International day of women and girls in science: coaching our students to make an impact
Merlien Reddy leads IHE Delft’s laboratory. From her office overlooking Delft’s waterway, she shares how she navigated the journey that brought her here. “Becoming aware of how many people are disadvantaged from the lack of access to clean drinking water and sanitation motivated me to do more research and find solutions to these problems,” she says.
The United Nations recognizes 11 February as International Day of Women and Girls in Science. On this day, people around the world advocate for more women and girls in science. A better gender balance will result in better science. But it’s hard to accomplish. Women need a chance to fulfil their potential and make the most of their skills, something that would increase diversity of research, says Merlien Reddy.
“The majority of research is led by men. This limits finding more solutions in science: we miss out on fresh perspectives. Being a woman in science can have a nurturing effect. Our students come from across the globe, experiencing many cultural differences. They need that kind of support and encouragement to do their best investing in their future far away from home. This is what I hope to provide: being the kind of mentor they need,” she says.
Growing up in South Africa, Merlien Reddy didn’t have a big goal of becoming a scientist one day, but she did like science. When in school, she didn’t encounter many women working in science - today, she wishes she had, as this would have helped break the stereotype that girls shouldn’t study science. For girls to realise they can be part of the scientific world, they need to see and learn about female scientists. This way, they realize they have the right to be part of future research, innovations and new technologies, she says.
“It isn’t only a male-dominated world, there are successful women out there. I think it needs to be shown that science is not nerdy and male-dominated, it can be fun, it can be trendy"
After completing her Bachelor’s degree in biotechnology, Merlien Reddy joined the Durban Water and Sanitation Services. Later she moved on to the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Research & Development Centre at the University of KwaZulu-Natal where she held different positions, working her way up to manager.
During this time, the centre was awarded a research grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, an achievement that turned out to be pivotal in her career.
“When I started working on faecal sludge management, I became passionate about what I was doing when I visited a lot of African countries and I could see first-hand what difficulties people were going through. The water problems, the health problems: there was very limited access to clean drinking water and sanitation,” she said.
With that funding, we were able to grow our collaborations with local and international partners through education and capacity building, Merlien Reddy says. Ultimately, the collaboration led to solutions to problems affecting residents’ lives.
“I could see the rewards. One of the significant projects involved the facilitation of the field testing of a new prototype invented by The University of West of England. The process generated enough electricity to power LED lighting in unlit communal toilets increasing safety for women at night. It was a simple thing that made a huge difference.” At IHE Delft, which she joined in November 2021, Merlien Reddy enjoys working with students. As the lab manager, she works to create a supportive working environment in which female and male scientists doing research in the lab can thrive.
“One of the highlights of working in the lab is getting the opportunity to lead and motivate students from many different professional disciplines and backgrounds to work together to provide solutions to global water and sanitation problems. IHE Delft provides a platform where students and staff share and exchange knowledge and experiences. We share a lot - we are not only teaching. What we learn from students and researchers we share with later students and researchers. This is the best part of working in the lab,” she says.