By Ramatoulie Jawo
Women in leadership have made significant strides, breaking down barriers and challenging long-held societal stereotypes within the corporate world. While progress has certainly been made, many women still face formidable obstacles in their pursuit of top executive roles.
As The Gambia joins the global community in celebrating International Women’s Day, Kerr Fatou is proud to spotlight the inspiring story of one remarkable woman who has risen through various leadership positions to become a general managing director, overcoming the challenges of navigating a male-dominated industry.
Njilan Senghore, the Managing Director of Trust Bank, is a living testament to resilience and determination. Her academic journey began at St. Joseph’s School, followed by graduation from Gambia High School in 1999. She then pursued further studies in the United Kingdom, earning qualifications from the Association of Accounting Technicians and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants by the age of 21. Njilan is a fellow member of both organizations and holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Oxford University.
Njillan’s career trajectory began in 1999 when she joined Deloitte & Touché as an Auditor. She quickly rose to the position of Senior Auditor Manager, gaining extensive experience across various sectors in The Gambia and West Africa, including audits in Mauritania, Ghana, and Mali. Notably, she became the first Gambian facilitator in Deloitte’s Africa training team, leading sessions in South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and France.
In May 2007, Njilan joined Trust Bank Limited as General Manager, overseeing finance, administration, and human resources. She was promoted to Deputy Managing Director in July 2016 and, in December 2021, became the first female Managing Director and Executive Director on the bank’s board.
Reflecting on her journey to leadership, Njilan attributes her success to various factors, beginning with her academic foundation. She shared that after spending eight years at Deloitte, she joined the bank 18 years ago as Head of Finance—a position she held for nine years—before advancing to Deputy Managing Director for another five years. She stressed that her ascent was far from rapid, underscoring the years of hard work and dedication that shaped her path.
As of 2023, women account for 41.9% of the global workforce, yet only 32.2% hold senior leadership positions, according to the Academy of Women’s Leadership.
Reflecting on the challenges she has faced, Njilan highlighted the gender biases, societal expectations, and the ongoing struggle to balance her professional and personal responsibilities. She pointed out that the journey to rise within the corporate world is far more difficult for women, acknowledging the many subtle and overt biases that still persist. Whether one chooses to acknowledge it or not, these biases often manifest in various forms throughout a woman’s career.
“People in a male dominated society are used to dealing more with men in senior positions and as a woman I found in the beginning my authority being questioned a lot, not internally. Internally have been easy to manage, but by outsiders, by customers and other stakeholders. It is something that we have to deal With even today. So you will find yourself always having to almost defend your rights to be in certain positions, which is sometimes demoralizing, but I do not let it get to me. Because I handle each situation as it comes, and the response is to be professional and show them that you can do it,” she said
The Academy of Women’s Leadership revealed that in 2015, women occupied 26% of leadership roles within the finance sector, a figure that rose to 32% by 2021. Across various industries, by 2022, the percentage of women hired into director or higher roles reached 37%, reflecting a 6% increase since 2015. Njillan shared that many women in The Gambia face significant challenges in breaking through corporate barriers, particularly due to the struggle to maintain a work-life balance. She attributed her own success to resilience and a strong support system from her family, which helped her navigate and overcome many obstacles.
She noted that men often experience a smoother ascent in their careers, as their professional rise typically does not coincide with life events such as marriage and childbearing, which are more likely to affect women. Njillan emphasized that in The Gambia, the primary responsibility for child care rests with women, creating an additional burden. Many women, she explained, find it difficult to strike a balance between their careers and personal lives, as most institutions fail to provide the necessary support to help them do so effectively.
“So most women will get frustrated, and of course you have to prioritize family. In my case I have the family support and for other people who have the family support I encourage them to do that. And make rising your children a community affair, for me is a family affair, I left my kids with my mother even as babies and I traveled and I will go with my breast pump and pumped and tip it in the sink, suffered from mother’s guilt, but I always comforted myself by saying my baby is young to remember that I traveled and left her behind, but one day she is going to appreciate the sacrifices and what it now allows me to be able to do for her,” she explained.
She emphasized that there is no need to choose between one role and another, asserting that a woman can be a mother, a wife, and still make headlines in the corporate world.
Citing data from UN Women, which reveals that women hold only 28.2 percent of management positions globally, Njillan underscored the importance of institutions taking proactive measures to foster gender equality in leadership. She suggested that steps such as unbiased hiring practices and inclusive membership programs could play a key role.
Njilan further emphasized that companies must be intentional in their efforts to promote gender equality in leadership. When the commitment is there, she believes gradual, but steady progress will follow.“From the hiring practices, to fair pay for both men and women for the same job, no bias, access to training to work experience. If the playing field is level and the companies are showing that they have policies and procedures in place that are free from bias, then I think we will get there. It is going to be slow because you see most positions may already be managed by men, and we are not saying you fired the men and put the women in charge. We are saying to prepare the women so that if an opportunity arises, they will be ready to take it up otherwise it is filled by another male, and we will still be talking about parity and equity many years down the line,” she emphasized.
She expressed hope that progress in the corporate sector will continue, ensuring that more women are given opportunities to take on leadership roles. Highlighting the stark reality of gender disparity, she noted that statistics suggest it will take over 134 years for men and women to achieve parity—a notion she found deeply concerning. However, she pointed out that the numbers are not fixed, as they fluctuate each year, sometimes improving, sometimes regressing. She stressed the importance of closing this gap annually by providing women with additional opportunities, allowing them to take two steps for every one step a man takes.
She encouraged young women to believe in themselves and not let anyone impose limitations on their potential.
As a female leader at Trust Bank, she has ensured that under her guidance, the institution maintains an unbiased hiring process, offering equal opportunities to both genders. She emphasized that staff members are paid equally for equal work, receive the same training and development opportunities, and benefit from additional incentives designed to motivate and empower women.