Deputy Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Sihle Zikalala hosted a seminar to empower women in the built industry/environment in Pretoria on Friday.
Amongst the guests were city of Tshwane MMC for Shared and Cooperative Kholofelo Morodi, Council for built environment CEO and officials.
The seminar forms part of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure’s (DPWI) commitment to help women explore more opportunities in the built industry as a catalyst to accelerate their development in a previously male-dominated industry and help contribute towards empowering them in the public service as a whole.
“The seminar seeks to bring experiences and ideas together so as to mentor women who are young and upcoming because we have a responsibility to endure that the next generation is capacitated now and given practical experience in the built industry,” said Zikalala.
“That is why we have lots of specialists in the built environment who are here to share ideas and debate issues,” he said.
He said the DPWI is working with the Council for the Built Environment (CBE) as it is the department responsible for professional services in the built environment and that the DPWI also has a programme to train young professionals and offer them bursaries so that they can access opportunities that are available in the built environment.
He said though there are women presently in the public works sphere, that number is not enough, so it is important to build the next generation of women who will lead in the public works department, built environment as well as in the private sector.
“We want to make it clear that the built environment is no longer, and should not, be viewed as a space for men and white domination, but should be a space for all,” enthused Zikalala.
The seminar was held under the theme: “Advancing Her Story, Her Voice: The Power of Mentorship and Support in the Built Environment.”