Call for Women to Be Placed at Centre of Science and Innovation

Pretoria: Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, Professor Blade Nzimande, has warned that South Africa cannot reach its full potential if women and girls remain excluded from opportunities in science, technology, and innovation. According to South African Government News Agency, in his opening remarks at the 23rd South African Women in Science Awards (SAWiSA) Gala Dinner in Johannesburg, Nzimande emphasized the 2026 theme: 'Placing Women at the Centre of Science, Technology and Innovation', underscoring the need to tackle ongoing structural inequalities in the nation's scientific community. "Transformation is not a symbolic gesture, but a moral and strategic necessity," Nzimande stated. Nzimande highlighted South Africa's progress in promoting women's participation in science and research, noting that women now represent 52% of the academic workforce and 47.7% of the national research workforce. Women also accounted for 62.6% of total university enrolments in 2024. The government's commitment to equ ity targets mandates that at least 55% of postgraduate bursaries be awarded to women, with 80% going to Black students. In the 2025/26 financial year, 6,246 postgraduate students received bursary support, including 708 Black women emerging researchers. The South African Research Chairs Initiative has been pivotal in advancing women's empowerment, with 53% of the 198 operational research chairs held by women as of April 2026. Despite these gains, Nzimande acknowledged the country's transformation journey remains unfinished. Women are still underrepresented in research leadership and critical STEM disciplines like engineering, computer science, and AI. To address these challenges, Nzimande revealed that the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation and the Technology Innovation Agency are committed to providing seed funding, incubation, and venture capital to female-led technological enterprises. "Our objective is to empower women not just as high-calibre researchers and scientists, but as enterprise f ounders and industrial pioneers," he explained, stressing the importance of extending transformation into intellectual property and global market leadership. Honoring the late renowned scientist, Professor Keolebogile Shirley Motaung, affectionately known as ProfKeo, Nzimande announced that one award category will be renamed the DSTI-Professor Keolebogile Shirley Motaung Fellowship. This decision fulfills a promise to her family to honor her contributions to science, particularly in stem cells and regenerative medicine, with a focus on indigenous knowledge systems. Nzimande also congratulated Professors Liesl Zhlke, Priscilla Baker, and Karen Sliwa-Hahnl for receiving national and international recognition for their contributions in various scientific fields. The SAWiSA awards celebrate excellence across multiple scientific disciplines and aim to strengthen the pipeline of future women scientists through fellowships for master's and doctoral students. Hosting the awards during Women's Month is particularly significant given South Africa's history, where women, especially Black women, were marginalized from education, science, and economic opportunities during apartheid. The awards not only honor the struggles of South African women against discrimination but also encourage young women to enter STEM fields and support those already pursuing careers in science. "No nation can hope to achieve its national development goals if it fails to invest in building its scientific and technological capabilities. No nation can ever hope to reach its true potential if it excludes its women and girls from opportunities in science, technology, and innovation," Nzimande concluded.