On 3 September 2016 the German Women Academics Association presented the Sophie La Roche Prize for the third time. It was awarded to Prof. Dr. Martina Havenith, from the University of Ruhr-Bochum. The distinguished physicist has promoted the rights of women in research and teaching through her career, and has always been campaigner for equal rights for women at universities. She initiated the successful activity “Meet the Female Faculty” to provide role models for the young women research scientists. Martina Havenith also sits on the Equal Opportunities Commission at Ruhr-Bochum University. More recently she founded the Women Professors Forum, a network of women professors, who are dedicated to the advancement of equal opportunities.
The German Association for Women Academics started this 2000 euro prize in 2009. The aim of this prize is to honor excellent women for their performance and their engagement in the promotion of women. The previous prizes were awarded to the German Science minister Edelgard Buhlmann and the journalist and publicist Maria von Welser.