Summit 2017-Mazenod Council COE

Mazenod community council is located in the Maseru District Lesotho. The population is 20,533. It is located to the southeast of the capital Maseru. Points of interest include Moshoeshoe I International Airport, Lesotho’s only international airport.

The council has gender action plan that incorporates the Post 2015 SADC Gender Protocol, SDGs and other relevant targets, It is also known and has a high profile champion within the council that also represent the council in the district. There are 11 council members; eight men and three women. The council has four committees and only one chaired by woman.

The women, people living with the disability (PWD) and youth participate in public gathering; from 76%-100%.All the decisions taken women are part of them and take fully responsibility.

The council has six employees three are women while the other three are men.

There is a provision of three months maternity leave and nursing hours for another three months after the maternity. The council does not have sexually harassment policy, but cases are reported at the police station. The council situated in a place where is accessible to everybody and facilities are disability free.

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

In Terms of local economic development the council is in talks with other institutions as to see if it can be possible to train women on business skills and also assist on start-up capital. The council was able to review the gender action plan where lots of issues were discussed and there was a clear way forward on how to implement them.

There are 3 catchments and solid waste management projects within the council. And the council keeps sex disaggregated data of land allocations for council & community beneficiaries. The total number of women allocated land is 1200 while men are 3140.

There are water committees that give women and youth equal opportunity of engaging in their work rather than travelling long distance to fetch water. Again women and youth no longer become victims of rape due to reduced distance between home and taps and 12 water pumps were built and six renovated bore holes.

The council had organised trainings for the support groups and village health workers; 35 support groups, and both women and men are involved.

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