Black-African women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) at South African Universities

DR MKHIZE

Dr. Zamambo Mkhize’s research project current focuses on Black-African women PhD students in STEM at universities in South Africa and their career aspirations after they achieve their PhDs.  Dr. Mkhize looks at the reasons why Black-African women are not interested in becoming academics in the STEM disciplines when they could transform these still white and male dominated fields. Secondly, the project also analyses why few Black students do not progress to PhD levels in STEM at South African universities. 

FVZS Masterclass Series: Queering African Leadership

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panel

The Research Capacity Development Unit at the Postgraduate School at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) invites you to our Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 Panel Discussion. We will host leading South African experts to present their research and grapple with some critical questions, highlighting their research’s societal impact in line with SDG 5. Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. There has been progress over the last decades, but the world is not on track to achieve gender equality by 2030.

Gender parity, especially in women’s participation in public life and managerial roles, remains distant. Many women still lack control over their sexual and reproductive health, and violence against women persists. At the current rate, it will take an estimated 286 years to close gaps in legal protection and remove discriminatory laws, 140 years for women to be represented equally in positions of power and leadership in the workplace, and 47 years to achieve equal representation in national parliaments. Urgent action is needed to challenge biased social norms, eliminate harmful practices, and change discriminatory laws.

Increasing women’s leadership roles and investments in gender equality are crucial at national, regional, and global levels – United Nations, 2024. SPEAKERS: Dr Vanishree Pillay (University of Johannesburg) – “The ‘Engineered’ dialectic between identity socialisation and GBV: Narratives of the lived experiences of South African Indian Women Professional Engineers.” Dr Zamambo Mkhize (University of Cape Town) – “Gender and equality in higher education with a focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).”

(University of Cape Town) – “Gender Equality and Care of Older Persons in Southern Africa.” DATE  30 October 2024 / TIME  13:00 – 15:30 REGISTRATION LINK  Click here / For further inquiries, contact rcdenquiries@uj.ac.za