Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Women lead the way in astronomy
IN WHAT is often known as a male-dominated space, two women are being recognised for their contributions towards astronomy in Africa.
The inaugural awards of the African Network of Women in Astronomy (AfNWA) aimed to highlight and celebrate the scientific achievements of Renée Kraan-Korteweg, from the University of Cape Town, and Dr Marie Korsaga, who is considered Burkina Faso’s first woman astronomer.
The award celebrated the women for their contribution to society through the promotion of women in science and their contributions to the global community of astronomy through their research.
Taking up the chair of astronomy at UCT role, and functioning as its head of department for 10 years, along with various accolades, Kraan-Korteweg said that her love for astronomy was nurtured through her father.
“My love for astronomy was nurtured through my father. He was a navigator on airplanes. When I was about 16, he took undergraduate courses in astronomy in between his long flights. When I joined him in one of the lectures, that is when I knew that I wanted to study astronomy,” said Kraan-Korteweg.
She remains active in research and continues dedicated her time to nurture female students in the astronomy department.
“I attract a lot of female students to my research, as well as to the astronomy department. This may have been influenced by the fact that I was the only female head of department in the STEM fields of the UCT science faculty, and had an open-door policy. I have kept mentoring many of my former students, in particular women and students from disadvantaged backgrounds who generally do not have the support structures they need.”
Korsaga said that the award would be a source of motivation for her to continue to seek and excel, not only in her field of research, but also in the promotion of science in Africa. “When I heard that I got the award I was honoured, especially because the award was given to me early in my career.
“I am working on the distribution of dark matter in spiral and irregular galaxies. The goal is to better understand how dark matter is distributed inside galaxies. This will help improve our understanding of the distribution of dark matter in galaxies and thus to better understanding the influence of this matter on the formation and evolution of the universe. This research will allow Africa to place itself in a good space in astrophysics in the scientific community, propelling African scientists forward,” said Korsaga.
Vanessa McBride from AfNWA said that in the last decade, there had been tremendous growth in astronomy across Africa, with investments in astronomy research infrastructure, as well as in the people needed to perform and support astronomy research.
“Professor Kraan-Korteweg has contributed to this by training local researchers, bringing international expertise to South Africa and promoting women in astronomy. Dr Korsaga is an embodiment of this growth of astronomy on the continent. She is the first Burkinabe woman to obtain a PhD in astronomy, and she is using her position to inspire and pave the way for women in Africa in astronomy.”