The COE concept seeks to ensure that key councils are identified across the region and worked with very closely in their process of getting gender on their council's agenda. The approach also seeks to develop synergy in GL programme work by focusing various projects from our SADC Gender Protocol, governance, media and justice programmes in specific localities.

The councils' progress in Madagascar

Council	About the Council	Stages
Ivato Aeroport	Ivato Aéroport is a Council near the international airport of Antananarivo. After the workshop for the elaboration of the action plan for the fight against violence and by the support of Rahanitrinitsimba Lalao (chair of the counselors), a carnival was organized by the council during the 16 days and on 8 March.	Completed stages I, II and III
Manjakandriana	The urban council of Manjakandriana is located at 47 kilometers from Antananarivo, on the RN2, region of Analamanga. Mrs RAVALORIAKA Eva Robert, has implanted a centre responsible of security in each quarter. These centers receive more than 50 victims of violence everyday.	Completed stages I, II and III
Mahavelona Foulpointe	Foulpointe is a well known touristic council in Madagascar, situated at 50 kilometers from Toamasina. After the collaboration between Gender Links and the council, the latter managed to develop many partnerships with different entities such as the Ministry of Youth and Sport for the creation of infrastructures for young people in order to give them distraction and decrease sexual tourism; with the collaboration with European partners facilitated by the mayor Volahy Gaston Edouard.	Completed stages I and II
CUT	Toamasina is the economical capital of Madagascar. Located at 350 kilometers from Antananarivo, district of Toamasina I, the council is now mainstreaming gender in the council policies. Through the intervention of one of the counselors, Mrs RAZANARAZO Ivonne Arlette, the council has taken responsibilities on sexual violence performed by foreign employees of the Ambatovy project.	Completed stages I and II
Ialananidro	Ialananindro is a new council near the urban council of Fianarantsoa, district of Fianarantsoa II. For the execution of the action plan on Gender, the mayor, Mrs RASOAMANANDRAY Vololoniaina Jeannette has taken into account gender matter in the recruitment of the personal.	Completed stages I, II and III
CUA	Antananarivo is the capital of Madagascar, in Analamanaga region. Due to the present political situation in the country, the council could not establish an action plan focused on gender. However, the staff of the council represented by Mr Haja RATSIMANDRESY is in continual contact with the representative of Gender Links in Madagascar and the council is now ready to follow the collaboration between the two entities.	Completed stages I and II
Andoharanomaintso	Andoharanomaitso is a rural council situated in the south of Fianarantsoa. Thanks to the initiative of Mrs Razanadrakoto, chair of the counselors in the council, many women benefited from the different trainings (on bee breeding, hen breeding…) targeted to empower women in the council.	Completed stages I, II and III
Antanamitarana	The rural council of Antanamitarana is integrated in the region of Diana, District of Antsiranana II. This council has a gender champion as mayor: Amina. This woman has contributed greatly in the fight for gender justice especially in the bleak treatments of Muslim women in her locality. Thanks to the work of this woman supported by her staff, the population of this council received many infrastructures such as construction of bridges, adduction of drinking water… The council has already established partnership with Gender Links and is carrying out its action plan on gender and GBV.	Completed stages I, II, III and IV
Anjinjaomby	Anjinjaomby is a rural council in the region of SAVA, 30 kilometers in the south of Sambava. Through the mayor, Mrs BEANARANA Jeanne Ursela, the action plan established together by Gender Links and the council is now being well executed such as road infrastructures, construction of schools and physical and moral support of women victims of violence.	Completed stages I, II, III and IV

Stages in the process are:
Stage I: Meetings with management teams and political heads of councils
Stage II: Situational Analysis
Stage III: Council level policy and implementation workshops
Stage IV: Community mobilisation village level meetings on the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development
Stage V: Capacity building through on the job training: Modules include: Gender, elections and the media, Making IT and the media work for you, Campaigns, Communication
Stage VI: Application of skills in the running of major campaigns, e.g. 365 Days of Action to End Gender Based Violence