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The importance of acknowledging biases
By Tayyibah Suliman, Director: Corporate & Commercial practice and Head of Technology & Communications sector at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (CDH) & Izabella Balkovic, Associate: Corporate & Commercial practice at CDH
Additional content by Shumirai Chimombe
Women, throughout history, have been indispensable in their influence and impact on the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields. From Lisa Meitner’s discovery of nuclear fission, to Florence Siebert’s discovery of the international standard for testing TB, women have been the unsung heroes in STEM.
Mainstream media and academic focus have historically overlooked Grace Hopper’s assistance in building one of the worlds’ first computers and Katherine Johnston’s work at NACA (now NASA) being pivotal in most of the US’s successful missions, including the first man in space mission, Apollo 11 and the moon landing.
Perhaps more well known is Marie Curie’s work on separating radium and polonium which was ultimately instrumental in finding treatments for cancer. Rosalind Franklin’s participation in the discovery of the double helix was overshadowed by Crick and Watson, albeit her contribution is fundamental to the way we understand DNA and the medical world today.
Unfortunately, most of these women never received recognition during their lifetimes for their crucial work and their contribution to life as we know it today. Recognising past and present female leaders in STEM areas is pivotal to encourage young women to study STEM subjects and participate in related fields (including as technology lawyers) as well as to retain women in these fields and grow female STEM leaders.
South Africa was ranked 18th out of 146 countries in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index 2024. While this seems promising, we ranked 113th for wage equality for similar work. Encouragingly, the number of female South African STEM graduates has increased from 12.94% in 2021 to 42.76% in 2024. South Africa’s concerted effort to ensure equality in the labour market and the promotion of previously disadvantaged groups within workplaces is likely a contributing factor to the drastic increase in female STEM graduates. However, women remain underrepresented in leadership roles in the STEM industry.
There are a few aspects that require consideration and introspection when we consider the role that we all need to play in supporting young girls and women in the pursuit of STEM careers and creating a sustainable future for women in STEM professions and related fields.
Bias and stereotyping occurs in STEM fields, and starts from a young age
Gender stereotypes still impact on young girls or women who are dissuaded or may be ridiculed for aspiring to pursue a career in STEM as this has historically been a male dominated industry.
In a study conducted in 2014,[1] a group of girls were split into two: one half was given Barbie dolls to play with while the other half were given Mrs Potato Head to play with. Thereafter, the girls were shown images of various career options and had to say whether girls would be able to work in that career. The feedback received from the girls who were given the Barbie dolls to play with, indicated the belief that girls had fewer career opportunities than boys. The career opportunities of the girls and boys were the same according to the girls who played with Mrs Potato Head.
These subtle influences are indicative that we as a society need to emphasise the importance of encouraging women from a young age to follow and explore their passion and potential without being restricted by cultural inhibitions. If a young girl shows an interest in one of the STEM areas, we need to actively provide guidance and access to resources which will positively influence her perception of the role that she can play in STEM. This can be done through educational games and children’s books which focus on STEM. Schools continue to play a pivotal role in sparking interest in young girls in the areas of STEM and overcoming the gender bias which exists towards STEM fields. Young women should be encouraged to pursue an education in STEM through mentorships and scholarships. For example, the movie Hidden Figures was based on the life of Katherine Johnston and her work for NACA. This movie could be shown in schools in science class to help combat the bias surrounding the STEM fields and the role that women can play.
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Women in STEM workplaces
There is a perception that women who join STEM fields often have to work harder than their male colleagues to prove that they belong and to establish their credibility. They may often be subjected to harassment and gender discrimination which may impact on their career trajectories. The implicit bias in hiring and promotion within STEM fields may also hinder a woman’s prospects to be employed or sponsored in a STEM field and then to ultimately be promoted.
We need to actively advocate that employers adopt a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination and harassment towards women in STEM workplaces – and support must be provided to women who experience this at work.
Employers also have the responsibility to ensure that women are properly accredited for their contribution towards all research they participate in and promoted. This will build a supportive workplace culture which will encourage more women to pursue careers in STEM. Furthermore, they must ensure that women should be provided with equal opportunities for workplace enhancement which includes equal remuneration.
Providing flexibility in terms of work schedules in STEM will also greatly expedite gender parity in this space as it will allow women to balance their career trajectories with their familial lives. Creating workplace culture that engages with women on their expectations is important for talent development, acquisition and retention of women in STEM.
Looking forward
Eliminating barriers preventing women from participating and succeeding in STEM starts during early childhood development. It is the responsibility of all members of society, including teachers, parents, employers and policy makers, to make a concerted effort to create an environment which fosters participation in the STEM fields by women as we have the potential to play pivotal roles in the future of all STEM professions.
Part of the journey to changing the perception of the value that women have brought to STEM fields is publicising and familiarising ourselves with women that have been leaders and made an impact as inspiration for future women as leaders for the future.
Additional information on historical female leaders in STEM areas
Katherine Johnston
Katherine Johnston commenced her studies at West Virginia State University when she was 15 years old and graduated with a degree in mathematics. She then started working for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) which is now NASA. She worked for NACA on their flight research team. Her computations played a pivotal role in the major space programme for most of NACA’s most successful missions, including the first man in space mission, Apollo 11 and the moon landing.
Rosalind Franklin
While working as a research associate at King’s College in London, Rosalind Franklin’s work on X-ray diffraction studies was integral in the discovery of the double-helix structure of DNA. Her Photo 51 was fundamental for this discovery. However, her male counterparts were awarded the 1962 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for this discovery. One of these Nobel Prize winners even suggested that Rosalind be awarded a Nobel Prize in Chemistry, however, this only occurred after her death. Therefore, she never received a Nobel Prize despite her vital contribution to the understanding of DNA.
Lise Meitner
Another woman who was never properly accredited for her work was Lise Meitner. She and Otto Hahn, a chemist, discovered nuclear fission and was one of the first people to isolate uranium. This discovery led to the development of nuclear bombs, nuclear weapons and nuclear reactors. Lise was never credited for the discovery of nuclear fission. Her partner, Otto Hahn, was exclusively awarded the Nobel Prize in 1944. She refused to assist on the Manhattan Project in 1942 as she refused to use her knowledge and research to help make a bomb.
Marie Curie
Marie Curie was the first woman to hold the position of a Professor of General Physics. She worked alongside her husband, before his death. Together they were successful in isolating polonium and radium. Marie developed the method which was used to separate the radium from its radioactive residues in large quantities. This allowed for it to be studied further. Her husband insisted, on the advice of mathematician Gösta Mittag-Leffler, that Marie be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 along with her husband and Henri Becquerel. In 1911, Marie was solely awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. She died at the age of 66 from aplastic anemia which she acquired from her exposure to radiation which occurred during her scientific research.
Chien-Shiung Wu
Chien-Shiung Wu has been dubbed the “First Lady of Physics.” She worked on Project Manhattan during World War II and aided in the development of the atomic bomb. Furthermore, she worked on a team with two male colleagues who collectively disproved the “principle of conservation of parity”, the law of symmetry in physics. Both of her male colleagues received a Nobel Prize in 1957 for this finding.
Grace Hopper
Grace Hopper was a mathematician, computer programmer and military leader. During World War II, she assisted the United States Navy in programming Mark I, one of the world’s earliest computers. She continued to work on subsequent models of Mark after the war. She was one of the oldest serving officers in the United States Navy when she retired.
Dr Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin
Dr Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin was an astronomer credited with discovering the chemical composition of stars. Born in England, she earned a scholarship to Cambridge University where she studied physics. She then pursued a doctorate in astronomy at Harvard. In 1925, she presented her thesis on stellar spectra and concluded that stars were primarily composed of hydrogen and helium, a revolutionary discovery that changed how astronomers perceive the universe. After receiving her doctorate, she continued to work at Harvard but was denied a promotion to professor because she was a woman. In 1956, she became the first female professor at Harvard and the first woman to become department chair.
Prominent African women scientists making an impact in the world
These African women scientists are making their stamp on history, inspiring other women and creating a better future for young girls who aspire to succeed in the world of science.
Wangari Muta Maathai
The first female professor in Kenya, her home country, Dr Maathai was the first African female recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1977 she started the Green Belt Movement, which aims to counter deforestation and encourage women to plant trees in their local environments. The movement spread to other African countries. She died in 2011, but thanks to her legacy, more than thirty million trees have been planted.
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Ozak Esu (pictured above)
Dr Ozak Esu is a multi-award-winning electronic and electrical engineer and STEM advocate from Nigeria. Among her accolades she was named on both the Women’s Engineering Society and The Telegraph’s ‘Top 50 Women in Engineering under 35’ list. Ozak is passionate about STEM initiatives that promote equality, diversity and inclusion in the engineering industry, as well as empowering women and minority ethnic groups working in STEM.
Quarraisha Abdool Karim
Professor Karim is a South African epidemiologist specialising in infectious diseases. She was awarded the top US breakthrough prize (Twas-Lenovo Prize) for developing world scientists. She was also awarded South Africa’s highest honour, the Order of Mapungubwe: Bronze in 2013 in recognition of her “outstanding work in the field of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis research and health policy development.” Her scientific discoveries have contributed not only to better treatment but also to make women more self-reliant in risk prevention.
Francisca Nneka Okeke
Francisca Okeke is a Nigerian Professor of Physics at the University of Nigeria and the first female to head the university’s faculty of physical sciences. Her work earned her the reputable L’Oreal-UNESCO for Women in Science Award for her significant contributions to the understanding of climate change. Her advocacy for the further inclusion of women in the university’s department led to the employment of three new female faculty members; and she continues to encourage girls and women to participate in the development of science and technology.
Dr Margaret Mungherera
Dr Mungherera was a Ugandan psychiatrist and served as president of the Uganda Medical Association. She became the first female president of the World Medical Association after being elected by 50 national medical associations worldwide. She advocated for psychiatric services and to improve conditions for health-care providers throughout Uganda and the rest of the African continent.
Alta Schutte
Professor Schutte is a South African hypertension and heart disease specialist based in Sydney, Australia where she is a SHARP Professor and Principal Theme Lead of Cardiac, Vascular and Metabolic Medicine at the University of New South Wales. Her main motivation is to alleviate the burden of HIV infection and non-communicable diseases in black communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. She continues to work as part of the Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART), to discover ways to prevent Africans from developing hypertension.
Sherien Elagroudy
Dr Sherien Elagroudy is an Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering at Ain Shams University in Egypt and the founding director of the first Solid Waste Management Center of Excellence in the country. Her work has centred around research and practical projects to design and implement real-world solid waste management strategies. She also supervises postgraduate students and junior engineers to train the next generation of academic and industrial leaders in the field. She was awarded the L’Oreal UNESCO Fellowship for Women in Science in 2013, and was honoured as a young scientist at the World Economic Forum in China in 2013.
Dr Julie Makani
Dr Julie Makani is a Tanzanian researcher and one of the most prominent haematologists in Africa. Her work on anaemia and sickle cell disease has led to new understanding of the illnesses. She was awarded the Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Fellowship for promoting excellence in biomedical science in Africa and the Royal Society Pfizer Award.
Jamila Abass
Jamila Abass is a software developer and the CEO and founder of M-Farm, a Kenyan app that provides smallholder farmers with vital market information and connects them with consumers via SMS. Jamila is an internationally recognised techpreneur and she has received many accolades including the Forbes ‘10 Female Tech Founders to Watch’; the ‘20 Young Power Women in Africa’; and the 2015 ‘100 most influential Africans’.
‘The Restorers’ (Stacy Owino, Cynthia Otieno, Purity Achieng, Mascrine Atieno, and Ivy Akinyi)
These five tech-savvy teens invented an app called I-Cut to end female genital mutilation (FGM) in Kenya. They call themselves “the Restorers,” as their mission is to help restore hope to hopeless girls and women by ending FGM and to see girls go to school. Their ambition for the future is to pursue careers in STEM to make a difference in the world.
Sources:
[1] Sherman A. M., Zurbriggen E.L. (2014).”Boys can be anything”: Effect of Barbie play on girls’ career cognitions. Sex Roles, 70(5-6), 195-208.
Association for Women in Science (AWIS)
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