Meet the Finalists in Human and Social Sciences – Distinguished Woman Researcher Category at the South African Women in Science Awards 2025
As South Africa celebrates Women’s Month, the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) proudly unveils the finalists of the South African Women in Science Awards (SAWISA) 2025. These exceptional women exemplify excellence, leadership, and transformative impact in research and innovation. Today, we spotlight the finalists in the Distinguished Woman Researcher category in the Human and Social Sciences.
Prof. Sarojini Nadar is a Senior Professor of Gender and Religion and holds the Desmond Tutu South African Research Chair in Religion and Social Justice, based at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). Prof. Nadar also serves as the Director of the Desmond Tutu Centre for Religion and Social Justice. Her research is grounded in a decolonial feminist epistemological framework, critically examining how religion can function both as a site of oppression and as a tool for liberation, while actively recovering liberatory religious narratives.
Prof. Nadar leads interdisciplinary, socially engaged research projects that translate academic inquiry into tangible interventions within faith communities and broader society, particularly in marginalised contexts. In 2001, she co-founded the Gender and Religion Programme at UKZN, serving as its founding director until 2016. This transdisciplinary academic programme was one of the first of its kind in South Africa and Africa, combining the study of gender, religion, theology and social justice advocacy. Her work has had a significant impact on policy debates both nationally and internationally regarding the role of religion in public life.
With an NRF B2 rating, Prof. Nadar has authored over 85 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters in leading outlets such as the Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion and the Oxford and Routledge handbooks. She is the Editor-in-Chief of the African Journal of Gender and Religion, Section Editor for Oxford Intersections: Religion and Culture, and has served on the editorial boards of journals such as Women's Studies International Forum and the Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion.
She has co-edited six academic volumes, authored a scholarly monograph titled Gender, Genocide, Gaza and the Book of Esther (2025), and has written 21 public scholarship essays featured in publications such as The Sunday Times, Mail & Guardian and Daily Maverick, reflecting her commitment to public intellectual engagement.
Prof Nadar has delivered numerous keynote and plenary lectures at prestigious institutions worldwide, including Harvard University and King's College London. As a passionate mentor, she has successfully supervised 21 PhD and 17 master's students, mentored 10 postdoctoral fellows, and is currently supervising 7 PhD and 4 master's students on topics related to gender, religion, race and decoloniality.
Her academic excellence has been recognised through multiple awards, including the, the 2012 SAWISA Distinguished Young Woman the Human and Social Sciences category, and the 2015 Vice-Chancellor's Research Award at UKZN. She has been profiled in the Mail & Guardian Book of South African Women and 66 Women Who Make South Africa a Better Place (2022).
Prof. Nadar is an Advisor to the Council of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf).
With more than two decades of academic leadership, Prof. Nadar embodies the critical legacy of the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu of reimagining religion as a powerful resource for justice, healing and liberation.
The South African Women in Science Awards celebrate the outstanding contributions of women researchers across disciplines, inspiring future generations and advancing equity in science, technology, and innovation.
Stay tuned as we continue to profile the 2025 finalists during Women’s Month.
