At the coalface: gender and local government.

A growing number of Southern African countries from different political and electoral backgrounds have shown that gender parity can be achieved in local government, and there is no longer any excuse for any country in the region not to achieve this goal. However, if women are to make a difference in this sphere of decision-making--the "coalface" of service delivery--far more needs to be done to strengthen local government and to integrate gender considerations into its work.

These are the key findings of a new study on gender and local government in Southern Africa, published by Gender Links, a Southern African NGO that specialises in gender, governance and the media. The study included interviews with 478 councillors in four Southern African countries: Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Mauritius. Highlighting the range in women's representation in local government from 1.2 percent in Angola to 58 percent in Lesotho, the study notes that most often governments have taken measures to increase women's representation at the local level rather than at the national level. This seems to result from the unfortunate view that local government is not a serious sphere of politics, rather than because of a commitment to deepening democracy through decentralisation and the equal participation of women.

On the other hand, in instances where governments have been reluctant to force the pace of change, women's representation is lower at local than at national level because the forces of culture, tradition and religion tend to be more concentrated at this level than at national level.

Through personal accounts, case studies and quantitative data gathered through questionnaires, the study explores the many barriers to women's effective participation at local level. These are reflected in the 41 council meetings observed, where researchers found not a single instance in which women participated in meetings in proportion to their strengths in such meetings.

However, there was greater participation of women when they comprised half or more of the participants; a strong argument for raising the target for women in decision-making from 30 to 50 percent. Women also participated more in meetings led by women, underscoring the importance of women occupying leadership positions such as mayors, chairpersons, deputy mayors and speakers.

While the study found that there are still men in local government who openly oppose gender equality, there are also several examples of men who have become champions of women's empowerment and gender equality as an important yardstick of change.

Not all women councilors believe it is their duty to raise the concerns of other women. However, the overwhelming majority of those interviewed spoke of the obligation they feel towards other women. In the 92 focus group meetings conducted with civil society, female and male constituents, many spoke abut how women councilors are more accessible, hard working and honest. The study cites many ways in which women are making a difference in local government by helping to cut through red tape and providing access to housing, electricity and basic needs.

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But a key conclusion of the report is that unless gender is systematically mainstreamed into the work of local government, increased representation of women at local level may become a case of "jobs for the girls" rather than gender equality for the region. The study highlights the absence of such strategies at local level, with the result that efforts to ensure that women and men benefit equally are piecemeal and often driven by a few individuals rather than by institutions and systems.

Drawing from the work of Gender Links with the City of Johannesburg that developed a Women Development Strategy including a plan for mainstreaming gender into Soccer 2010, the study recommends that all countries and councils in the region begin to look at how local government can become a motor for achieving gender equality where it matters most: in our communities.

Edited by Colleen Lowe Morna and Susan Tolmay