SANRAL honours women in civil engineering, road construction sector

Issued by SANRAL
Johannesburg, Aug 31, 2017

August marks a crucial milestone in South African history as it is Women's Month. SANRAL today hosted the "I Am Woman" seminar to honour women in the civil and engineering sectors at Diep In Die Berg, in Pretoria.

The event's objective was to contribute towards the national dialogue centred on the empowerment of women in the sector. The importance of women's education as an intrinsic right and critical lever to economic growth was also highlighted.

SANRAL has been running several support programmes focusing on the advancement of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) learning in previously disadvantaged groups, especially women sub-contractors on the agency's national road network.

Female speakers ranging from engineers, subcontractors and academics in the science, technology and engineering fields shared their journeys and experiences in the sector. They also shared wisdom and strategies on how women can advance in their respective fields.

"This event demonstrates SANRAL's commitment to establishing inclusive environments for women - from creating opportunities for young women to become engineers to upskilling women entrepreneurs in the construction and road building sector.

I urge women to engage us on how we can make the industry more accessible to them and to take it further by rising to their full potential," said SANRAL CEO, Skhumbuzo Macozoma, speaking at the event.

Information was shared with female-owned SMEs about SANRAL business opportunities in the new road infrastructure and existing road maintenance.

For SANRAL, the seminar means advancing the cause of women, which is a constant in all the agency's operations.