Summit 2017-Mohlakeng Council COE

Entry 13279

Mohlakeng council is found in the Maseru district, but in Mazenod area just along the main road to the Moshoeshoe 1 Airport.The council has gender action plan that incorporates the Post 2015 SADC Gender Protocol and It is well known and has a high profile champion within the council. There are 14 members and four are only women. The council also has three committees of which one is chaired by a woman.Women are always included when deciding on issues of council  even some small projects handled in the council most times women are given first priority to head them. Between 26%-50% women and youth participate in public gathering and take part in decision making.The top management officers being council secretary and Assistant administration Officer are both women. Also the technical officers being physical planner and accounts clerk are both women.The council gives three months paid maternity leave for women and after the maternity leave there is also a provision of three months of nursing hours when the mother has come back to work. The council does not have sexual harassment policy, but cases of such are dealt at the police stations. The council is well accessible to people and is disability friendly user.Mohlakeng Community Council allocated a substantial budget to gender-related projects for the 2017to 2018.

Category	Budget 2017	Budget 2018
Resources allocated to promoting gender equality in decision-making and public participation	$5 000	$5 000
Resources allocated to promoting gender equality/family friendly/ youth and disability friendly policies and practices	$10 000	$25 000
Resources allocated to gender-responsive local economic development	$12 556	$17 439
Resources allocated to promoting gender/youth/PWD responsive projects on climate change	$88 731	$88 731

The council has designed market places and at least 90% of stands allocated to women, PWD and youth. Through the assistance of Caritas and Social Development the council scoped finance schemes that benefits both women and men. There is also existence of finance scheme linked to council through World Vision that benefit women, men, people living with disability, and youth and more than 25 people had benefited.In terms of climate change and sustainable development the council is working with the Ministry of forestry and 62 women had benefited from jobs created; they were working on catchments and range management.The council worked with the Rural water supply and have built 15 pit latrines and six hand pumps.Click here to read more about the Mohlakeng Community Council.