The Fondation L’Oréal, the women-empowerment-focused funding arm of the French cosmetics group L’Oréal, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), have announced the six South African women scientists who have been selected for the 2022 L’Oréal-Unesco For Women in Science National Awards.  L’Oréal and Unesco have worked together around the world for more than 20 years, to help empower women to achieve excellence in science and to participate, on an equal basis, in unravelling the great challenges of science.

The six are – Dr Thilona Arumugam, Dr René Booysen, Boitumelo Mabakachaba, Dr Farzahna Mohamed, Dr Asanda Mtintsilana, and Jessica Thibaud. As part of their awards, they all received “generous” (L’Oréal’s word, in its press release) grants, to support their PhD or post-doctoral studies.  

“Women have a vital role to play in science, which is why this programme is so significant,” explained L’Oréal South Africa country manager Serge Sacre. “It encourages the vocations of girls in high school, supports women in research, and recognises excellence in a field where women are underrepresented. We hope that others will join us in encouraging more women to fuel their determination to break through barriers, be courageous in fulfilling their purpose, and be bold in their efforts to become tomorrow’s leading scientists and innovators.”

Currently, only 33.3% of scientific researchers, worldwide, are women. In Europe, only 11% of senior research posts are held by women. Only 4% of the winners of Nobel science prizes have been women. Yet women developed, or made the scientific breakthroughs essential to enable the creation of, the first ever computer algorithm, bullet-proof fibres, circular saws, electric refrigerators, the medical syringe, the wireless transmission technology that gave rise to today’s WiFi networks, and the word processor.

The L’Oréal-Unesco For Women in Science initiative covers 110 countries by means of 52 regional and national programmes. More than 3 900 women scientists around the world have received awards under the scheme, the acme of which is the L’Oréal-Unesco For Women in Science International Awards programme. Every year, five women scientists, one from each of the world’s continents, are selected to receive the International Award. The winners are designated as laureates. Of the more than 100 women researchers crowned as laureates so far, five have subsequently won Nobel prizes.