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 Swaziland

Council	About the council	Stages
Mbabane City Council	The Municipal Council of Mbabane is committed to building an organization devoid of gender discrimination, guaranteeing equal access to political, social and economic wealth creation opportunities for women and men; and also developing a culture that places premium on the protection of all including children. Council believes that promoting gender equality is now globally accepted as a development strategy for reducing poverty levels among women and men, improving health and living standards and enhancing efficiency of public investments. The attainment of gender equality is not only seen as an end in itself and human rights issue, but as a prerequisite for the achievement of sustainable development.
Ngwenya Town Board	Ngwenya Town Board has shown a  strong indication that shows there is a desire for the municipality to establish a comprehensive plan that can be used to address equity imbalances in an integrated manner
Manzini City Council	Manzini City Council has no gender policy in place.  A stage three council level workshop was done and the participants developed the council’s gender based violence action plan.	Stage III council level workshop
Piggs Peak Town Council	The council is involved in gender specific programmes that are done through the wing of AMICAALL. These include activities such as Commemoration of the Day of the African Child, 16 Days of Activism against GBV etc. The town also has committees in place to address issues of crime and gender issues amongst others such as Child Protection Committees, Community police etc. The town through AMICAALL and World Vision offers Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) in three social centres. These ECCD centres service the six communities / wards in Pigg’s Peak. The main beneficiaries are orphaned and vulnerable children between the ages of 3-6 years. Enrolment fluctuates but currently stands at 54 children. This information is disaggregated according to age and sex.
Vuvulane Town Board	This council is committed in practical and strategic needs of the society by practicing social centre activities. The town opened a soup kitchen and a garden. The social centre caters for OVCs who are taken care of by volunteers.  The Board encourages the involvement of  both male and female in the voluntary work at the centre.
Siteki Town Council	AMICAALL is a Council wing that deals with gender specific programmes in Siteki. These include activities such as Commemoration of the day of the African Child, conversations on issues on HIV/AIDs at workplace, communities, schools and out of school youth. The town also have child friendly social centres for ECCD and feeding, where psychosocial support services are rendered to both OVC and other children.
Nhlangano Town Council
Matsapha Town Board	Matsapha Town Board is situated in the Manzini Region in the Industrial area of Swaziland.	Stage one was done successfully.
Mankayane Town Board	The district is nestled between Gaborone City and South East District Councils in the South, Kweneng District Council in the west and Central District on the North and linked to the north and south by the Botswanas main A1 road. A gender workshop was held in the council in 2010 and the council has been active in implementing its gender action plan. As a result, Kgatleng District Council was selected to participate at the Gender Justice and Local Government Summit in Johannesburg in 2010 and 2011.
Lavumisa Town Board	Lavumisa is a small town with a population that is manageable. Most people in this town are illiterate and the crime rate is low. The town is faced with some challenges that includes high prevalence poverty rate, no employment opportunities, there is only one local school that is at primary level.  The town is also underdeveloped.

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