“It is the power of a girl with a book that is the best weapon for progress ... Because with educated women comes prosperity.”- Deborah Rodriguez.

The North-West University (NWU) has officially joined the growing national STEM MentHER initiative, a mentorship-driven programme aimed at empowering young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

This partnership was made possible through the support of Prof Liezl van Wyk, executive dean of the Faculty of Engineering, who saw the programmes potential to uplift and inspire girls in the North West Province.

STEM MentHER supports high-potential learners through mentorship, academic guidance and career exposure. In 2024 alone, its 47 mentees earned an impressive 234 distinctions in their national senior certificate exams. The initiative continues to grow through strategic partnerships with organisations such as Vodacom, Gradesmatch, Opti-Num Solutions, and the Actuarial Society of South Africa, offering mentees access to bursaries, coding programmes, vacation work and industry mentorship.

This year, STEM MentHer partnered with the Faculty of Engineering to induct five exceptional young women from across the North West Province into the programme. They are Masego Molebogeng Kgopodimetse, Remofilwe Motlhale, Rite Goosen, Kgomotso Sephatlhe and Tshwanelo Olesego Sedumedi.

This initiative marked a significant milestone for the NWU and was a great success, thanks to NWU division manager Felicity Nthatisi and mentor and mentee coordinators Mittah Magodielo and Dr Nombuso Zondo, for their invaluable support and commitment in making this collaboration possible.

The NWU is proud to be part of this transformative movement and is committed to encouraging more girls to pursue engineering and become future innovators and leaders in STEM.

More about STEM MentHER

STEM MentHER was founded in 2022 by Dr Cerene Rathilal from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). Inspired by her own experiences as a young woman navigating the STEM landscape, Dr Rathilal envisioned a programme that would provide mentorship, foster community engagement, and close the gender gap in science and engineering. She later shared the idea with Dr Lungile Sitole, who now serves as the director of STEM MentHER, and a few months later, the initiative was officially launched. Since then, the programme has continued to evolve and grow.

Looking forward, STEM MentHER plans to expand to all 26 universities in South Africa and launch national online holiday programmes to reach even more high school learners.

As the programme expands, so does its impact, reshaping the future of engineering in South Africa, changing the world for the better, one aspiring young woman at a time.

From left are Felicity Nthatisi, Dr Nombuso Zondo, Masego Molebogeng Kgopodimetse, Remofilwe Motlhale, Rite Goosen, Kgomotso Sephatlhe, Tshwanelo Olesego Sedumedi and Prof Janette Larney.