5 women that changed science and research in Africa and the world.
Underrepresentation in academia, research, STEM, and general knowledge creation has been around from the beginning. However, in the midst of adversities and roadblocks, many women, particularly, African women have been seen to thrive.?
Captain Kgomotso Phatsima, one of the first African female military pilots and the founder of Dare to Dream, has broken the "Women Can't" stereotype and inspired young girls to see themselves as equals and pursue careers in aviation.
There have been many extraordinary women like her who have paved the way for women in STEM by making remarkable scientific contributions and inventions. For #IWD2023 Wadi Africa has selected five extraordinary women of color who have contributed brilliantly to science in Africa and the world and more so, illuminate the way for others to do the same.?
1. Hope Mwanake
Hope Mwanake is a Kenyan entrepreneur who has redefined sustainability in the construction industry. She broke down barriers by becoming the first member of her family to pursue higher education, earning a Bsc in Applied Aquatic Science from Egerton University.
She attended Yale University and earned her Ph.D. from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna (BOKU).?
Hope Mwanake has always been passionate about the ecosystem and its sustainability. She co-founded Eco Blocks and Tiles, a company that uses recycled materials such as plastic waste and glass for building materials to help reduce pollution in Kenya.
Ameenah Gurib-Fakim is a biodiversity scientist who became the first female president of her country, Mauritius. She defied gender bias in science and politics, showing young African women what they are capable of.
She focused her research on the medicinal properties of Mauritius plants, identifying plant compounds that can be used as anti-inflammatories and anti-tumor. Ameena Gurib-Fakim’s research laid the groundwork for the development of new drugs and therapies using Mauritius plants.
3. Kgomotso Phatsima
Captain Phatsima started her remarkable career as one of Botswana's first female military pilots. Her path to becoming a military pilot was not without difficulties.?
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Phatsima Kgomotso faced many stereotypes about aviation and aerospace being male-dominated fields, but that didn't stop her. She served as a military pilot for her country for 10 years and has received multiple honors for her contributions to the advancement of aerospace and aviation in Africa.
She also founded Dare to Dream, a social enterprise that promotes gender equality and inspires young Africans to achieve their dreams.
Quarraisha Abdool Karim is a South African epidemiologist and HIV/AIDS researcher. She was the first African woman to receive the TWAS-Lenovo Science Prize in 2014.
She is committed to improving the education and training of South African female scientists by actively participating in their training. She has trained over 600 South African scientists and is still an advocate for women in science, addressing the challenges she faced and how young female scientists can overcome them.
Marie Korsaga is an exceptionally brilliant young woman, the first African woman to hold a Ph.D. in Astrophysics. Her journey to becoming a remarkable figure in astronomy didn’t start with Astronomy.
Dr. Marie Korsaga has always been interested in astronomy but never imagined herself pursuing it as a career. She chose civil engineering and was studying mathematics and pure physics at Joseph Ki-Zerbo University when she took an elective course in astronomy, which reignited her interest in it.
She went on to pursue her dream, earning a doctorate from France's Astrophysics Laboratory and the University of Cape Town. She's also a strong advocate for women in STEM, asserting that young women can achieve anything they want, even if the path they started on wasn't what they envisioned.
Wrapping Up
Many African women who want to be scientists have been told, "You can't" because of their gender. These 5 brilliant minds have shown the world that equality should be celebrated and continue to inspire young African women to pursue careers in STEM.
Wadi will continue to encourage women from all over the continent to strive, and we will continue to provide these women with access to all the resources they need to perform groundbreaking research.?
Lecturer at Technical University of Mombasa
11 个月Its amazing how the African woman has now evolved to and is able to take part in not only matters science but in engineering, education, agriculture, medicine and industry.