Gauteng Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs through its Gender, Youth and Disability (GEYODI) unit today held a one-day Women Empowerment Workshop today, 19 October 2016. The workshop held in conjunction with Sedibeng District Municipality targeted local women in the area and was held at Sol Tsotetsi Sports Complex, Sebokeng.
The workshop aimed at empowering women on Integrated Development Planning (IDP) processes and importance of Public Participation, saw speakers on other topics such as Building the Community and Procurement Processes.
Addressing the attendees, Acting HOD for the department, DDG Willy Bhila started off by mentioning women who were influential in liberating the nation, especially women, in Sedibeng District. He mentioned that these women paved a way for the women today to better their lives. “The department of CoGTA ensures that things happen in the province. It is our job to contribute towards ensuring projects succeed, including empowering women,” DDG Bhila said.
DDG Bhila pointed out that the department is working together with municipalities to ensure women are recognized and groomed for senior positions that were previously male-dominated. “We are working together with bodies like Municipal Infrastructure Support Agency for the empowerment of women to become engineers, architectures, etc.,” DDG Bhila said. He added that “a woman should have equal economic power.”
“We will ensure that the 150 women who are going to be trained and receive certificates are empowered further. We cannot have those certificates gathering dust at their homes. We will get the women together with Departments of Human Settlements and Economic Development to ensure the skills they will acquire during training are utilized effectively,” DDG Bhila highlighted.
The training will be made possible by the kind gesture of the Southern African Institute of Learning (SAIL) which partnered with CoGTA and offered the 150 vouchers to enable the 150 women to train. SAIL will also undertake the training.
Sedibeng District Executive Mayor, Cllr Busisiwe Modisakeng, said that the district appreciates the training for 150 local women that CoGTA is undertaking. “It humbles me that 21 years into democracy, our government is continuing to contribute in ensuring that women are well positioned to take up leading roles,” Cllr Modisakeng said. She said that “women are pillars of the society and our municipality recognises the contribution they make in empowering the community.”
“We need to work together as government and private sector to ensure we eradicate poverty and inequality amongst women. I am glad to mention that there are programs in place to ensure this becomes a reality, this workshop being one of them,” Cllr Modisakeng mentioned. “If we work together, we will ensure a better tomorrow for generations to come,” Mayor Modisakeng concluded.
For More information contact:
Mogomotsi Mogodiri
Cell: 063 689 7613
Neo Lebethe
Directorate: Media Relations & Strategy
Gauteng Department of Co-operative Governance & Traditional Affairs
Tel: 011 355 4894
Cell: 079 490 8060
Fax: 086 628 1323
E-mail: neo.lebethe@gauteng.gov.za
