Jacqui Gooch addresses participants at the Women in Construction Summit.

The Department of Transport and Public Works hosted a "Women in Construction" Summit at the well-known Cape Town International Convention Centre to develop a policy that will accelerate and ensure sustainable participation of women in the construction industry. Six companies which are 100% women owned have already been awarded public works contracts worth over a million rand.

During his keynote adress, Minister Marius Fransman said that contracts worth at least R112 million would be earmarked for women in the road construction and public works industries. "We are also focusing on empowering processes in the property industry, where agencies have been contacted for training and mentoring purposes." National Minister for Public Works Thoko Didiza also urged men to assist women by forming partnerships with women to build capacity and create opportunities.

Minister Fransman emphasised the drive to change the face of the construction industry in the Western Cape. "With this summit we strive for engagement from all women, including women in rural and metro areas. We are bringing our policies to the table and finally we will produce a statement which will provide direction towards making women part of the broad infrastructural development process," he said.

The Western Cape's infrastructural development will include rural road networks, harbours and airports, access roads into Cape Town as well as housing and property development. The 2-day summit drew participation from very prominent ladies including the country's property icon, Pam Golding.