Summit 2017-Berea Urban Council COE

Berea Urban council is found in the Berea district that comprises population of    25 149 approximately. Teyateyaneng is the capital of the district.

The council has 14 members which 10 are men and 4 are women, but that doesn’t stop the council from working hard to mainstream gender in their work. There is not much progress made as the action plan has just been reviewed by the council.

The council is chaired and deputized by a man.The council has three committees of which one lead by a woman. People living with disabilities (PWD) and youth contribute in council work by working for their livelihood through projects which improve their lives; they do the tree planting forest and fruit trees, bee keeping and husbandry.

The council engages with community members when they are jobs available at the council and all are represented.

The council also have family responsibility days where employees are allowed to their children or family members for check-ups or attend to any family activities

There are provisions for maternity where women who are going to give birth are given three months paid leave, but there is nothing for paternity leave. The council does have a sexual harassment policy. Cases of sexual harassment are reported to the police. Disability-friendly facilities are available at the council.

Berea urban council budget to gender-related projects from 2017 to 2018.

The council makes sure that both men and women get equal opportunities to markets where they can sell their different products. The council also is one of the councils that is part of Gender Links Entrepreneurship programme where they are mentoring those emerging entrepreneurs within their council.

Even though they are no arrangements with external sources of finance to promote access to finance for local entrepreneurs the council is working very hard to see that people get the opportunities council provide for example 140 people were hired by council of which 40 were women, 30 Youth, 10 PWD and 60 men.

The Council is also aware of climate change and its differential effects on women, men, PWD and youth and are consulted equally on measures to be taken; The planting of both forest and fruit trees and erection of dams and training in environmental protection and protection of water springs.

Communities are encouraged to apply for land for agricultural purposes and tree planting in which people projects are subsidised by the central government; for example Forestry department is giving out trees for those who have accessed land and those with fields for crop production work in partnership with government to produce crops and communities share equally the harvest.

Click here to read more about the Berea Urban Council.