Abafazi banamandla – women have power!
08 March 2021
Today, 8 March 2021, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Corporate Services, Councillor Sharon Cottle, was invited by the Women in Leadership Network, a peer network that was established in August 2018 for women in leadership, to speak at a virtual International Women’s Day event. The network seeks to ensure that women are able to excel in their leadership roles within the organisation.
The day is observed annually across the globe to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also celebrates gender parity.
Councillor Cottle spoke on the resilience of women in the midst of Covid-19.
The theme for International Women’s Day 2021 is ‘Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a Covid-19 world.’
This is a significant moment for women across the globe – a time to assess and measure the progress made towards achieving gender equality and gender equity in society in general and in the workplace in particular. Ultimately, the aim is to achieve the sustainable economic emancipation and advancement of women all over the world.
‘As we celebrate this day, I take my hat off to the women who have kept their hands on the plough, being at the forefront in the battle against this vicious virus. They have shown resilience in the face of uncertainty and went beyond the call of duty, working long hours and taking on new roles, literally putting their own lives on the line, proving that abafazi banamandla.
‘These women will be remembered for their resilience during the most challenging time in our history. Their selfless dedication has enabled the City of Cape Town to uphold its commitment to be a safe city. Women from several City departments had the most difficult task of keeping our communities safe, and ensuring that basic essential service delivery continued despite unfavourable circumstances. There have been instances where, as a result of the pandemic, these heroic women have also lost loved ones, family members, friends, as well as colleagues, but through it all, they demonstrated tremendous emotional strength. They mourned while remaining committed to the tasks and responsibilities assigned to them,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Corporate Services, Councillor Sharon Cottle.
The City strives to create an institutional culture where all talent can thrive and as a caring employer, acknowledges the additional strain Covid-19 has put on women and has responded accordingly by providing:
- Continuous fact sheets about the virus
- Information on preventative measures to keep safe
- Information about Occupational Health Services protocols and guidelines
- Opportunity to work from home for all staff where operationally possible. This is beneficial for women, who are still tasked with caring responsibilities, child rearing, etc. at home. The work from home opportunity also allows women with new born babies to care for the baby while working from home
- Counselling services for permanent and temporary staff who have suffered emotional stress. This service was extended to include family members who are registered as beneficiaries.
The City has also increased the pool of women representation across all occupational levels in its staff complement and has exceeded its targets for both January and February 2021, as detailed below:
Current target is 39,71% = 11 706
Achievement: January was 39,84% = 11 718
Achievement: February was 39,96% = 11 780
The statistics show a steady increase in the number of women in its staff complement with an increase of 480 over six months from August 2020 to February 2021.
The above speaks to the City’s commitment to creating a compelling employee value proposition that will help position the City as the ‘best employer’.
Furthermore, The various Women in Leadership Directorate Chapters must be commended for all their efforts to continually create platforms to encourage and inspire women. This form of peer support is priceless as the Chapter Convenors volunteer their time to schedule the sessions and to source motivational keynote speakers to enhance personal growth.
‘The City is an inclusive city and one of our key objectives is to see women included in the economy and enjoying the same benefits and treatment as their male counterparts. We realise that a lot still needs to be done to see women enjoying equal representation, but we celebrate every stride towards this goal,’ said Councillor Cottle.
End
Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
