Summit 2018: Okavango Sub District Council

The Okavango Delta (or Okavango Grassland) (formerly spelled “Okovango” or “Okovanggo”) in Botswana is a very large, swampy inland delta formed where the Okavango River reaches a tectonic trough in the central part of the endorheic basin of the Kalahari. All the water reaching the delta is ultimately evaporated and transpired, and does not flow into any sea or ocean. Some floodwaters drain into Lake Ngami The area was once part of Lake Makgadikgadi, an ancient lake that mostly dried up by the early Holocene.

Gumare is the administrative headquarters for the Okavango Delta Sub district, which has its own set of administrative institutions. Okavango’s administrative boundary starts at Habu, including Qangwa and Xaixai up to Gudigwa. Its political boundary starts from Etsha 1 up to Gudigwa and this is different from education and agriculture. There are twenty-seven villages in the Okavango Sub-district, although the 2011 census only enumerates six.

The council has a gender policy and action plan that incorporates the Post 2015 SADC Gender Protocol, which has a high profile champion within the council. The action plan is known at the management level and has high profile champion within the council who is the Honorable council chairperson Honorable K Mbahahauka. The council’s gender champion is Ms Beauty.

There is gender committee comprising of 8 member of which are 3 women and 5 are men. Three of this are councilors. The average number of men employed by council in Okavango Sub District council is 242 whereas women is 227, which sums up to 469. Total monthly earnings of men is 945027 whilst women its 106 1681. Moreso, the number of management results in men being 15 whilst women being 4.Women  are 48.4 representation in the council

Market stalls have been allocated 33% to both men and women. Council has a poverty eradication programme that assist men, women, PWD and youth. The council arranged with American Embassy to finance a project for a group of PWD and they were equipped with skills to start their own business. Women, PWD and youth had access to LED opportunities, which enabled them to supply bread to primary schools.

In its efforts towards ending violence the council has erected streetlights. It holds kgotla meetings to address the community on issues of gender and gender based violence .The council does bush clearing. The council organized 16 days sponsored walk and its main aim was to lure the majority to address the issue of Gender based violence.

To raise public awareness the council has also undertaken the UN’s campaign on 60 minutes with children. It has also held commemorations for the Day of the African Child. Additional efforts to end violence include referring victims of GBV to the police and other institutions like shelters .The council furthermore provides psychosocial support to survivors and provides trainings and financing for projects. The council is currently running the sunrise campaign.

Okavango Sub District Council gender budget for the 2017 to 2018.

Under climate change and sustainable development, both men and women are involved in waste management projects and the council has a donkey cart waste collection project. The council engages labour force through Ipelegeng programme where 15522 of beneficiaries are women and within this number, there are people living with disability.

For sustainability COE, objectives need to be incorporated into the overall strategic plan of the council. There should be a permanent post solely to coordinate, monitor and evaluate mainstreaming.  Bench marking from other districts should be carried out and the council should strive and seek out best practices by collaborating and networking.

Click here to read more about the Okavango Sub district Council