The International Day of Women and Girls in Science is observed annually on 11 February and was established by the United Nations to promote full and equal access to and participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) for women and girls worldwide. The day recognises the critical role that women and girls play in scientific and technological advancement, while also highlighting the persistent gender gaps that exist in many STEM fields. By raising awareness, celebrating female scientists, and encouraging young girls to pursue careers in science, this global observance aims to break down barriers, challenge stereotypes, and create more inclusive innovation ecosystems. Promoting gender equality in science is not only a matter of fairness — it strengthens research, drives economic growth, and ensures that diverse perspectives contribute to solving the world’s most pressing challenges.
Promoting STEM Women in South Africa
Empowering women and girls improves outcomes across entire communities. Educated girls are more likely to secure stable employment, earn higher incomes, and reinvest in their families’ health and education. This helps break cycles of poverty and strengthens long-term economic resilience. In a country with high youth unemployment rates, expanding opportunities for young women is particularly important for inclusive growth.
Promoting women in science, technology, engineering, business, and leadership roles also drives innovation and competitiveness. Diverse teams produce better solutions, more creative thinking, and stronger organisational performance. In South Africa’s evolving economy — from technology and renewable energy to healthcare and finance — increasing female participation expands the talent pool and strengthens national development.
There is also a strong constitutional foundation for gender equality in South Africa. However, translating policy into lived reality requires continued investment in education, mentorship, safety, and economic access for women and girls, especially in underserved communities.
Women in STEM Video Production Interviews
The Monsoon video production team has had the privilege of interviewing some of the top women in STEM such as the NSTF-South32 Award winners, known as the “oscars of science in South Africa”. Our female crew members cover the “Share ‘n Dare” project where we travel across South Africa to interview winners. We have a ‘run and gun’ style production for this project, conducting off-camera interviews, b-roll and set-up and strike in only three hours, capturing real stories in dynamic environments such as universities, corporate offices, laboratories, offices, and hospitals. Our two-person female crew document women in STEM in their natural working spaces without disrupting their schedules, while still maintaining professional lighting, clean audio, and cinematic visuals. The project aims to inspire the youth to follow careers in STEM. The power of video production and storytelling provides female learners with the opportunity to see women in STEM careers, learn more about the different career types and learn about the personal journeys of these women.
Scientists are no longer just men in white coats working in isolated laboratories — they are also powerful, accomplished women driven to make the world a better place through research, innovation, and real-world problem-solving. Across disciplines such as medicine, environmental science, engineering, technology, and space exploration, women are leading groundbreaking discoveries and developing solutions to some of society’s most urgent challenges.
Meet some of the women in STEM in the videos below.
Meet Inorganic Chemist, Prof Nosipho Moloto
Globally, only 22% of materials science and engineering researchers are female, but Moloto’s ‘Nanoweb’ group of principal investigators are 83% black women, and more than half of the group’s postgraduates are female. “We are few creatures … in this male-dominated sector,” says Moloto. She knows how hard it is for women to work as female engineering academics, and yet women bring different perspectives that can be very valuable. She says women can often be more meticulous, thoughtful and caring. One of the technologies Moloto is piloting is wound dressing for people who suffer from chronic wounds, such as those living with HIV or diabetes. It uses silver particles that promote faster healing and does not have to be changed. The dressing is also made using local raw materials, and it is biodegradable and non-toxic.
Meet Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Prof Salome Maswime
Prof Salome Maswime wants to see the African community as a whole receive safe and timely surgical care, especially pregnant women. When Maswime was a junior doctor, she lost a patient to anaesthetic complications, because she and her team did not have the skills to help. “These are skills that can be taught to medical officers and junior doctors — you don’t need to be a specialist,” she says. She says global surgery is about how to capacitate healthcare workers looking after patients, to make better and timely decisions. “These are simple, system issues,” she says. Maswime turned to research to improve outcomes for mothers who undergo caesarean sections. She went on to become one of the first experts to establish global surgery as its own discipline in Africa.
Meet Hydrologist, Ms Kershani Chetty – Video Interview
Ms Kershani Chetty is a lecturer of hydrology at University of KwaZulu-Natal, and operations manager of Centre for Water Resources Research (CWRR).
CWRR won the 2023 NSTF-Water Research Commission Award for providing a centre of excellence for cutting edge applied and interdisciplinary research and postgraduate training in water resources-related research and capacity building.
Meet Electrochemist, Prof Usisipho Feleni
During her PhD studies, she developed a sensor prototype to detect a breast cancer drug in patients. This technology could help doctors determine how quickly the drug metabolises in an individual for better personalised care.
She is a TW Kambule-NSTF Award: Emerging Researcher winner for her contribution in electrochemistry, with emphasis on electro-analytical sensors and biosensors that comprise new chalcogenide-based quantum dot materials, nanoparticles, nanorods and nanocomposites. These materials contain unique and specific features for use in electrochemical sensing and signalling of diseases such as HIV, TB and cancer, as well as monitoring water contamination.
Meet Transport Engineer, Prof Marianne Vanderschuren
Professor Vanderschuren is an international leader in her field, and her considerable research outputs and capacity development initiatives have been recognised by her election as a Fellow of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE), as a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers UK (one of 63 in Africa) and by the DSI-NRF/CSIR Smart Mobility Research Chair award. For 2022, she was appointed President of SAICE. She won a Special Annual Theme Award: Basic Science for Sustainable Development, or her role in improving the quality of life of vulnerable road users using Smart Mobility through research solutions based on the basic sciences.
Meet Virologist and Immunologist, Dr Jinal Bhiman
A team of scientists at the Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa (NGS-SA) won the 2022 Data for Research Award for their ground-breaking work with SARS-CoV-2. The Co-Founders of NGS-SA are Dr Jinal Bhiman, Scientific Lead: Global Immunology and Immune Sequencing for Epidemic Response South Africa (GIISER-SA); and Prof Tulio de Oliveira, Professor: Bioinformatics, School for Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University (SU). The team consists of virologists, scientists, bioinformaticians and clinicians and is responsible for the discovery of both the Beta and Omicron variants of the virus.
Meet Metallurgical Engineer, Prof Selo Ndlovu
Professor Sehliselo Ndlovu, Professor of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand received the NSTF-South32 Engineering Research Capacity Development Award for her work as a hydrometallurgical engineer, focused on ensuring a sustainable future supply of metals through improved processes and building capacity and skills that can drive and contribute to the extractive metallurgical industry.
Meet Biological Anthropologist, Ms Kim Tommy
Ms Kim Tommy is a member of CodeMakers, the non-governmental organisation (NGO) that won the NGO Award for conceptualising and implementing the ‘SuperScientists’ series of comics – living scientists drawn as superheroes who educate and inspire young people across South Africa.
Meet Biochemist, Dr Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela
Dr Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela, Chief Executive Officer of the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA), won the NSTF Management Award for being pivotal in establishing the Innovation Hub’s Biotech Incubator. She was instrumental in authorising a number of COVID-19 diagnostic tests, vaccines and therapies to ensure the regulator was an enabler during the pandemic.
STEM Female Video Production Crew
Need a female-led video production crew for your next project? We have extensive experience in STEM, industrial industries, NGOs, NPOs and corporate sectors. We do video production as well was photography across Southern Africa.
Rovos Rail Launch
