South Africa lamentes pioneering female nuclear scientists

Senamile Masargo, South Africa’s first black female nuclear scientist, is a pioneer in trying to inspire young women, but the government confirmed that she passed away at the age of 37.

Ms. Masargo, known as the “Queen of Science” by parts of South Africa, passed away on Sunday. The cause of her death is unknown.

The stubborn and ambitious, she was “a sign of hope for many young people, especially women,” a statement from Vice President Paul Machatille said.

Despite her success, she said she faced discrimination as a black woman.

Nonetheless, her unwavering resolve gave her deep respect in her field.

Ms. Masargo was the first African woman to join an African-led team conducting experiments at the European Institute for Nuclear Research (CERN), the world’s largest laboratory for particle physics.

“Macoral’s tireless efforts to promote science education and empowerment will be deeply overlooked, especially among women and underprivileged communities,” a statement from the South African Bureau of Science and Technology Innovation said.

Born in 1987 in a rural village in Nongoma, Kwazul Natal, a historic seat in the Zulu monarchy, Ms. Masango’s mother was a royal princess and her father was a prominent figure.

She grew up in a polygamous family, and her mother was the youngest of three wives.

It was a challenging family setup, she told local newspaper Sowetan Live, but she learned how to stand up for herself.

Her parents were immediately aware of her early passion for learning and encouraged her to read extensively.

At 11am, her geography teacher spoke about astronauts, sparking a lifelong interest in science.

“I was so fascinated to learn that there are people traveling to space – I’m off this dimension and going to the moon.”.

“That’s when I fell in love with science.”

Ms. Masango enrolled at Zurland University at the age of 16 to study physics, but after becoming pregnant and failing several modules, she had to drop out.

With the support of her family, she returned to earn her degree and later graduated with a Masters in Nuclear Physics from the University of the Western Cape.

Tragically, her daughter died in a 7-year-old car accident.

Beyond her academic achievements, Masango has established a foundation dedicated to encouraging young women to pursue science.

“Girls discourage students from taking science subjects at an early age, which is the fundamental cause of the lack of women in the nuclear space,” she said.

Her incredible achievements include being named one of South Africa’s most successful black female scientists under the age of 35 in 2019, earning 200 spots of 200 South Africans on the Science and Technology List Post & Guardian I did.

In 2022, she was awarded the prestigious International Women’s Science Award, making a major impact on the science community.

However, throughout her career, Ms. Masango faced misogi noir – black women faced because of their race and gender.

“The biggest challenge in my career is my skin color. If you look like me, no one believes you. You know your job and what you think You have to prove that you can do it!”

“There are few black women scientists yet. This means that women like me have to work twice as hard as they can to prove their worth,” she said.

However, she used her journey to endure to help inspire a new generation to boldly and boldly pursue science.