Summit 2016-Tenesolo Council COE

The Tenesolo community council is about 80 kilometers north of Thaba-Tseka town in Lesotho. The council is the 4th council to join COE in the district of Thaba-Tseka. The council is also part of the 10th councils doing the entrepreneurship program.

The council has put in place a number of gender-related policies to guide its work. The district council consist of 6 male councilors and 16 female councilors. The council aims to expand its percentage of female councilors from 73%. The Mayor of the council is a female, and the Deputy Mayor of the council is a males.

The council consist of 3 committees, two of which are chaired by woman. There are more men employed than women in their Workforce of the council.

Young people, people living with disabilities (PWD) and community members participate in community-based planning projects and meetings. Between 26 and 50 percent, women participate in public consultations.

The total workforce of the council employees consist of 33 percent women, and 80 percent of youth. Women are only three of management. The accounting and revenue officers are women. The Council amended the recruitment, selection and promotion policies to increase the proportion of women in the workforce. The Chairperson for the Finance Committee is the member of the District Council – the Council above all the Community Councils in the district.

There are provisions for maternity and paternity leave. The council does not have a sexual harassment policy. In cases related to Sexual harassment, there are conducted by the Disciplinary Hearing Committee established within the council.

The Tenesolo Community Council allocates a substantial budget to gender-related projects; these amounts have increased from 2015 to 2016.

As part of the of the Council’s local economic development plan, most of the market stalls that the Council has have been allocated to the women. There are 50 beneficiaries benefiting from jobs created by the council, 10 women and 40 men.

Women, men, PWD, and youth are involved in the planning, management, and maintenance of water and sanitation. There is a total of 30 water and sanitation committees. There is 13 women and 17 men on the committees, one of which is chaired by a woman.

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