Mpho Plaatjie, Roxanne Canny and Princesse Kabala Muke share their stories this Women’s Month not to talk about barriers but about opportunities, and to encourage the next generation of young women to see engineering as a place where they can innovate, lead and help shape South Africa's future.
As South Africa marks Women's Month, the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa (IMESA) is highlighting the achievements of women engineers leading infrastructure projects across the country while encouraging more young women to enter the profession.
Founded in 1961, IMESA says it has never implemented formal gender policies, instead focusing on creating a professional home for municipal engineers based on technical excellence, ethics and service to communities. Today, more than 30% of its members are women, many of whom occupy leadership positions.
Among them are KwaZulu-Natal branch chair Roxanne Canny, Western Cape branch chair Princesse Kabala Muke, and Free State and Northern Cape branch chair Mpho Plaatjie.
Rather than focusing on obstacles, the three engineers are using Women's Month to showcase the opportunities available in municipal engineering and encourage learners, students, graduates and young professionals to consider careers that help deliver essential public infrastructure.
