As we celebrate National Women’s Day this year, we have a lot to reflect on. Not only is the day celebrated as a tribute to the women who marched to the union building in 1956 to protest the Pass Laws under the Apartheid regime, we also celebrate how far women have come. This day also gives us the opportunity to reflect on the burden that women have had to carry as nurturers, caregivers, home-keepers, and the additional work that women need to do in the workplace to prove themselves worthy. As gender equality continues to evade women across the world, this day becomes more important to remind all of us of the role that women play, and the contributions they make, at home, at work, and in the world.

Today, we celebrate this day with two women from the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Pretoria. Dr Colleta Gandidzanwa and Dr Tracy Muwanga are both extraordinary women involved in research in Agricultural Sciences. Not only does their work speak volumes as to what women can achieve in a male-dominated field, but it also shows the continuous difference that women make in science.

Dr Colleta Gandidzanwa is a Postdoctoral Fellow and Researcher working under FSNet-Africa. Her research focuses on agricultural productivity of farmers in the face of new technologies, which she argues is important because measuring the productivity of farmers helps to mange and improve productivity in agriculture. When asked about the challenges that woman face in her field, Dr Gandidzanwa says, “Being a woman in a male dominated industry presents various challenges, especially the perception that a highly qualified woman does not know the practical farming dynamics. Women are mostly under-estimated, so I have had to build my networks through extra effort in proving myself and being assertive in my plans. Women are also under-estimated because their careers are often interrupted by family responsibilities. I have had three children in my career, and it is always a challenge to maintain the balance between career goals and family responsibilities.” Dr Gandidzanwa plays an important role as a mentor and supervisor to other women as she shares her experiences and lessons learned in the field and guide other women who want to follow in her footsteps. She argues that “Having an interest in agricultural and food sciences is an exciting challenge. As a woman, you immediately see yourself taking a place in most of the challenges in the field for example, food security and nutrition, food waste. A woman can contribute to these problems by making small differences at household level and making progress even under difficult circumstances. Women must also become experts in their fields so that they can develop solutions to problems and meaningfully contribute to these challenges.”

The challenges of food insecurity and hunger affect women and girls significantly more across the world. Of the 690 million people who are food insecure, 60% are women. Women are also more likely to face economic barriers and have access to fewer resources than men, which further contributes to the gender gap.  Dr Tracy Muwanga is one of the many women in agricultural sciences that is making a difference to these statistics. While Dr Muwanga holds a degree in Law, her research focuses on the right to food in South Africa and the SADC region. She says that “South Africa is technically considered to be food secure but is food insecure at a household level. This dual edge status can often be seen in the parallel formal and informal economy and broadening gap between the rich and the poor which has been widened due to the Covid-19 pandemic currently taking place. Vulnerable groups in society are usually the most affected with the lack of food, and within the household, women bear the heaviest burden as they are tasked with the primary responsibility of feeding the household. Without enough food to feed the home, women often go hungry or eat food lacking in nutrition which can lead to uncommunicable diseases such as diabetes. Because of this, I shifted my focus to looking into this right and unpacking the right in order to determine if the food system in place is working and how it can be improved not only for women, but all vulnerable groups.” For her, being a woman in her field comes with a number of challenges. “In the words of the famous musician James Brown, ‘this is a man’s world’. Women are often undermined based solely on their sex, so I have found that I must prove myself a lot to be taken seriously. I rarely see this happen with men in similar positions.” Dr Muwanga hopes to make a difference in the field by creating bridges between academic disciplines, such as law and science, to solve the issues of food safety and food insecurity. To all the women who aspire to work in agricultural and food sciences, she says, “With everything in life nothing is easy, but some things are worth the struggle. Going into agricultural and food sciences is very altruistic as you find yourself in a position to be able to help those less vulnerable than ourselves. Aside from that, it’s always good as a woman to remember to not feel intimidated by anyone and to stand your ground if you see or feel any type of injustice. We all have a voice and part of being a woman at times is having to use that voice to be heard even when we feel overpowered.”

Both Dr Gandidzanwa and Dr Muwanga are great role-models and inspirations to others who are involved in agricultural sciences. They prove that with hard work and dedication, it is possible to make a difference. In celebrating Women’s Day, we celebrate all women in science and academia, who continue to step up and rise above the challenges that society present to us. We are grateful to all the women who came before us to not only fight for our rights to sit at the table, but who continue to inspire us to reach for the stars.

Happy Women’s Day to all.