Science sector needs women, experts say

SOUTH Africa should guard against missing out on getting onto the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (Stem) bandwagon, the Science Forum in Pretoria heard yesterday.

While opportunities were readily available, they would be failing the many young females of the country who could take up careers in that sector to benefit themselves and the continent.

Philanthropy was also identified as a key partner in pushing the agenda of women in this bandwagon forwards and up. Participants at the session said philanthropists had the power to advance women in science.

They were speaking during the forum at the CSIR Convention Centre and agreed that women in Stem were the future of the country’s economy.

“Stem that is not gendered is endangered,” said philanthropy champion Dr Bhekinkosi Moyo.

Representing the Southern Africa Trust and African Philanthropy Network SA, he spoke about the triangle of success.

Moyo said the involvement of stakeholders, among them philanthropists and the government, was key to getting women into these fields, which remained largely male dominated.

Moyo sat on the panel with Dr Precious MoloiMotsepe, AU chairwoman Dr Nkosazana DlaminiZuma and Savannah Maziya in a session on non-traditional science and technology partnerships.

Moloi-Motsepe’s family wealth is used extensively for philanthropic deeds, and she said the power of philanthropy could not be underestimated. She had benefited from it as a child and ended up a successful medical doctor.

She said Africa had a population of a billion people, half of them under the age of 25. More than half of these were women. Moloi-Motsepe explained that Africa was faced with numerous infectious diseases. “We need scientists to develop vaccines, technology and diagnostics; we need the scientific backing to help build strong defences for the health challenges to respond to epidemics.”

Maziya heads the Buningi Foundation and works in the philanthropic field and in the development of women in science. “Where are the women who already work in science? They are the role models who need to be encouraging girls to become scientists,” she said.

Dlamini-Zuma spoke about the urgent need to train teachers and lecturers to lead the development of a Stem culture in teaching and learning. “They must learn of the benefits of these careers earlier on in life,” she said.

University of Pretoria vice-chancellor Professor Cheryl de la Rey pointed out that good-quality Stem education would solve pressing societal needs.