CAPE TOWN, (CAJ News) – LOCAL schoolgirls are increasingly adopting a life-changing programme designed to address a dearth of female data scientists in South Africa. SAS, the software firm, has partnered with the University of the Western Cape (UWC) to support the Women in Analytics designed to introduce Analytics and Data Science as a career choice for top-performing young female Grade 11 Mathematics students. South Africa is not exempt from the gaps in this industry, with research indicating that globally, only about 15 to 22 percent of data scientists are women. Locally, with funding assistance from SAS, the UWC Women in Analytics programme last year hosted a first in-person event aimed at introducing Grade 11 learners and their mathematics teachers to the world of analytics.