AROAB VILLAGE COUNCIL PATH TO GENDER MAINSTREAMING

Aroab Village Council is situated 172 kilometres south-east of Keetmanshoop in the Karas Region. The council (3 male and 2 female) and staff members (14 male and 9 female) serves a population of at least 5 300 residents. It is one of Gender Linkâ € ™s seven Centres of Excellence for Gender Mainstreaming in Namibia, and has completed all stages of the CoE process. In 2012, the Aroab Village council participated in the first National Gender Summit and won the Award of CoE for Local Government. In 2013 the council participated in the Regional and National Summit. Council achieve two winning prices on Regional level for CoE and Housing project. The village council previously had a big challenge of informal settlements and unemployment. With very little economic activity, the council was left to provide for almost all residents, and at the same time sustain itself. Thus the council applied for the social housing scheme, which is the governmentâ € ™s effort to facilitate the initiatives of communities, church organisations, youth, community based organisations, non-governmental institutions, trade unions, womenâ € ™s organisation and private sector organisations to assist families to break the cycle of poverty. Council succeed to relocate all families from the informal Settlement over the last 3 years of which the last were relocated in October 2013.The council also have a gender action plan that was compiled with the assistance of Gender Links Namibia. The council has a draft Gender Policy in place as well as a Gender Committee. In general, the councilâ € ™s leadership is gender aware and the CoE process has been upheld. This is evident in the recent brickmaking project that saw most women being contracted to make the bricks for the social housing project that is currently in phase two of the building of houses. In 2013 the tenders for the painting of the Social Houses were given to local women. This in itself is economic empowerment of rural women.The social housing interventions for formerly destitute residents now has brick houses that are part of the village formal structure i.e. the houses are arranged in streets.Willem and Katrina Rooi, who has benefitted from the social housing scheme and shares it with 4 of her dependants said, â € œI am happy to have a house, a place of safety, a place with running water and electricity and sewerage.â €  Geraldine Rooi and Katrina Christiaans who is running their small business from the SME market, says, â € œHaving a place to sell from has provided them with an income and their small business has grownâ € . The SME market has 80% female vendors , while the social housing scheme has benefitted mostly women.Council has a few Local Economic projects (brickmaking,sme stalls,self catering units and transport) in place that contribute to the financial sustainability of the council. In the financial year 2012/2013 the Council upgraded the Camping Site to promote tourist attraction/accommodation in our Town. The Council bought 30 cattle to boost our Farming Project for income generation. We put up a sun pump to enhance