Pretoria – President Jacob Zuma has congratulated women who have won awards this month in fields previously regarded as men's disciplines including science, water, sports, business and farming.
Various awards ceremonies have been held by government departments and other entities to honour and celebrate women's excellence in these fields, as South Africa continued to observe Women's Month.
"It is very encouraging to see women performing well in areas that were traditionally regarded as male-dominated and it gives us the important assurance as a nation that we are on the right track in the pursuit of equity,” said President Zuma in a statement on Friday.
The President has congratulated all winners of the awards and particularly the following women and women-led community organisations for their outstanding work in their respective fields.
He congratulated all 62 women who were honoured on 28 August 2014, by the Ministry of Sports and Recreation for their immense and selfless contribution in the development of various sporting codes.
The Presidency said government and South Africans were humbled by the high degree of excellence shown by women, and encouraged them to continue working hard and taking the country forward.
“Government will continue to unreservedly support all women’s initiatives, projects and businesses as we believe that by empowering women, we are essentially empowering the nation,” the President said.
This year, the Department of Science and Technology held awards for women in science, where Professor Marina Rautenbach walked away with an award for Distinguished Woman Researcher in Physical and Engineering Sciences.
Other winners were Professor Priscilla Baker, Professor Leila Patel, Professor Marie Poggenpoel and Dr Puleng Segalo.
For the 2014 Women in Water Awards - organised by Department Water and Sanitation - the Mosadi Tshwene Projects received winner of the Water Conservation Category.
Other winners were Re a dira Home Based Care which won in the Community Development category, Swartkops Adopt a River project in the Adopt a River category, and Batjha Community Based Organisation in the Education and Awareness category.
Likewise, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries held awards to acknowledge female entrepreneurs. Mponeng Lentoro took the Top Entrepreneur in the Commercial Sector Award.
Nokwanele Mzamo clinched the award for Export Market, Anne Ruthford for Processing, Sandra Kroutz for Smallholder, Hawukile Makhanya for Best Female Worker, and Thandeka Moseki for Best Substance Producer in the sector.
The 2014 Businesswomen of the Year Awards were organised by Businesswomen’s Association of South Africa. Nombulelo Bea Hackula, who is the Head of Eastern Cape Department of Social Development, won the government category, while the General Manager of Global Load Control, Roswitha Becker, received one award in the corporate category. - SAnews.gov.za
