The City’s Social Development and Early Childhood Development Department has provided assistance to over 900 individuals within the past year through its capacity-building programme called Women and Men for Change.
The Women for Change programme, now in its ninth year, creates employment opportunities under the City’s Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).
Also read: CBD Regeneration Project empowers and upskills homeless Capetonians
The majority of participants are residents of City-owned rental units who receive training and are deployed throughout the city to uplift areas where such rental units are located. This empowerment programme aims to develop women’s abilities, enabling them to play a more active and meaningful role in their communities while acquiring new skills and personal growth.
The objectives of the Women for Change programme are as follows:
- Empower women with the skills to implement community development programmes through training and mentoring.
- Provide employment opportunities for unemployed women.
- Raise awareness regarding the logging of C3 notifications for service delivery requests.
- Support individuals and families affected by substance abuse, gender-based violence, sexual abuse and other social issues through awareness-raising activities.
- Ensure safe passage for students to and from school and implement interventions to address truancy.
Programme participants have been deployed across the city, working in schools, clinics, libraries, early childhood development centres and NGOs. They have access to various training opportunities, including substance abuse, gender-based violence, entrepreneurship, conflict resolution and First Aid.
Cape {town} Etc discount: Looking for things to do in the city at half the price? Let these great offers inspire you and fuel your imagination! Get them here.
The Men’s programme aims to:
- Encourage reflection on culture, religion and traditions and their impact on relationships within families and communities.
- Assist individuals, organisations and institutions in developing plans for intervention and change.
- Explore the interconnectedness of substance abuse and violence against women and children.
- Contribute to the reduction of gender-based violence.
Additionally, the Men’s programme encourages participants to embrace their roles as fathers and be positive role models for children, fostering a healthy and safe community.
In the previous financial year, which concluded in June, the two programmes collectively provided more than 900 opportunities, with 653 through the Women for Change programme and 259 through the Men for Change programme.
Many participants continue to volunteer even after their EPWP contracts have ended, while others have been employed by the organisations where they were placed.
‘The Women for Change programme has been transformative for many participants and the Men’s programme introduced more recently, is also making progress. These programmes are part of a range of social development interventions aimed at addressing challenges within our society, and their impact is often not immediately evident,’ stated Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Patricia van der Ross.
She added, ‘By empowering individuals, we ultimately strengthen communities, contributing to other issues such as unemployment, substance abuse, violence and gangsterism. Programme participants serve as ambassadors for the city, assisting those in need and facilitating access to various social services. It is inspiring to witness the engagement of numerous participants, and we aspire to reach an even wider audience in the coming year.’
Explore Cape Town and its surroundings with these incredible deals on cars for under 100k. Find car listings here.
Also read:
Temporary roadworks in store in Gardens and Sea Point from Monday
Picture: City of Cape Town / Facebook