City women thrive in male dominated careers
12 August 2021
This Women’s month, the City of Cape Town’s Recreation and Parks Department pays tribute to the 792 women in their employ, recognising the many areas of expertise required to succeed.
‘This month gives us an opportunity to highlight the achievements of women who are making their mark in service delivery, furthering the cause for gender equality and fair recognition of women excelling in their careers. The women in the Recreation and Parks Department boast skillsets often still perceived to be male competencies, but they are slowly turning the tide,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
Principal Facility Officer, Donna Abrahams
Donna has been in this position in Blue Downs since 2017 and is paving the way for inclusivity and female management in sport. She is also an accomplished athlete and currently coaches gymnastics.
As a congenital amputee, having been born without her right hand, Donna was frustrated about being excluded from most physical activities, especially sport. This motivated her to find ways to get involved and show others that she is not only able to participate, but can be a leader in sport and recreation.
‘I would like to see more women participating in sport as it can be a wonderful tool to develop young girls holistically. I joined the City as a volunteer and have worked my way up to facility operations. This allows me to interact with a lot more people and do more for the community. Having a career in a field where no one expected me to excel makes me want to achieve even more and has changed my outlook on life,’ said Donna.
‘I would like to encourage women to strive for greatness and follow their dreams. Don’t ever think that you will never get there. I did and I am still learning every day. Being a woman living with a disability, I’ve had to fight much harder to prove myself to society. Know that one day someone will hear about your journey and will be inspired.’
Superintendent Neliswa Hamana
Neliswa is planting seeds of hope, and as a superintendent, she is knowledgeable about how to maintain the environment, managing people with various levels of education and skills and being organised with strong administrative competencies.
Neliswa has worked for the South African National Biodiversity Institute and West Coast National Park before joining the City. The experience has served her well in building a reputable career over nine years in the Recreation and Parks Department. She is based in Ndabeni and her day-to-day duties include overseeing operational planning, monitoring teams and operational resources such as heavy machinery, tools and herbicides, responding to public enquiries, conducting investigations and managing stakeholders.
‘My love of nature makes this my purpose and not just a job. My career has been an eye opener about the reality of environmental issues affecting the communities where we live. It is important to be a leader who is innovative in managing environmental challenges with the limited resources that we have. Women have the innate ability to make the most of the little that we have, so I encourage everyone to believe in themselves and know that nothing can stop you from achieving your dreams,’ said Neliswa.
Senior Beach Lifeguard, Jeanne Topliss
Jeanne is a competitive sportswoman, experienced lifeguard and an open-water swimmer, permanently employed at the City.
Her career was inspired by her children who wanted to volunteer as lifeguards. She felt that she needed to understand the process better and researched how to qualify for a lifeguard award or certification. In 2005, she attained hers as part of the Fish Hoek Lifesaving Club.
Today, Jeanne boasts over a decade of experience, managing other professional lifeguards at Danger Beach, Clovelly, Fish Hoek and Glencairn, as part of Lifesaving Western Province for six years and then as a City employee from November 2018.
‘I believe in community service. Lifesaving is a family passion and we see it as a way to give back to our community. Personally, I enjoy a challenge and motivate myself to get back up no matter how difficult the season or how many times you fall,’ said Jeanne.
Even though last season the ratio of female to male lifeguards was 1:4, Jeanne isn’t intimidated and encourages more women to apply and be ready to pass the gruelling assessments.
‘Women are making strides at all levels of the department and while we’ve only highlighted a few, they are breaking new ground and are leaders in their fields,’ said Councillor Badroodien.
End
Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
