Summit 2017- Lilala Council COE

Lilala Council is situated in a rural area called Rothe in the Maseru district. It has Joined COE in 2015 as the 4th Council in the Maseru district and has completed all the stages  and managed to developed the council gender action plan.

The  gender action plan incorporates the Post 2015 SADC Gender Protocol and It is well known and has a high profile champion within the council that is also well represented at the district council and such person is a woman. There are 15 members and five are only women. The council also has three committees of which two are chaired by women.

In decision making women are always included even some small projects handled in the council most times women are given first priority to head them. Between 26%-50% women and youth participate in public gathering and take part in decision making. Community meetings and sittings are open to everyone and for discussions.

The council has three men, Five women, 4 youth and one disability as their staff. The top management officers being council secretary and Assistant administration Officer both women. Also the technical officers being physical planner and accounts clerk are both women.

The council gives three months paid maternity leave for women and after the maternity leave there is also a provision of three months of nursing hours when the mother has come back to work. The council does not have sexual harassment policy, but cases of such are dealt at the police stations. The council is well accessible to people and is disability friendly user.

Lilala Community Council allocated a substantial budget to gender-related projects for the 2017 to 2018.

The council has made sure that market places designed and at least 85% of stands allocated to women, PWD and youth. Through the assistance of Caritas, Social Development, and World Vision the council scoped finance schemes that benefits both women and men. There is also existence of finance scheme linked to council through World Vision that benefit women, men, people living with disability, and youth and more than 30 people had benefited.

In terms of climate change and sustainable development the council is working with the Ministry of forestry and 200 people had benefited from jobs created of which 92 were; where they were working on catchments and range management.

The council worked with the Rural water supply and have built 12 pit latrines and six hand pumps.

Since the council is situated in a rural area where there is lack of roads, the support groups together with the council arranged for mobile clinics and now people are no longer travelling long distances to find health services.

Click here to read more about the Lilala Community Council.