Common obstacles experienced by women researchers in their careers and the vital role of mentorship in female scholars’ progression were some of the issues that took centre stage during the Women Researchers in Humanities and Social Sciences (WoRiHSS) Symposium which was held at BON Hotel, Empangeni on Friday, 8 August 2025.
The event was organised to celebrate women researchers in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (FHSS), joining in on the national festivities for women’s month for 2025. It was also intended to bring FHSS women scholars together to uplift each other through knowledge sharing and discourse.
Professor Mpilo Pearl Sithole, a social anthropologist who is an independent researcher and consultant, was invited to deliver the keynote address. Her talk focused largely on the marginalisation of many women researchers in the knowledge production space, with some references to her lived experiences.
“It is not that people don’t like to be engaged, debate, rigour, it is that there is a thin line between that and marginalising certain people. It can be self-explanatory if you break the system and show it out,” Prof Sithole cited.
– Naledi Hlefane
Pictures: Xolani Ncube
