Durban launch puts women researchers in the room, with a deputy minister on the podium

Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Dr Nomalungelo Gina delivers the keynote address in Durban on Wednesday at the launch of a new platform at Mangosuthu University of Technology aimed at advancing women’s participation and leadership in research and innovation.

The platform is called the Women in Research Initiative for Growth and Transformation, or WRIGHT. According to the government’s announcement of the launch, it is designed to enhance the visibility, participation, development and impact of women across the university’s research ecosystem, and to foster collaboration, mentorship and opportunities for growth while working to dismantle persistent barriers that hinder women’s advancement in research careers.

Gina’s address is titled “Breaking Barriers: The Critical Role of Women in Driving Global Research Innovation”. The announcement says it will emphasise the importance of tackling obstacles that restrict women’s participation and career growth in research and innovation.

The initiative is framed as a response to international, continental and national calls for gender transformation in science, technology and innovation, and as a recognition that women’s full participation is essential for inclusive knowledge production, technological progress and sustainable development.

Others on the programme are MUT Interim Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Rushiella Songca, and the university’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Engagement, Professor Mncedisi Maphalala.

Professor Kogieleum Naidoo, Deputy Director of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa, CAPRISA, will share insights on women’s leadership in scientific excellence. Omphile Netshiozwi, a patent attorney with 18 years of experience, will speak on the female agenda in technology commercialisation.

The programme also includes discussion of how intellectual property protection and technology commercialisation can support women-led innovation.

This account is drawn from the government’s summary of the event published by SAnews (South African Government News Agency), not from the full programme or from the university’s own documentation. The announcement does not set out the initiative’s funding, its targets or how its progress will be measured, and none of those details are stated here. The source is available at https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/science-deputy-minister-attend-launch-initiative-advancing-women-research.