January - March 2017 •
The Lion King
• 37
Marietou Thiam-Seye
Head, Marketing and Corporate Relations, UBA
Senegal
What is the Senegalese community
like for women? Is there discrimination
like other parts of the world?
For a long time considered, as inferior
to man and subject to him, or at least
as a person who had only to take
care of her home, the Senegalese
woman had to obey her parents,
her husband. Her opinion was almost
never taken into account. She was not
consulted prior to making decisions,
even in matters of concern to her.
Her main role was not only to look
after the home but also to ensure the
sustainability of the family. Although still
marked by the weight of custom, the
Senegalese woman seems today to
emerge gradually from this stereotype
that has long characterized her.
Senegal is one of those African
countries in which women have,
over the years, placed themselves
at the forefront of social, political
and economic life and women's
associations are flourishing.
How have you personally made strides
in a male dominated industry?
Gender imbalance in business
decision-making remains a major
challenge for all states in the world,
including the socially most advanced
countries.
As I grew up, I understood that it
was necessary to raise both sexes
together and that being a woman
you must DARE, you must give yourself
the strength of your ambitions and it is
my daily life.
What would you like to see differently
for African women in the work force?
As a woman, I would like to see a
stronger participation of African
women in the decision-making
bodies. We must gradually push to the
disappearance of all the prejudices
and archaisms that continue to weigh
on women, thus preventing them from
reaching massive levels of leadership.
Do you think that being a working
woman hinders the prospects of
marriage and child bearing?
NO! Never! We can work, and that
does not prevent us from looking after
the husband, the children and the
house. This is all the more true as some
women are faced with the obligation
to contribute to household income,
hence the importance of work.
If God gave you a choice to come
back to earth and you could choose
between being a male or a female
what would you choose and why?
Why want to reborn in another form?
I am proud of my feminine condition.
Knowing that woman is the future not
only of man but of humanity!!
Morenikeji Omotoso
Digital Marketing
What do you do at UBA?
I work in Digital Marketing in the
department of marketing and
corporate communications at UBA.
I assist with managing the digital
platforms of the bank, primarily
social media platforms and website
management.
Growing up in America, what were
your expectations of working in Africa
as a woman?
Before moving to Nigeria, I was
intrigued at the prospect of working
in Africa. My perception was that
Africa, specifically Nigeria, was a
place where ideas and life changing
opportunities were developed and
encouraged. It was a place where
people were bold and unafraid to
take professional risks. I was fascinated
at the fact that emerging adults my
age were 'moving back' of their own
volition, rather than being summoned
by their relatives. I was empowered
by the stories and conversations I'd
had with other young women who
decided to move to Africa to chase
their dreams, start a family or pursue
a career.
Have the expectations been your
reality?
My perceptions and expectations
proved to be reality to a certain
extent, but things were not as rosy
as I'd once assumed. As a woman,
I understand that the climb to the
top will sometimes be challenging,
but I know it is attainable. I have
great examples of women who made
similar transitions and are making
huge waves in their respective roles
on the continent. I figured if they
could do it, so could I. I expect to
succeed, because I see these women
succeeding. While I choose to be
optimistic about my journey, I'd be
remiss if I did not mention the truth.
Unfortunately many people on the
continent have not yet subscribed
to the mystique of the 21st century
woman that is capable of doing
whatever it is she puts her mind to. I
am however confident that the more
women push the boundaries and
forge on in the pursuit of relentless
fortitude and success, the sooner it will
be considered the norm.
Do you feel advantaged or
disadvantaged being a woman at
UBA or is there little difference?
While there is a difference between
men and women at UBA, I do not
•
Marietou Thiam-Seye
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