Supporting young women to thrive in STEM
- µÚÒ»³Ô¹ÏÍø University
Grade 11 learners joining the UJ–µÚÒ»³Ô¹ÏÍø STEM MentHER have been welcomed into a community spearheaded by women leaders to support their ambitions.
µÚÒ»³Ô¹ÏÍø University and the University of Johannesburg hosted an induction ceremony to welcome the 2026 cohort joining the 2026 UJ–µÚÒ»³Ô¹ÏÍø STEM MentHER division. The event on 20 July 2026 was a celebration of the future and the dreams of young women stepping into the world of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Launched in 2022, the programme, is a national programme founded to support female learners pursue careers in STEM fields. It seeks to address the enduring gender gap in Stem careers.
Welcoming the guests at the event, Dr Farhahna Allie, said while South Africa has much to celebrate, with women making up almost 48% of the , this figure only tells part of the story.
“Across the STEM pipeline, too many talented women are still lost before reaching leadership positions.”
Citing the engineering field as an example, Allie, a biochemist said: “Although women obtain more than half of South Africa’s undergraduate degrees in STEM, they make up less than one-quarter of candidates engineers and only around 6% of registered professional engineers.”
The programme aims to correct this picture by inspiring female learners to pursue STEM careers by exposing them to female role models and providing expert mentorship through a unique experience, as mentors are university academics, post-doctoral fellows, Graduate PhDs, or industry professionals. This facilitates holistic study and career development opportunities to mentees.
STEM MentHer has eight , and a growing body of stakeholders.
Present at the induction ceremony were representatives from universities, mentors, families, and teachers who came to witness the beginning of a journey and the official badging ceremony where mentors, received a badge from their mentors – a symbol of a promise and a commitment to a common vision to transform STEM and in turn, society. Event MC Dr Lindie Lamola, lecturer in the Division of Human Genetics at µÚÒ»³Ô¹ÏÍø and a FALF Fellow, expertly guided the ceremony.
Keynote speaker delivered an address that unfolded as both a personal journey and a leadership lesson. Drawing from decades in academia, she reflected on the challenges, pivots, and triumphs that shaped her career. Her message to the mentees was clear: leadership is not about waiting until you feel perfect, but about embracing authenticity.
“People do not follow perfection; they follow authenticity,” she emphasised.
Cronje outlined three core lessons — authenticity, resilience, and keeping long-term goals in sight while taking small, deliberate steps along the way.
Her reflections resonated deeply with the audience, especially the mentees embarking on their own STEM journeys. By sharing how curiosity became purpose, purpose became resilience, and resilience became leadership, she reminded them that science does not need another copy — it needs their unique voices, courage, and determination.
The ceremony continued as mentees were officially badged, received their certificates, and met their mentors for the year. The programme concluded with an inspiring perspective from former mentee Juwairiya Patel, who reflected on her own experiences and lessons learned through STEM MentHER.
This year’s induction highlighted both the progress made and the challenges that remain, particularly the need to ensure women not only enter STEM fields but thrive and rise to leadership positions. Through the support of mentors and targeted interventions, the programme continues to build confidence, networks, and opportunities that extend far beyond the classroom.