Gauteng Infrastructure Department celebrates women 

By: Tebogo Mokati 

 To mark, the commemoration of International Women's Day, the Department paid homage to women's contribution when they hosted a glittering Women's Day function in honour of all female senior managers on Thursday, 8 of March 2018 at Emoyeni Conference Centre in Parktown, Johannesburg.  Annually the International Women's day is celebrated across the globe in honour of women of all races for their contribution and achievements in their different sphere of influence.   The event was themed:Press for Progress”. This year's event was different because it birthed a new era for GDID women as it was the first gathering of women in the department.  In her opening address, the Deputy Director General for Corporate Services, Masabata Mutlaneng commended the great initiative to celebrate women in the department. Today marks the beginning of a new dawn for women in this office, for the first time in the history of this department we as women have come together to have a conversation on issues affecting us on daily basis in our respective spaces,” said Mutlaneng. Women are sometimes looked down upon for the fact that they are women, they have to work extra hard to prove that they are capable just like their male counterparts. Today I would like to encourage you to voice your concerns and make suggestions on how we as women can work better to bring about equality in our daily operations.”  Mutlaneng also opened the floor to women to address the Head of Department on what they would like to see the department implementing.  In response, Chief Director Legal Service, Cornelia Noxaka expressed that women need to have a conversation on equality in the presence of their male counterparts.  In addition, Chief Director for Human Resource Management, Ms Maggie Thakhuli said it was not enough to have women in leadership.We need to encourage women occupying senior position to transfer skills, knowledge as well as to mentor and groom the junior staff members take over!”  The ladies also requested that the department consider issues ranging from ‘Take the Girl Child to Work' Campaign, the establishment of form women's forums, and the provision of more training and bursaries for women in the technical fields, amongst others.  The Head of department Mr Bethuel Netshiswinzhe thanked women for the valuable role and suggestions. Allow me to say that I feel honoured to be part of a team that is made up of strong and professional women who have shown great strength in this male dominate environment such as ours. Over the years of my working life I have also learnt that women are better leaders due to their listening skills, accessibility, caring for others for other people, willingness to motivate others, and the attention to their own personal growth. It has been proven that the girl child is more open to reading than the boy child”, said Netshiswinzhe.  He also encouraged women to fight against injustice and social ills.I call on women to work together to confront all forms of women abuse in the workplace”.​
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