Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille will address finalists and attendees of the Empowerment and Recognition of Women in Construction (Erwic) Awards on August 26.

The awards will recognise ten construction entities for their role in developing women in the industry.

Besides others, the entities comprise women-owned companies, companies that have contributed to the mentorship of women, youth-women-owned entities and individuals who have contributed to the upliftment of women in the industry.

Having received a high calibre of award entries in recent weeks, the ceremony is set to showcase female excellence and encourage others into this sector, enthuses the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB).

As with many technical and engineering industries, the built environment sector still has much progress to make on the road to gender parity. While the nature of the construction industry has changed in recent years and women on site are no longer an unfamiliar scene, the CIDB acknowledges that women in the industry should be further encouraged and promoted.

Opening the hybrid virtual-physical awards ceremony on Wednesday, De Lille will address finalists and attendees.

“As a woman in a male-dominated field, De Lille is sure to have valuable personal experience and professional advice to share about how to reach for success through the noise of gender stereotyping, inherent biases and the status quo,” the organisation notes.

Also scheduled to speak at the event is CIDB CEO Cyril Vuyani Gamede and CIDB chairperson Nonkululeko Sindane.

INCREASING OPPORTUNITIES

The construction sector is entering an exciting time which will offer more opportunities for women-owned entities to showcase their abilities in rising to South Africa’s infrastructure problems, acclaims the CIDB.

It notes that this includes Infrastructure South Africa, an entity of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, having entered into a memorandum of agreement with National Treasury and the Development Bank of Southern Africa for a R100-billion Infrastructure Fund.

Further, the recently gazetted list of 50 Strategic Integrated Projects and 12 Special Projects is good news to a sector in need of development, says the organisation.

“Historically, just 20% of government construction tenders are awarded to female-owned entities. With infrastructure development being hailed as a key to economic development, the hope is that with more projects on the horizon, substantial business development is within reach for women-owned entities. This poses the potential to aid in job creation and economic reform in South Africa,” says the CIDB.