Summit 2016-Maisa Phoka Council COE

Maisa-Phoka is a community council that is situated in Leribe District of Lesotho. This council joined the Centers of Excellence (COE) in 2015 and has completed the 10 COE stages of the programme.

With progress to implementing gender policies, there is not much that has been made since the action plan has just been reviewed. The council has eight male councillors and 5 female councillors. The council’s Deputy Mayor is a female.

The council has three committees, of which one committee is being chaired by a woman. There are no representatives of youth and people living with disabilities (PWD). There are more men than women in the council and there is no Junior Council.

Women, PWD and youth actively participate in the council work. They hold meetings by which they invite stakeholders, traditional healers, youth, men, women and PWD as they want to create a policy on resilience of climate change. Approximately 51%-75% women participate in public consultations.

The council has 40 percent men and 60 percent women employed, with no youth and people living with disability members employed. Women form 67 percent of the council’s management and the council’s secretary is a woman. There has been much progress achieved in this council because more women are involved in decision making.

There are provisions for maternity leave and for paternity leave. Maternity leave is paid for and it goes on for three months while paternity leave lasts for a month. The council does not have a sexual harassment policy. Cases of sexual harassment, if there are any, are reported to the police. Moreover, the council is working closely with the police in ending violence as the police attend gatherings where they educate community about their rights and awareness of gender-based violence (GBV).

There is no budget line to promote gender equality. Therefore Maisa-Phoka Council did not allocate any substantial budget to gender-related projects from 2015 and 2016.

The council, as part of its local economic development plan, has a market designed to help men, women, PWD and Youth in order to improve themselves. These people are divided in stalls. Everyone is given an opportunity. This also assists in increasing the economy of the country.

As part of the family planning campaigns, on the 1^st of November 2016 Ministry of Health in the department of Family Planning had a campaign and the Council was involved. The Ministry addressed men, women, Youth and PWD about maternal care and prevention of STIs HIV/AIDS at all areas. Most importantly people were taught about ways and strategies to plan family.

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