Four women have been awarded nationally for their outstanding works in engaging, inspiring and promoting women and girls in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The ceremony held on Saturday February 11, was in line with the International Day of Women and Girls in Science which was celebrated under the national theme: ‘The role of women and girls in science and the implication in the prevention of Covid-19 pandemic.’ The awards were organized by the National Council for Science and Technology (NCST) in collaboration with Rwanda Association of Women in Science and Engineering (RAWISE). The laureates were in four categories; Science Leadership Award, Research Award, Rising Star Award, and Champion of Science Award. The awardees were given prizes in form of cash, certificates, and trophies. The science awardee got Rwf8m, the research award laureate got Rwf6.5m the rising star got Rwf5m while the science champion got Rwf200,000. According to Eugene Mutimura, Executive Secretary of NCST, the winners were chosen by their peers in science-related fields through an online system. The awards were conveyed by Mutimura and Jeanette Bayisenge, the Minister of Gender and Family Promotion. The awardees Jennifer Batamuliza, Science Leadership Award The 33-years-old scooped the Science Leadership Award for her initiative to train girls in schools on hands-on skills in cyber security, web development, and machine learning. The owner of Rwa Tech Hub and member of RAWISE also brings girls together during holidays to train them. She has been doing this since 2018. Eugenie Kayitesi, Research Award She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Consumer and Food Science University of Pretoria, South Africa. She has expertise in various research areas of Food Science and Technology, particularly food chemistry, food processing and sensory science. Her works can be traced through her quest to contribute to nutrition and food security in the continent. As an educator, she has made a cautious decision to look for female post-graduates and encourage them to pursue a career in the science field, whether it is research or academia oriented. She is 42 years old and is also a member of RAWISE and says this is an important award to her because it comes from home. “At this stage, 80 per cent of all masters and Ph.D. students I have supervised were females. I did this because it’s the same thing I wanted when I was younger, to have a role model to offer me mentorship,” she said. Claire d’Andre Hirwa, Rising Star Award She was awarded for her innovation in creating scientific and technological solutions useful to Rwandan society in the field of livestock. The 43-years-old is a senior research fellow in animal breeding, genetics, and reproduction at Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Board. She has spent 10 years in research focused on maximizing agriculture productivity through performance improvement. She contributes to capacity building of Ph.D. students, masters and undergraduate students in University of Rwanda. Sister Laetitia Musanabaganwa, Champion of Science Award She was awarded for having improved the odds of the next generation of young female scientists in their careers. Sister Musanabaganwa has a long history in science and education and served as a school counselor at Maranyundo Girls School before becoming the Head of School in January 2020. She encourages women to enroll in sciences for them to solve different problems in society and she managed to advocate for funds to provide laptops to Advanced level students at the school so that they may be able to make further research in their areas of interest.
