Appreciating outstanding women in their fields of endeavor affirms their hard work and determination to pursue excellence. Being named a finalist and first runner-up for the 2024 South African Women in Science Award validates her years of dedicated research and the impact of her work, Professor Olubukola Oluranti Babalola, Research Director of Food Security and Safety at North-West University, South Africa, expresses in a discussion with African Currents.
“I appreciate being named one of the finalists for the 2024 prestigious South African Women in Science Award [SAWISA]. And being recognized as the first runner-up in such a prestigious category is both humbling and inspiring. Personally, it affirms the hard work and dedication I have put into my research over the years. At the same time, professionally, it highlights the importance of my work in the scientific community, especially as a woman. It motivates me to continue pushing the frontiers of knowledge and inspire other women in science to aim high,” Babalola remarks.
Sinenhlanhla Mthembu, PhD student in Biochemistry who won the DSI Esther Mahlangu Doctoral Fellowship award, talks about her groundbreaking research on cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, the impact of her award on her career, and her commitment to inspiring other women to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
Professor Tinuade Adekunbi Ojo, Associate Professor and honors coordinator at the Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Johannesburg, discusses the key sustainability challenges for African women—energy poverty, climate change, land rights, economic inequality, and social injustice—and how innovations and events like Women's Impact: Innovation and Sustainability in Africa can address these issues and promote gender-inclusive policies.
To find out what else our guests had to say, tune in to the African Currents podcast, brought to you by Sputnik Africa.
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