Vulnerable groups programmes
Women With Purpose (WWP) Programme
‘Women with Purpose’ is a development programme, which aims to empower women to play a more meaningful/active role in their communities. The programme was first implemented by the Community, Arts and Culture Development Department in July 2017 initially under the name “The Women in Rental Stock”. It is open to all vulnerable women from under-resourced communities. Women are recruited, trained and placed throughout the city. Participants in the programme are empowered with knowledge, skills, confidence, and networks needed to become leaders, role models, and active agents of positive change within their families and communities.
The programme facilitates personal, family, and community development, sustainability, as well as provide opportunities to learn new skills, and enable women to take up full-time employment and/or entrepreneurship opportunities.
Programme objectives:
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Personal Development: Build self-awareness, resilience, confidence, and leadership capacity in women.
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Family Development: Strengthen their role in promoting healthy family dynamics, communication, and economic resilience.
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Community Development: Equip women to engage in, lead, and sustain community-based initiatives addressing socio-economic challenges.
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Sustainability: Create pathways for women to access ongoing support, networks, and opportunities for growth.
As part of the programme’s work strategy, the women are placed at various sites for the duration of their contracts, which range from three to six months, while completing their training. Placement at these sites allows women to gain working experience which enables them to enter the job market.
Women who are interested in the programme can email
communityartsandculturedevelopment@capetown.gov.za.
Child Protection Awareness Programme
In June 2025, the City’s Community, Arts and Culture Development (CACD) Department hosted this programme to create awareness of child protection through learn and play. It also aimed to build capacity in ECD practitioners and focused on their roles and responsibilities in their workspace in respect of child protection.
Participants came from City owned ECD centres, as well as centres in Mitchells Plain, Crossroads, Lotus River, Retreat, Masiphumelele and Lower Crossroads.
Practitioners were taken through the Children’s Act and their roles and responsibilities by CACD, while the Arts and Culture Branch educated the young learners on rights and responsibilities and helped them create a poster on children’s rights.
The Libraries and Information Services Department used storytelling in their segment, while staff from Recreation and Parks took them through a play and dance segment with the theme, ‘My body is sacred’.
This is a pilot programme and future events will be communicated.
16 Days of Activism for no Violence Against Women and Children
CACD participates in the 16 days of activism for No Violence Against Women and Children by hosting a series of programmes and events from 25 November – 10 December annually.
The programmes and campaigns are annually aligned with the national theme, with awareness created around Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF).
The City has adopted an approach whereby GBVF awareness is promoted not only during the 16 Days of Activism period, but throughout the year (365 days).
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The City facilitated the "Fatherhood for the Future" workshop in 2024, which aligned with the 16 Days of Activism Campaign Against Gender-Based Violence. The two-day workshop provided a safe space for participants to share their experiences and challenge harmful gender norms.
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Workshop participants included men and boys from Langa, Kraaifontein, Delft, Mfuleni, and Cape Town CBD. The primary goal was to strengthen father-son relationships by emphasising the importance of modelling positive behaviour.
The City facilitated the "Fatherhood for the Future" workshop in 2024, which aligned with the 16 Days of Activism Campaign Against Gender-Based Violence. The two-day workshop provided a safe space for participants to share their experiences and challenge harmful gender norms.
Programmes for older persons
Poverty affects the roles of older people in their households. Older people are often required to take care of grandchildren, and use their social grants to feed family members.
To address these social issues, we offer the following programmes through ward allocation programmes:
Disability programmes
We provide disability awareness programmes and projects through ward allocation projects. Other services include:
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