Next Monday, 9 August, we will pay tribute to the more than 20 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on this date 65 years ago to protest against the extension of Pass Laws to women. As we celebrate all the women who form the fabric of our society, we are proud to showcase the achievements and thoughts of the women in technical roles who help direct and formulate the future of our company and our industry.

Danashia Munsamy, Quality and R&D Manager at AECI SprayPave, believes women continue to be disadvantaged in science due to unconscious bias and job stereotypes. “Women still have to work harder to gain respect and there’s a need to drive a change in mindset, but the rising presence of females in technical roles inspires us to keep pushing past the barriers.”

There have been remarkable efforts toward positive improvement at AECI Much Asphalt and AECI SprayPave in the past few years, she says. “Today we have a significant number of females thriving in technical roles.”

Danashia joined AECI SprayPave in 2012 after graduating with a Chemical Engineering degree, starting as a lab technician and moving on to become Branch Manager in Durban less than a year later. She moved to head office branch in Alrode, where her technical roles continued to expand and in 2019 completed a BSC in Chemical Technology (Polymer Sciences). Danashia loves the fact that her job is never the same every day. “I get to learn and discover facts about bitumen, work with and mentor students, and ensure that quality products are delivered to our customers.”