Women take to forensic investigation
Analysing evidence from crime scenes and elsewhere is perceived as men’s work; now more and more women are becoming investigators
The popular 1990s documentary series Forensic Files and Mayday gripped young Itumeleng Modula and her family every Friday evening when the shows were broadcast on television and led to the young woman choosing to study criminology.
Growing up in Ga-dikgale in the Capricorn district of Limpopo, Modula, now 25, did not know at that time that she would one day have the title of junior forensic investigator.
While studying, Modula followed current affairs relating to crime, how crimes are investigated and South Africa’s justice system.
“I noticed that there is a lack of information in this field and that our justice system must improve,” Modula said during an interview at her Bokang Africa office. The company specialises in forensic investigation, digital forensics, strategy development and research.
About two years ago, Modula was navigating the internet in search of employment when she discovered Bokang’s graduate trainee programme. She immediately applied and, after a three-month wait, was accepted. She recently graduated.
Being formally introduced to forensic investigation solidified Modula’s belief that she was made for the field.
“It is more intense than I thought. It is easier to watch [on a television series], but when you are in the field it is a different feeling, it is amazing,” said Modula.
Khanyisa Ndletyana, 31, has been a forensic investigator for eight years and also works at Bokang. Born in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, Ndletyana said she “didn’t even know [forensic investigation] existed”.
She has a Bcom financial management degree from the University of the Free State.
When Ndletyana landed her first “proper” auditing job she was exposed to forensics while working on a project.
“I just fell in love with it,” she says. This prompted her to pursue a career in forensic investigation, which led to a lot of explaining to her family. “It was not a popular field back then, they were not very familiar with it.”
Forensic science was, and to a large degree still is, considered a man’s job. But Bokang Africa has 15 investigators — all women.
Lerato Mpobane, the chief executive of the company, said that in television shows “most investigation roles are acted by men” and women, especially in rural areas, also experience this discrimination.
“Women in rural areas are still forced to look through the lens of patriarchy, where certain roles are perceived to be reserved for men. So because parents still control, to some extent, the career choices of their children, women or young girls will be redirected elsewhere,” she said.
Modula agreed and said young women are generally asked if they are going to study medicine, accounting, or law but never forensic investigation.
Statistics show the field is changing to one that is less male dominated. More South African women are choosing forensic investigation as a career path than a decade ago.
Membership numbers at the selfregulatory body for commercial forensics in South Africa, the Institute of Commercial Forensic Practitioners (ICFP), show a “major growth” in white and black females in the age group 20 to 40.
In 2015, the ICFP’S membership ratio was 55.20% male and 44.80% female. This ratio changed significantly in 2022 to women members dominating with 51.65% and men at 48.35%.
More women are also taking up leadership positions in the forensic field.
Chris de Beer, the executive manager at ICFP, said: “In 2013, I was aware of two women in leadership positions in our industry. In 2022, the picture looks totally different.”
According to ICFP’S statistics based on membership, women are the head of forensics in financial services (2), advisory services (3), the public sector (3) and state-owned enterprises (2).
De Beer noted: “What is a huge missed opportunity in our industry is women in their own practice, this is still a man-dominated environment. Another opportunity is digital forensics.
“Commercial forensics is a fantastic career path for women as they are more detail-oriented and focused on the finer details than men,” he said. “The career does, however, expect you to work long hours and delve into complex cases, so not everyone is cut out for a career in commercial forensics.”
Statistics at the South African chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE SA) are similar to that of ICFP, showing an increase in the number of women forensic investigators.
Jaco de Jager, the chief executive at ACFE SA, said that in 2008, the ratio between male and female forensic investigators was 80 to 20. Today, the ratio sits at 55 to 45.
“Women really do have that sixth sense,” said De Jager, emphasising women bring a “certain skill set” to the forensic investigations field.
Ndletyana is confident that there “is a lot of space in the field for females”.
“I always encourage women to come into this field. It might look like a man’s job but there is nothing men can do that we as women can’t,” she said, adding that there are opportunities for women to be in management and executive positions “to lead men; the gap is there”.
Modula said the scope of forensic investigation is broad, and she encourages women to do more research about the many possibilities the field offers.
Looking at her career and the long hours required, Ndletyana said the reason she was passionate about her job was the feeling of “making a difference in the world”.
“I feel like we are fighting crime and making sure people do not get away with all the crime that is happening.”
Something that gives her a thrill — aside from compiling enough evidence to prove who committed a crime — is walking into a company that is expecting a forensic investigator in the form of a tall and muscular male, and to say, “it is me, a woman”.