The best men for the job are the women in this programme

AS PART of the City of Cape Town’s Transport and Urban Development Authority (TDA) award-winning Women at Work Programme, four more women-only road repair teams have been established across Cape Town.

The Women at Work Programme aims to empower women in the workplace by providing them with skills for work that is usually given to men. The women will improve service delivery to communities.

Mayco member for Transport and Urban Development, councillor Brett Herron said residents in Bellville, Kraaifontein, Ottery, and Plumstead may be surprised to see women fixing potholes and doing maintenance work on footways and stormwater pipes in their suburbs.

“The 24 women were appointed in March this year as part of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) within the TDA and are now based at the TDA depots in these areas.

“Each team consists of six members. They follow in the footsteps of the 24 pioneers who were selected in 2015 to be part of Cape Town’s first women-only road maintenance teams in Ndabeni, Fish Hoek, Heideveld and Kuils River,” Herron said.

He said they had budgeted approximately R690 000 to establish the additional four teams and he was extremely proud of the programme as it empowered women and embedded a culture of gender equality at all levels within the TDA.

Herron said the TDA Training Academy had helped managers at the depots to identify suitable candidates from the local subcouncil job seekers’ database in accordance with the City’s EPWP policy.

“The women are between the ages of 18 and 45 and are residents of Bellville, Scottsdene, Lotus River, Parkwood, Ottery, Tokai, Steenberg, Retreat, and Delft.”

They had completed their initial training and were now out in the field where they were being equipped with in-depth skills and on-the-job experience, Herron said.

The training and skills development covers a wide range of technical fields, including stormwater infrastructure, footways, roads and line marking.

“What makes this programme even more rewarding is the fact that it provides the women with a real opportunity to find permanent employment. We are also in the process of establishing another three teams and will make an announcement soon,” Herron said.