Dr Gina calls for stronger support for women, from research to leadership

The Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Nomalungelo Gina, has called for stronger action to ensure that South Africa's progress in increasing women's participation in research translates into greater representation in research leadership, innovation and enterprise.

Speaking at the launch of Mangosuthu University of Technology's Women in Research Initiative for Growth and Transformation (WRIGHT) in Durban today, Dr Gina said that the country had made significant progress towards gender parity in research, but that representation alone was not enough.

Government continues to invest across the research pipeline. In 2025/26, the country supported 6 246 postgraduate students, including 1 644 emerging researchers and 708 black women. As at April 2026, women held 104 of the 198 research chairs under the South African Research Chairs Initiative.

According to the 2023/2024 National Survey of Research and Experimental Development, women now account for 47,7% of South Africa's research workforce, 52% of the academic workforce and 62,6% of university enrolments.

Data from the National Research Foundation (NRF) show the same trajectory. Between 1999 and 2025, the share of South African women among NRF-funded researchers grew from 17% to 47%. Over the same period, the proportion of black South Africans grew from 15% to 57%.

Dr Gina was clear, however, that presence in the system was not the same as influence over it, and that the remaining barriers were in the system. She said that South Africa needed to focus harder on ensuring that women in research progressed into leadership, influenced research priorities and translated their knowledge into intellectual property, products and enterprises.

By establishing WRIGHT, Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) aims to promote the visibility, participation, development and impact of women across the university's research ecosystem, while fostering collaboration, mentorship and growth opportunities.

It also seeks to respond to global imperatives for gender transformation in science, technology and innovation, recognising that women's full participation is essential to inclusive knowledge production, technological advancement and sustainable development.

Dr Gina welcomed the university's R2 million commitment to research initiatives, with a particular focus on young researchers, to grow sustainable careers and access opportunities across South Africa's science, technology and innovation system.

WRIGHT is expected to connect women researchers to existing national funding, mentorship, research networks and innovation opportunities, while ensuring that progress is measured not only by participation, but also by career advancement and impact.

Dr Gina emphasised that universities, science councils, industry, professional bodies and research communities had a responsibility to remove institutional barriers and create environments in which women researchers could lead multidisciplinary research and take their innovations into industry, government and communities.

"When a girl in a rural classroom looks at a woman in science, she should be able to say: this life is possible for me too," said Dr Gina.

MUT Interim Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Rushiella Songca, said WRIGHT was intended to build a supportive community for women researchers.

"When women researchers thrive, our universities, research and society benefit," said Prof. Songca, adding that more women at MUT should be earning doctorates, publishing impactful research, securing grants, leading projects, developing innovations and advancing into senior leadership.

Prof. Kogie Naidoo, Deputy Director of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), shared the strategies that had enabled her research to shape policies, clinical guidelines and treatment approaches around the world.

Prof. Naidoo participated in the very first studies in South Africa that looked into HIV treatment in pregnant women, which found that one in three pregnant women transmitted the disease to their babies. These alarming findings inspired her to become part of the search for solutions.

She emphasised that researchers had to develop a research-focused identity, with a clear research question that could move society forward. "Senior researchers should lead growth by design, by being role models for excellence, integrity, and commitment and dedication to the field," Prof. Naidoo said.

Ms Omphile Netshiozwi, a registered patent attorney specialising in intellectual property, commercial and corporate law, explained how research could be translated into commercially viable innovations to create jobs and economic growth.

Dr Kavita Behara, senior lecturer and researcher at MUT, emphasised the need for institutional support to advance women's research and drive innovation to shape the future.

The launch concluded with the announcement of the WRIGHT steering committee, which will drive WRIGHT to increase support for women not only to enter the research community, but also to lead, innovate and translate their work into solutions that benefit society and the economy.

Issued by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

For more information, please contact Veronica Mohapeloa at 083 400 5750 or veronica.mohapeloa@dsti.gov.za.