Sanqebethu Community Council COE

Sanqebethu is a community council situated in the Mokhotlong District of Lesotho, based around the village of Malefiloane. Nestled in the high‑altitude Drakensberg range, the area is predominantly rural, with a population of approximately 10,237. Like many parts of Mokhotlong, Sanqebethu faces infrastructure challenges, limited economic opportunities, and a strong reliance on agriculture and small‑scale livelihoods.

The governing body for this community is the Sanqebethu Community Council, which has been recognized as a Centre of Excellence (COE) under the Gender Links SADC Gender Protocol@Work programme. Since joining the COE initiative in 2010, the council has made significant strides in gender mainstreaming: for example, it went from a baseline score of 37 to 83 on the Gender Links scorecard. The council comprises 15 councillors — 8 men and 7 women — and has formal policies in place promoting work–life balance, such as paid maternity leave and flexible work arrangements. It also allocates a portion of its budget specifically to gender-responsive development, funding projects in public health (including SRHR), economic empowerment, and community participation in climate resilience.