More than 200 women have gained leadership skills and work opportunities through a City programme focused on empowerment, social cohesion and safer communities.
The City of Cape Town has empowered more than 202 women during the current financial year through its Women with Purpose Programme, an initiative aimed at equipping women from low-income households with leadership skills, work experience and personal development opportunities.
The programme, previously known as Women for Change, forms part of the City’s broader effort to address the root causes of crime, gangsterism and gender-based violence through community-driven interventions and social empowerment.
Implemented through the Community, Arts and Culture Development Department within the City’s Community Services and Health Directorate, the initiative focuses on strengthening women’s ability to become leaders, positive role models and active contributors within their communities.
Participants are supported through a combination of skills training and practical work exposure, with placements lasting between three and six months across various City facilities and partner organisations.
This financial year, women participating in the programme were placed within the Identikidz Programme during the festive season, as well as at recreation and parks facilities, libraries, clinics, Early Childhood Development Centres, NGOs and other City offices.
The programme also includes a broad range of developmental training courses designed to strengthen both employability and community leadership capacity. Training areas include leadership, first aid, financial management, digital literacy, peace building, conflict resolution, trauma healing, psychosocial support, parenting workshops, customer rights awareness and job readiness.
According to the City, the initiative is designed not only to create employment pathways, but also to strengthen social cohesion and community resilience by empowering women to support vulnerable individuals and contribute toward safer neighbourhoods.
Councillor Francine Higham, Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, said supporting women creates stronger communities and helps build safer environments at household and community level.
Since its launch in 2017, more than 6,000 women have participated in the programme, creating thousands of work opportunities across Cape Town communities.
Participants are selected from the sub-council jobseekers database and represent communities from across the city, including Ocean View, Lavender Hill, Tafelsig and Gugulethu.
Women interested in joining the programme can contact the City’s Community, Arts and Culture Development Department for further information.
