Francistown is the second largest city in Botswana, with a population of about 100,079 and 150,800 inhabitants
for its agglomeration at the 2011 census and often described as the "Capital of the North." It is located in eastern Botswana, about 400 kilometres (250 mi) north-northeast from the capital, Gaborone. Francistown is located at the confluence of the Tati and Inchwe rivers, and near the Shashe River (tributary to the Limpopo) and 90 kilometres from the international border with Zimbabwe. Francistown was the centre of southern Africa's first gold rush and is still surrounded by old and abandoned mines. The City of Francistown is an administrative district, separated from North-East District. It is administered by City of Francistown CouncilThe city council has recently developed its first Gender Action Plan in line with the Post 2015 SADC Gender Protocol, SDGs and the National Gender Policy. It is due for presentation at the next Full council. The council’s gender champion Hon. Councillor Badubi Lekang is a calm and passionate gender activist. The council has a gender committee, which comprises of the gender champion, women’s commissioner and gender focal persons Mrs Natasha Maphane. The committee was trained on advancing gender mainstreaming and meets on a monthly basis. It regularly provides updates to the DTC (Human Resources and Administration). The committee also collaborates with gender affairs and the other NGOs.The percentage of women’s representation in the city of Francistown council is still very low .It currently stands 24% out of a total of 25 persons and the Action Plan is expected to bridge the gap. Men and women are accorded the same opportunity to occupy influential positions and currently women hold the positions of city mayor, committee chairperson and heads of departments, which is about 33.3 %of management positions out of a total of 18. The ward development committees and Kgosi form the fundamental base for community participation in council consultations and decision-making. Women make up about 72 % of the WDC from 25 persons. The COFC continue to sensitise its employees about the gender agenda and socials services legislations, in fact, it recently held its first Anti-GBV panel discussion for 150 of its employees.The council hosts quarterly panel discussions on GBV. The staffs are also addressed on such issues at their departmental since departmental gender focal person are always given slots to present the gender agenda during general staff meetings. The council management is supportive of the gender agenda and gender mainstreaming in the workplace.
There council’s entrepreneurship finance scheme is the poverty eradication programme, which has 513 beneficiaries thus far. From this number 446 are women. 45 women were deliberately awarded a tender to supply bread to all primary schools. The council recently hosted an orphan’s caregivers’ workshop to capacitate them on positive parenting. The council has held a workshop for employees on gender related issues, and others for the community and embarked on a cancer awareness campaign.City of Francistown Council gender budget for the 2017 to 2018.
Category
Budget 2017
Budget 2018
Resources allocated to promoting gender equality in decision-making and public participation
$0
$0
Resources allocated to promoting gender equality/family friendly/ youth and disability friendly policies and practices
$0
$0
Resources allocated to gender-responsive local economic development
$0
$0
Resources allocated to promoting gender/youth/PWD responsive projects on climate change
$0
$0
The Francistown council has no budget specifically set aside for gender activities but it is not because the council management does not support the committee but is due to the fact that the committee is yet to forward its budgetary needs to management. The council has learnt that teamwork, collaboration and networking are important in pushing the gender agenda. Furthermore, that it is crucial to lobby key stakeholders.To sustain any efforts towards gender mainstreaming full time officers should be appointed and there should be a budget solely for gender activities. City of Francistown is part of the Sunrise CampaignClick here to read more about the City of Francistown Council
