Despite notable gains in women’s participation in science careers in South Africa, women remain underrepresented across STEM fields. While more women are graduating from universities, studies continue to show that men dominate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers — a gap that is even more pronounced among Black women. Although women form the majority of young university graduates nationally, only about 13% of STEM graduates are women, and Black women remain significantly underrepresented in senior academic and research leadership positions.

These disparities stem from systemic barriers including gender bias, limited access to mentorship, and inconsistent availability of resources. Such obstacles continue to hinder the full and equitable participation of women in scientific careers.

At the University of the Free State (UFS), where I work, there is a growing institutional commitment to support emerging researchers — particularly women — through mentorship and research development initiatives. This aligns with Vision 130, which aims to foster research excellence and increase societal impact. I am fortunate to be part of the university’s Transformation of the Professoriate Mentoring Programme, designed to build a strong cohort of emerging scholars. The programme provides academic and research mentorship, supports access to networking and funding opportunities, and nurtures candidates toward assuming senior academic and research roles. It also helps lay the groundwork for future centres of research excellence.

Those of us who benefit from such opportunities carry a responsibility to extend mentorship to more women researchers, especially from underrepresented groups. Expanding women’s participation in science requires addressing the barriers that continue to limit progress. Key interventions include expanding mentorship and networking opportunities, increasing financial support and scholarships for women in STEM, and promoting national policies that support work–life balance and the needs of working mothers.

There is also an urgent need to raise awareness about women’s contributions to science and challenge persistent stereotypes that discourage girls from pursuing scientific careers. Building inclusive, diverse work environments where women feel valued and supported is essential to increasing both participation and retention. Progressive policies that promote the employment of Black women academics in STEM leadership roles are also critical. A diverse cohort of women in authority can provide gender-sensitive mentorship and create pathways for future scholars.

Pursuing a career in science demands hard work, resilience, and a commitment to continuous learning. It is a challenging journey, but deeply rewarding for those passionate about contributing to the advancement of humanity through research. It requires uncovering new insights, developing innovative solutions, and sharing knowledge that can transform lives. Marie Curie captured this spirit beautifully when she said, “I am among those who think that science has great beauty… like a fairy tale.” This sense of wonder should fuel every aspiring researcher.

Science is also fundamentally collaborative. Seek mentors, build networks, remain humble, and embrace learning from others. Your contributions — even those that seem small — form part of a larger scientific story that future generations will build on. If you are driven by curiosity, purpose, and a desire to contribute to the greater good, a career in science may be the path for you…

In modern mathematics, where imagination meets deep abstraction, Dr Laura Monk has quickly become one of the field’s most exciting young geometers. In 2024, she was awarded the Maryam Mirzakhani New Frontiers Prize, an honour regarded as one of the most prestigious recognitions for early-career women mathematicians and presented at the Breakthrough Prize ceremony—often called the “Oscars of Science.” A mathematician whose work explores the geometry of negatively curved spaces, Monk’s path into the field was shaped not only by intellectual fascination but also by uncertainty, self-doubt, and the search for belonging—a journey familiar to many women in STEM. Growing up in France, she found early encouragement from teachers who pushed her to think harder and explore deeper. Later, mentors like Nalini Anantharaman and the pioneering legacy of Iranian math genius Maryam Mirzakhani helped her see that mathematics could be a creative, expansive world—not an exclusive club.

A Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellow and Lecturer at the University of Bristol, Monk works on the geometry of negatively curved spaces and the behaviour of objects moving within them. In this conversation with Dipin Damodharan, she speaks candidly about intuition, representation, hyperbolic geometry, and the courage required to stay in mathematics when you’re not sure you fit.

‘Go for it! Math is super cool and useful’

To start with, could you tell us how your journey in mathematics began? Was there a defining moment when you realised this would become your life’s work?

I always enjoyed mathematics at school and thought it would be a good idea to study it, as I was interested in it and it opens the door to many jobs. After my first two years of study, I realized I loved the subject itself more than the idea of finding a job using it, and decided I wanted to work in mathematics (probably as a teacher).

I faced many challenges and doubts—I somehow never felt sure mathematics was “for me,” even though I loved it. But I’m very happy I stuck with it and made a few leaps of faith at the right times. At the end of my master’s, I decided to start a PhD because it is required for certain higher education teaching positions in France. I thought: three years is a lot of time, better get excited and really go for it! Luckily, I met my PhD advisor, Nalini Anantharaman, who introduced me to a fascinating research project.

The way she ventured into different areas of mathematics, tackling ambitious new projects with no apparent fear, was an incredible inspiration. She was very different from the image I had of “the mathematician.” Her mentorship made me feel confident I could do it if I wanted to. And then I did!

Growing up in France, were there specific teachers, mentors, or institutions that played a pivotal role in shaping your mathematical thinking?

Mathematics is taught and shared, and I have many teachers to thank for my mathematical upbringing. My high-school teacher had extremely high standards and told me off a few times for doing the minimum instead of pushing myself. My second-year teacher gave me a first glimpse of how exciting venturing into the unknown can be during a research project.

One of the ways maths is taught in France is through a two-year intensive preparatory school followed by further studies at university. I found this structure gave me a strong basis to build on, as well as methods to organize myself and work well.

What were some of the challenges you faced as a young woman entering a field often dominated by men? How did you navigate them?

Mathematics is, indeed, a very masculine field, and one could imagine sexist behaviours to be common. I have to say, luckily perhaps, that this has not been my experience. I have always felt extremely welcomed into this community, whether as a student or a researcher.

However, I did still struggle very much as a student with finding a sense of place and purpose in what I was doing. Though these difficulties are quite universal, I think they were amplified by being one of the only girls in my cohort. Identifying this was very helpful in overcoming these feelings, because it led me to build strong connections with my peers, to find female mentors and role models, and to invest myself in events for young women, all of which helped tremendously.

Much of your work lies at the intersection of geometry and dynamics. Could you explain your research focus in simple terms?

I study certain types of surfaces called “hyperbolic surfaces.” Unlike a piece of paper (which is flat) or a sphere (which is positively curved), hyperbolic surfaces have negative curvature: they look like Pringles. There exist many, many hyperbolic surfaces, and they appear in very different fields of mathematics: number theory, mathematical physics, dynamics…

I am trying to understand what these surfaces “look like” a bit better. In order to do so, I put all of them in a (big) bag, take one at random, and try to describe it.

Mathematics often requires deep abstraction. How do you stay connected to the beauty or “reality” behind these abstractions?

I relate more to the beauty than the reality! To me, mathematics is a gigantic world that we are building or exploring together. I find a lot of joy in how different parts of this world interact and how bridges can be built; simple ideas can come together from far apart and create something new.

What role does intuition play in your mathematical process?

A big role! One of the reasons why I have been drawn to mathematics is that, once you understand a formula or a theorem, you don’t really need to memorize it by heart anymore: it just makes sense. When I learn something new, I go through a lengthy process of unravelling everything and I often feel very confused (or sometimes even a bit desperate!).

But, one day, all of a sudden, everything becomes clear, to the extent that it is even hard to remember why I was so lost initially. I think this is one of the reasons why it is so hard for us to share and convey what we do to one another, or to the general public.

Maryam Mirzakhani’s groundbreaking work in geometry and moduli spaces continues to inspire mathematicians globally. In what ways has her work influenced your own research? You have worked on topics that build upon or are inspired by Mirzakhani’s legacy. Could you speak about this continuity—how do you see her influence evolving in your field?

Maryam Mirzakhani created my research field, and I have studied a certain part of her work in great detail. My research consists in picking a hyperbolic surface at random and looking at it. She was one of the first people to have had this amazing idea. At the time, there existed a probability model allowing one to pick hyperbolic surfaces at random, but it was completely abstract and unusable.

Through several beautiful breakthroughs, she created a method that made this possible. We are still at the beginning of the wide variety of applications following from these advances.

If you could give a message to a young girl fascinated by numbers but unsure about pursuing math, what would you say?

Go for it! Math is super cool and useful, so you will have loads of fun and learn a lot. It is ok if you don’t identify with the image of the “math guy”; there are a lot of ways to enjoy math. It is not just about proving theorems or solving exercises, it is about creativity and sharing.

Outside of mathematics, what brings you joy or fuels your curiosity?

I quite like jigsaw puzzles and knitting, both of which relax me and make me appreciate how a lot of little steps can come together to create something big. Right now, my main source of joy is my two-year-old daughter, and seeing her discover the world. If only we could stay this curious and observant about every single little thing!

Do you think artificial intelligence and computers are changing the way we do mathematics?

Computers definitely have! We used to pay people to perform long lists of computations for researchers, and to publish entire books of randomly generated numbers in order to study probabilities. Now both of these activities seem very silly. Mathematicians use computers all the time, whether to perform experiments, find the answer to a simple question, or write and share their work.

I personally choose to be optimistic about the future of AI. You would have a very hard time conveying to someone in 1980 the role that computers play in everyone’s lives, but for mathematics, they have greatly enlarged our experience and allowed us to go faster, further. Things are scary now because we do not know what is ahead of us.

As Africa grapples with deepening water insecurity, a trailblazing researcher at the University of the Free State (UFS) is stepping into the global spotlight with a mission: to ensure every African has access to clean, safe water.

Dr Tafadzwa Clementine Maramura, a Senior Lecturer and NRF-Rated Researcher in the Department of Public Administration and Management at UFS, has dedicated her academic career to tackling one of the continent’s most urgent challenges — sustainable water governance. Her commitment was recently recognised with a historic appointment as the first black African woman to serve as Secretary of the Institutional Governance and Regulations Framework, a specialist subgroup within the International Water Association (IWA).

“Water is a basic human right, you can survive without electricity and other luxuries, but not without water. Each time you brush your teeth or flush your toilet with at least 15 litres of clean water or you are watering your garden with clean water, there are people that actually don’t have access to basic drinking water,” said Dr Maramura in a statement emailed to EdPublica.

“My research focuses on water governance and sustainable service delivery, public policies, and the green economy in the African, as well as the South African, context

The statistics underscore the urgency. According to Greenpeace, more than 1.34 billion Africans — over 90% of the continent’s population — face some form of water insecurity. The United Nations World Water Development Report 2024 also reports that 2.2 billion people worldwide lack access to safely managed drinking water.

Dr Maramura’s research is rooted in understanding how governments, particularly in Africa, can bridge this glaring gap. “My research focuses on water governance and sustainable service delivery, public policies, and the green economy in the African, as well as the South African, context,” she explained. “What I found is interesting and really saddening at the same time. When you break it down, you realise that one in every three people in Africa don’t have access to potable water.”

But for Dr Maramura, this issue is more than a policy problem — it’s a deeply personal and gendered one. “Access to clean water is not just a basic need; it is a matter of dignity, equality, and survival. As a young African woman, through my research, I see first-hand how the burden of water scarcity falls disproportionately on women and girls, robbing us as women, of education, economic opportunities, and health.”

“But we are not just victims – we are leaders in this fight. By empowering women and investing in sustainable water solutions, we can transform our communities and break the cycle of poverty. The time for action is now because water is life, and every African deserves it.”

Her upcoming book chapters, to be released in June, explore the water-health nexus in fragile states — aligning two of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation). She stresses the interconnectivity of these issues.

“You cannot solve problems in isolation; you cannot look at the water problem in isolation. If you have a water problem, you have a health and education problem because kids can’t go to school if there is no water. Hospitals can’t function when there is no water,” she said. “How can we ensure that we merge the two together and ensure researchers working on health and water can find common ground to address any challenges arising from the lack of water so that we don’t have these health issues?”

Despite being an upper-middle-income country, South Africa continues to face major water delivery issues, especially in rural and impoverished areas. Millions still rely on ventilated pit latrines due to lack of access to modern sanitation.

Dr Maramura believes there is no one-size-fits-all solution but emphasizes a collaborative, inclusive approach. “There is work that needs to be done. The government, private sector, the communities, as well as other role players need to work together. South Africa is a water-stressed country with rainfall below the global average. We realised that we have scarce groundwater resources.”

She calls on communities to become more informed and involved. “The community needs to understand, participate, and be aware of how much damage we can do by just drilling boreholes and digging wells.”

On the role of the private sector, she notes: “They need to know what it is that they can do to ensure that they also play a part through their corporate social responsibility and philanthropic dimensions in assisting the community.”

And for government, she adds: “The policies are there. The government needs to consult with the communities, the private sector, and all other relevant stakeholders. They need to involve affected communities and after consultations, they need to engage these communities because they understand their problem best.”

Through her research, advocacy, and international leadership, Dr Maramura is not only asking the hard questions about water governance — she’s working to reshape the answers for the future of Africa