The Minister of Science and Technology, Derek Hanekom, announced this year's Women in Science Awards winners at a gala dinner in Johannesburg on 16 August 2013
The Women in Science Awards have become a remarkable feature of South Africa's celebration of Women's Month, building on the excitement of another significant event in South Africa's science awareness calendar – National Science Week, which took place from 29 July to 2 August this year.
The Department of Science and Technology initiated the Women in Science Awards in 2003 to honour women scientists and researchers for their outstanding work in the fields of science, engineering and technology, as well as the social sciences and humanities.
The award winners are profiled as role models for younger female scientists and researchers, with the aim of dispelling the myth that science is for men.
The department hopes that the achievements of these winners will encourage other women to persevere in overcoming gender discrimination. They will contribute to research and knowledge generation, and the finalists and winners will continue to develop the next generation of researchers by mentoring younger scientists, particularly women scientists.
