Three Women Leaders from the University of the Western Cape Nominated for HERS-SA Awards

Three exceptional senior women leaders from the University of the Western Cape (UWC) have been nominated for the HERS-SA Awards, a prestigious competition organised by the Higher Education Resource Services – South Africa.

Professors José Frantz, Vivienne Lawack and Nicolette Roman have all secured spots in the top 10 of this competition. The award ceremony is scheduled to take place on 7 September 2023 at the DoubleTree by the Hilton Hotel in Woodstock, Cape Town.

The inaugural HERS-SA Awards is an initiative that recognises extraordinary women leaders in  South African higher education who are making a positive impact both within and beyond their universities. The awards recognise the achievement of women who lead, inspire, and motivate those in and outside their institutions. The event aims to inspire and attract new leadership talent to the sector, thus establishing role models and advancing gender transformation, whilst creating visibility for higher education women leaders in South Africa.

While there are numerous awards within South African higher education, none have fully acknowledged women leaders on a national scale for their role and contribution as leaders and for the development of the country. It is for these reasons that HERS-SA has created seven distinct categories to appropriately honour these achievements.

The UWC women are prominently featured in several of these categories.

Prof Frantz has been nominated in the category “Women in Administration”, which honours a woman leader who has consistently excelled in leadership over a period of time. The nominee must have served in the higher education (HE) sector for a minimum of five years and should have been involved in the academic administration space. This category recognises innovative interventions or practices that enhance institutional performance, peer-mentoring evidence, and community engagement activities such as school visits, mentoring, and after-school projects for the underprivileged.

Prof Frantz has also been nominated in the “Lifetime Achiever” category, a special award recognising an outstanding contribution to the higher education sector. The nominee must have at least ten years of devoted active service in the higher education sector, and should  have made tangible contributions to it. These nominees exemplify  exceptional achievements in the face of challenges.

Prof Lawack has been nominated in the “Trailblazer” category – a woman leader who understands the importance of uplifting others as they rise and actively champions the empowerment of women and students. This accolade will recognise women with a consistent track record of supporting other women in the HE sectors for at least five years. The nominees are women who are secure in themselves; strong enough to support others to thrive – not feeling threatened by others’ growth and success. 

Prof Roman was nominated in the “Women in Humanities and Social Science (HSS)” category. This category celebrates and recognises women leaders who have done remarkable work in humanities and social sciences. It commends women who excel in their disciplinary fields in HSS, highlighting their innovations and other HSS achievements including those related to capacity development initiatives, innovative learning and teaching practices, and community engagement activities.