Johannesburg - The United nations said gender stereotypes and gender-based biases hinder many girls and women from taking up and prevailing in careers in science across the world.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (Unesco) Science Report shows that only 33% of researchers are women, even though they represent 45 and 55% of students at the Bachelor's and Master's levels of study, respectively. Forty-four per cent of those are enrolled in PhD programmes.
On Friday, the world celebrates the International Day of Women and Girls in Science to advance women and girls in this field.
Former Executive Director of UN-Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, said the world needs science, and science needs women.
“This is not only about making a commitment to equal rights; it is also about making science more open, diverse and efficient. We need to ensure that women and girls are not only participating in stem fields but are empowered to lead and innovate and that they are supported by workplace policies and organisational cultures that ensure their safety, consider their needs as parents, and incentivise them to advance and thrive in these careers."
In 2021, Juliette Roux was the Top Girl and Overall Runner-up of the Old Mutual South African Mathematics Olympiad (SAMO). Roux was also one of two girls from South Africa who participated in the 2021 International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO), where she scored the highest of the team of six (two girls and four boys) and achieved the Top-6 status of all the girls who competed. In the University of Cape Town's Mathematical Olympiad, Juliette scored 100% for both the second and final rounds. She also scored 100% in the Netwerk24 Wiskunde-kompetisie last year.
With interest in pursuing astrophysics, Roux said she is interested in space research and discovery.
"I don't want to get into the rocket; that is not my thing. My dream is to study at Harvard or Stanford, but it depends on acceptance and budget,” she added. But maths wasn’t always easy for this young mathematician.
"I scored 16 out of 42 points in the IMO, and I was super happy with that and the bronze medal it earned me. The IMO consists of six questions that competitors must solve over two days. On the last day of the competition, I did not solve any problems in hours. With 30 minutes to go, I left my desk to stretch my legs and returned with a solution,” Roux said.
The 17-year-old Herschel Girls School matric wunderkind confessed there were times when she struggled with a maths problem, but her advice is that the only way to get over it is to get through it.
“Sometimes one struggles to find a solution for a question for hours, and other times the inspiration hits early on. Although some competitions require teamwork, most mathematics contests require a personal approach. What I mean is that it is unlikely that anyone else will come up with an identical solution. It's a very individual thought process applying your critical and logical thinking skills to solve the problems."
The South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF), which organises the SAMO and the South African team's participation at the IMO, aims to get more girls involved in mathematics.
"If you love mathematics, competing is an excellent way to increase your knowledge. But, if you struggle with mathematics at school, you should not disregard the value of competitions. Not only is it amazing to make new friends, but it also motivates you to develop your mathematical problem-solving skills. Life is too short to hate something that you could have loved,” Roux concluded.
Professor Karin-Therese Howell, a member of the SAMF's Advisory Committee for Mathematics, stressed there is a great need for support and mentoring for African women in the mathematical sciences.
"Queen Rania of Jordan said if you educate a woman, you educate a family. If you educate a girl, you educate the future. I am a firm believer in educating girls in science. Feedback from our African Women in Mathematics (AWiM) conference, hosted by Stellenbosch University, has revealed a sad reality.
“In most communities across Africa, education for female learners is often not prioritised encouraged or results in no further options. Although there are several initiatives worldwide, Africa is still lagging in its efforts. We need more role models of successful African women in the mathematical sciences and a network to support them."
In her 13 years as a maths lecturer, Howell said they usually have a fair proportion of females in first-year. Many students only take first-year mathematics as a requirement for their chosen degree. A number of degree programmes do not require second-year mathematics.
“Learners usually choose which degree to study in high school. With regards to why female learners often do not consider STEMI degrees, many studies have revealed that female learners often lack confidence in their own mathematical ability. This is why I think more female role models in STEMI are so important. This is why I think more role models in STEMI and activities to encourage the exploration and enjoyment of Mathematics are important,” Howell said.