studies. Her research interest focuses on sexual and reproductive health, women in agriculture and gender-based violence. She applies her research to advancing feminist struggles and gender advocacy. She has published several academic papers and also read papers in various academic conferences. She belongs to professional bodies that include European Centre for Research Training and Development UK and Society for Research and Academic Excellence. She completed online courses in Monitoring and Evaluation in Global Health, University of Washington (March, 2021), and Leadership and Management in Health, University of Washington (June, 2021). Google Scholar Citation link. ResearchGate link.

Aloysius Odii holds a PhD in demography and population studies from the University of Nigeria. He is an academic staff in the Department of Sociology & Anthropology, UNN. A passionate researcher, he was a collaborator in developing an anti-corruption curriculum and a text for the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), a project sponsored by UNODC in 2017. He is also a research associate with Health Policy Research Group (HPRG) and has participated in many research projects, including the Anti-Corruption Evidence (ACE) Project on corruption in health and education sectors. His areas of interest are health systems research, migration and sexual and reproductive health and rights. Google Scholar Citation link. ResearchGate link.

Kelechi Okpara is a Lecturer in the Department of Sociology & Anthropology, UNN and a skilled data analyst. He holds a Masters degree in Environmental Sociology. His doctorate research is focusing on how societies learn about disaster risk reduction and the mainstreaming processes. His research interests circulate around the triad of population, health and environment. Google Scholar Citation linkResearchGate link.

 

 

Key publications of the RG from 2019 till date: