From their FAQ:
What does the logo mean?
South Africa is known as a country of diversity and culture. The hands holding the atom symbolise the multiracial society we live in. To demystify the fears and concerns around nuclear energy, we have used the image of two hands to symbolise that anything that can be held can be used peacefully.
This statement, of course, is another reason why Nelson Mandela must be considered one of the transcendent figures of our times. Twenty years ago it would have sounded absurd.
Former President Mandela, by the way, discussed during his term the fact that under the Apartheid regime, in co-operation with Israel - to whom South Africa was a major supplier of uranium - South Africa assembled several nuclear weapons. The weapons were dismantled ultimately, making South Africa the
only nation in the world to have possessed nuclear weapons and subsequently to have totally engaged in nuclear disarmament.
Here is a list of the executive committee:
Name and Surname Company
Tel.No
Ntebatse Matube
NECSA
Nomathemba Radebe
Eskom
Beauty Monamodi
PBMR
Carol Mathibe
PBMR
Tumelo Mogamisi
Yvonne Kheswa
iThemba LABS
Peggy Mampe
NNR
Lynnette Jones
Westinghouse
Mimi van Noordwyk
Westinghouse
The names do sound poly-cultural, if you ask me, and seems even to include some Welsh sounding names.
Only one of the women appears to work at the nuclear power plant at Koeberg, ESKOM.
Here is what the nuclear plant at Koeberg, by the way, says about itself
The stations' two reactors supply 1 800MW or 6% of South Africa's electricity needs. Koeberg has produced more than 81 000 million kWh of electricity since 1984 using seven and a half tonnes of uranium:
Koeberg is a strategic water user and saves 22 billion litres of fresh water per annum. The condensers are cooled by means of sea water, which is returned to the sea after use. The sea water is not consumed. In a similar period of time, a coal-fired power station of the same size would use, more that 50 million tons of coal and 160 000 million litres of scarce fresh water. The fresh water would be consumed entirely. South Africa's fresh water resources are extremely scarce and, at current economic and population growth rates, South Africa is expected to experience a permanent water shortage from 2020.
Wow. That's outrageous! They have seven and a half tons of used nuclear fuel when they could have just burned 50 million tons of coal instead. Thank goodness for Germany, South Africa's largest coal purchaser.
Koeberg employs 1200 people, including, apparently, some who are women. Returning to WiNSA, here's what their charter says:
•Creating a national forum and network for women in these fields enabling them to meet regularly to exchange ideas and experience towards advancing the role of women in respective nuclear-related fields;
•Promoting broad-based understanding of the fields of nuclear technology, safety and non-proliferation through targeted interventions, including public information programmes; and
•Interaction with all relevant stakeholders to foster an environment conducive to advancing the empowerment of women in the relevant fields.
Personally, I don't have a problem with that, although I have a rather openly stated opinion of the
opposite approach which is clearly advocated by some people who I don't like very much: That approach is "nuclear ignorance."
One of the achievements of the local chapter at South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa), they say, besides negotiating improved pregnancy leave terms is:
There is also a remarkable increase of black women within the technical levels or in leanerships programs.
As someone who opposes ignorance, deliberate or otherwise, I like to see increases (of any type) within the technical levels, anywhere, anytime, any place.
http://www.dme.gov.za/winsa/index.stm">Here is the website of "Women in Nuclear, South Africa.
http://www.eskom.co.za/live/content.php?Category_ID=105">Here is ESKOM's website for its nuclear power plant, right now the only one on the African continent.