Summit 2017- Qanya Council COE

Qanya community council is located in Ha Sekake village in the Qacha’s Nek district.

The council has Gender Action Plan that incorporates the Post 2015 SADC Gender Protocol, SDGs and other relevant targets. There are 26 councillors; 11 are women and 15 men. Both the chairperson and deputy of the council are men; and within the three committees in the council only one led by a woman.

Total workforce of the council is 11, five women and six men, but the two top managers are women. Women participate fully in the council meetings and influence most of the decisions.Youth and PWD get involve in public gatherings as attendance and participation, the decision taken are joint.

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.

The 2017/2018 gender budget allocations for Qanya Community Council.

There are many community based organisations that help people living with HIV/AIDS and disability. In every electoral division there is at least one organisation most of which are dominated by women. E.g. We have an organisation called thuso e teng at Sekake which helps orphans and people living with HIV.

With the help of GIZ youths have access to free internet and they have their committee that coordinate all youths throughout the district, they also have access to small library where they regularly go to access information that they need. The internet and library are found at Qacha`s Nek camp.

They have equal access because we have VHW in every village who ensure that all people receive treatment regardless to their condition, if the person cannot reach out to the clinic the VHW makes sure that he/she collects the treatment for the person from the local clinic. When a person does not have enough money to go to the nearby hospital he/she is taken by the local emergency vehicle at the expense of the health ministry.

Youths are being taught to practise farming that is more appropriate to the climate change. Waste management project is in progress, where by the council is constructing dumping sides to reduce environmental pollution.

For Land and housing 30% of land allocated is owned by women while 20% is owned by men and the remaining 50% is owned by married couples. Also Every village has water committee where they elect some member to form an electoral water committee;12 pipes were repaired.

Click here to read more about the Qanya Community Council.