![](https://vut.ac.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/WomEng-FEATURE.jpg)
New VUT Women in Engineering student structure leadership hits the ground running with an empowering event
06 September 2024 | STORY Thabisang Thebeeapelo. PHOTO Peter Masela.
![WomEng-MAIN](https://vut.ac.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/WomEng-MAIN.jpg)
On 5 September 2024, the Vaal University of Technology (VUT)’s Women in Engineering (WomEng), supported by their student faculty advisor Ms. Sanele Nxumalo, brought together female engineering students and experienced professionals in the field.
WomEng is a vibrant community dedicated to empowering women and encouraging progress in all aspects of their lives—academic, emotional, and professional. The event served as a forum for the organization’s new leadership team to introduce themselves and demonstrate their aim of providing holistic support to female engineering students.
The guest speaker of the event was Ms. Matheko Moholi, founder and CEO of MOEL Services Pty Ltd, specializing in business consultation for engineering projects. In her address, she stated that: “It is a common misconception that certain courses are deemed superior to others. In the industry, all disciplines are interconnected.” Moholi also encouraged students to prioritize networking and involvement in student organizations. By participating in these structures, she said, students can connect with peers who have diverse strengths, creating an environment that challenges them to excel beyond the standard curriculum.
This event was a memorable occasion, allowing attendees to network, share information, and learn about resources available to help them in their academic and emotional journeys. The engineering students in attendance got the opportunity to rub shoulders with sophisticated female engineers, allowing them to interact and be inspired by role models who have blazed the way in a typically male-dominated field.
Ms. Sibongile Mtshweni, the librarian, offered an interesting layer to the event by introducing vital resources that students can use in the library to help them with their academics. These services are critical to their academic success since they assist with anything from research to project preparation.
Rebone Mathibela, a second-year chemical engineering student and chairperson of WomEng, delivered a motivational speech that resonated with the audience. She emphasized that the journey is more important than the timing of reaching the finish line. What matters are the people you meet along the route and the opportunities you have. She encouraged perseverance, stating that this is the moment to push against all odds and confidently declare, “I may be a woman, but I will succeed in engineering.” She urged others to lead by example and show that success is possible for every black child.
The WomEng team members are as follows: Rebone Mathibela (Chairperson), Christina Mukwevho (Secretary and Media Officer), Bianca Mahlope Deputy Secretary), Sharon Mukaya (Treasurer), Anna Kadiaka (Deputy Treasurer), and Annagrate Ratu (Program Coordinator). This dedicated team is committed to driving the organization’s mission of empowering women in engineering.