Omnia, a JSE-listed diversified chemicals company, has today announced a commitment to invest R5 million in the secondary and tertiary education of women in South Africa. The investment is in support of the company’s overarching support of healthy, educated, and resilient communities.

Globally, just 35% of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) students are women. In South Africa, just 13% of graduates in STEM fields are women, highlighting the deep gender inequity still present in our society, and critical shortage of STEM skills among local graduates.

“Through our new commitment, we want to take action to redress these imbalances by upskilling and providing opportunities for women in a variety of ways – from bursaries and internships to mentorship opportunities. Innovation is at the heart of our purpose, we want to build a workforce where diversity of thought directly feeds into the innovation and technology we use,” says CEO Seelan Gobalsamy.

This new investment is complimentary to Omnia’s existing education initiatives, such as Primestars that provides funding for Youth Development programmes for high school learners from underserved communities. The new funding will be in addition to Omnia’s R28.7 million investment in 2021 in socioeconomic development – with a primary focus in education and community initiatives. It dovetails Omnia’s recently launched Future Fund that offers its employees financial support for their children’s school fees.

The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.

“It’s a theme that is meaningful to me personally and I want to make sure Omnia is intentionally opening new doors for the empowerment of women, young people, and other disadvantaged groups – especially in South Africa. And for Omnia, it’s perfectly aligned to our purpose of innovating to enhance life, together creating a greener future,” says Gobalsamy.