Breaking Barriers in STEM: Dr Bambesiwe Mbesi May Champions Women and Girls in Science
Reflects on her journey, the power of mentorship, and why structural change is essential to advance gender equity in STEM.
The International Day of Women and Girls in Science (11 February) matters to me because it celebrates our progress—and illuminates the barriers that still hold many back. My own journey began with curiosity. I excelled in chemistry and imagined a quiet life in a laboratory. Policy and society felt distant.
Mentorship changed that. A lecturer saw potential I hadn’t yet recognised. He taught me to think critically, write clearly, present confidently—and to claim my voice. He encouraged me to pursue a master’s degree when I thought an undergraduate qualification was enough. Exposure accelerated my growth. My first international presentation in Japan made me feel that I belong in global science.
During my PhD, I encountered a problem that now defines my work: mine waste. It threatens ecosystems and communities, even as it contains valuable materials. I asked: can we responsibly turn this liability into an asset?
I developed a framework that evaluates environmental risk, identifies opportunities for valorisation (turning waste into resources), and reassesses risk after beneficiation. It supports evidence‑based waste declassification and policy decisions, ensuring innovation does not come at the expense of environmental protection. The framework is now being piloted internationally—in Tanzania on textile waste and in Ethiopia on agricultural biomass and invasive water hyacinth.
But individual breakthroughs are not enough. To help women and girls thrive in STEM, we must move from luck to structure:
Mentorship must be intentional and include advocacy. I once refused to supervise a master’s student without funding—and then helped secure institutional seed funding. Real mentorship fights for resources.
Exposure must start earlier. Through the Kwande Education Foundation, we’re building school‑holiday environmental bootcamps so learners—especially girls—can experience science as practical and meaningful.
Training should widen horizons. With HSRC support, our Geochemistry Graduate Internship rotates one graduate across a laboratory, research chair, and environmental consultancy, expanding imagination and competence.
Networks must be systemic. Relationships multiply opportunity; we should embed them in schools, universities, and industry.
Recognition must broaden. We should celebrate not only academic researchers, but also entrepreneurs who use experimentation and evidence to build products and companies.
If a 16‑year‑old girl reads this, I want her to feel invited. Curiosity is enough to begin. Science is wide enough to welcome her—whether she becomes a researcher, engineer, entrepreneur, or policymaker. With stronger mentorship, broader exposure, deeper networks, and inclusive recognition, women won’t just enter science—they’ll reshape it.
Dr Bambesiwe Mbesi May (Ph.D. Chemistry) is a postdoctoral researcher at the African Rainbow Minerals Chair in Geometallurgy in the Department of Earth Sciences at Stellenbosch University.