Intersectional Experiences of Black South African Female Doctoral Students in STEM: Participation, Success and Retention

Abstract

One of the 12 critical areas for change highlighted in the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA) is the education of girls and women, in particular the participation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. While South Africa has introduced several policies to address the low enrolment and graduation of women in STEM, African women continue to be under-represented in these disciplines. Furthermore, African women in STEM disciplines, a traditionally White male-dominated field, report facing intersectional oppressions linked to their race, gender, and class – which negatively impact both their progression and retention. In the South African context, this problem is exacerbated by the history of colonialism and apartheid which constructed African women as minors and continue to position them as outsiders within academia. Drawing on the experiences of 19 African female doctoral students at two universities in South Africa, and underpinned by the theory of intersectionality, this article critically interrogates the factors that influence the participation, progression, and retention of African female doctoral students in STEM fields. In so doing, the article reveals how interlocking systems of oppression continue to influence the progression and retention of women in STEM disciplines, thereby providing insight into the mechanisms that need to be altered and/or put in place to actively recruit African female doctoral students and retain them in academic positions.

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