The City’s Social Development and Early Childhood Development Department has taken a proactive step in empowering women and men through their Women and Men for Change programme. Over the past year, the programme has supported over 900 individuals, making a significant impact in the community.
Women for Change Programme
The Women for Change programme, now in its ninth year, focuses on creating employment opportunities through the City’s Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). The programme primarily targets tenants of City-owned rental stock units and trains and deploys them throughout the city to uplift the areas where these units are situated.
The programme aims to capacitate women by providing training and mentoring to implement community development programmes, creating employment opportunities, and raising awareness about service delivery requests through C3 notifications. It also extends support to individuals and families affected by social issues such as substance abuse and gender-based violence. Participants have access to an array of training opportunities such as substance abuse, entrepreneurship, and first aid.
Men for Change Programme
The Men for Change programme seeks to reflect on culture, religion, and traditions and their effects on family and community relationships. It assists individuals, organisations, and institutions in planning change interventions and explores the inter-relatedness of substance abuse and violence against women and children. It aims to contribute to reducing gender-based violence levels and encourages participants to be positive role models for their children and contribute to building healthy and safe communities.
Positive Impact
In the last fiscal year, the two programmes created over 900 opportunities, with 653 in the Women for Change programme and 259 in the Men for Change programme. Remarkably, a majority of these participants continue to volunteer even after their EPWP contracts have ended, while others have found employment with their placement organisations.
Participants in the programme also serve as ambassadors for the City by assisting those in need and helping them access various social services. Councillor Patricia van der Ross, Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, expressed her encouragement at the number of participants and hoped for an even wider reach in the next 12 months.
A Game-Changer
The Women for Change programme has proven to be a game-changer for many, and the more recent Men’s programme is also making significant strides. These cutting-edge programmes are an essential part of the many social development interventions targeting the challenges within our social fabric.
Building stronger individuals contributes to more resilient communities, addressing critical issues such as unemployment, substance abuse, violence, and gangsterism. The City’s Women and Men for Change programme is a testament to the power of community empowerment in fostering a brighter future.
