While high-ranking government officials and University executives gathered off-campus at the Radisson Blu Hotel on 28 October 2026 to launch Mangosuthu University of Technology’s (MUT) Women in Research Initiative for Growth and Transformation (WRIGHT), home-grown academic talent stood firmly in the spotlight. Dr Kavita Behara, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Electrical Engineering, delivered a moving and insightful talk that captured the reality of women working in male-dominated STEM fields while charting a clear path forward for emerging female researchers.
As the sole female academic staff member in MUT’s Electrical Engineering department, Dr Behara shared personal reflections on the systemic underrepresentation of women in her discipline. Pointing to global industry conferences where female attendance routinely hovers below 1%. She described the continuous pressure female engineers face to prove their technical capability. “I am an engineer by trade, and my life revolves around Engineering. But in my department, I am the sole woman candidate,” Dr Behara told attendees. “People often ask, ‘Are you really an engineer?’ Representation is not our final destination; it is just the beginning of our journey.”
Recounting her personal trajectory, Dr Behara shared that she grew up in an orthodox family where women were historically discouraged from pursuing higher education. Supported by her mother, she became the first in her family to complete a Master’s degree by age 21. After spending years prioritising raising her family, she only entered active academic research in 2018.
Dr Behara highlighted how everyday societal challenges can inspire transformative scientific discoveries. Driven by observing community members, including individuals with disabilities, waiting in long queues for cancer screenings at local health clinics, she initiated a research project focused on automated early cancer detection systems. She is currently working with MUT’s Technology Transfer Office to patent the system for commercial and public health application.
Referencing global research statistics, such as UNESCO data showing that women account for only 31.4% of researchers and hold just 18% of PCT patents, Dr Behara urged institutions to focus not only on overcoming barriers, but on actively removing them.
Dr Behara outlined several critical operational needs for female scholars. One of these is awareness of funding pathways. “We need to ensure that early-career academics have clear visibility of national grants and funding opportunities,” she said. She also pointed out that there must a balance between heavy teaching and administrative workloads, and dedicated time for scientific discovery. Dr Behara also advised that there should be a strategic vision that will ensure the success of the idea. Drawing an analogy to the classic roadrunner cartoon, she encouraged researchers to adopt clear, adaptive strategies to navigate research funding and international networks, rather than reacting blindly to obstacles.
Dr Behara paid tribute to international scientific pioneers like Katherine Johnson, Gladys West, and Erna Schneider Hoover, as well as leading South African female researchers like Professor Tebello Nyokong and Professor Namrita Lall. Crucially, she expressed deep gratitude to MUT’s leadership and Research Directorate for creating an enabling environment that helped her secure competitive external funding, including grants from SASUF. She called on female academics across MUT to mentor, sponsor, and uplift one another. “We have to support each other,” Dr Behara concluded. “Every small element of support can lead an emerging researcher to the next level. Let us move forward as women in action.”