Summit 2016: Chobe District Council

Chobe District is renowned for its tourism as it is home to the famous Chobe National Park and located in the Kasane village northern part of Botswana. Life in the district ranges from a modern to traditional lifestyle in most of the villages, where arable and pastoral farming are more evident.

The council has put in place a number of gender-related policies to guide its work. The district council is made of 10 male councillors and 1 female councillor. The council aims to increase its percentage of female councillors from 9%. The Mayor, as well as the Deputy Mayor of the council are males.

The council consist of twenty committees of which are chaired by men. There are more men than women in their Workforce of the council.

Young people, people with disabilities (PWD) and community members participate in community-based planning projects and meetings. Between 76 and 100 percent, women participate in public consultations.

The total workforce of the council employees consist of 46 percent women, and 22 percent youth. Women are only 5 of management. The accounting and revenue officers are women. The recruitment, selection and promotion policies are put in place to make sure that women, men, people living with disability, and youth are employed in equal numbers across jobs, grades and in management positions and are equally remunerated for equal work. There is an affirmative action policy for ensuring 50 percent by 2030. The Council amended the recruitment, selection and promotion policies to increase the proportion of women in the workforce.

There are provisions for maternity leave but none for paternity leave. The council does not have a sexual harassment policy put in place, but have taken a measure to draft the policy of sexual harassment headed by the Gender Committee to curb such.

Chobe District Council allocates a substantial budget to gender-related projects, these amounts has stood at the same level from 2015 to 2016.

As part of the of the Council’s local economic development plan, the council has market stalls and 3 of them have been allocated to PWDs,2 to youth and 3 to women who are small restaurants,1 for sewing. The PWDs does upholstery and shoe making. Currently new stall were opened in 2017 and 4 were allocated to youth and the PWDs are exempted from paying rent. This forms 87.5% as there are 8 stalls and 7 given to the marginalized groups. There are 781 beneficiaries benefiting from jobs created by the council, 400 women and 381 men.

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