SHARE:
Tsana Talana Community Council is found at the lowlands of the country, about 20km from the district of Mafeteng town and 70km from the capital city of Lesotho.
The council has Gender Action Plan that incorporates the Post 2015 SADC Gender Protocol, SDGs and other relevant targets. Councillors are more aware and understand gender issues better and they make sure that in every activity there is equal representation of men and women including people with disabilities. Women have now been appointed into management positions. The council has 14 councillors and six are women which are very proactive and responsive. Within the three committees council have the two are chaired by women.
Total workforce of the council is 10, six women which four are the top managers. They influence all the decisions of the council.Youth and PWD get involve in public gatherings as attendance and participation, the decision taken are joint.Between 75%-100% of women participate at the community dialogues.
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 Tsana Talana Community Council.
Category | Budget 2017 | Budget 2018 |
Resources allocated to promoting gender equality in decision-making and public participation | $10 000 | $10 000 |
Resources allocated to promoting gender equality/family friendly/ youth and disability friendly policies and practices | $10 000 | $10 000 |
Resources allocated to gender-responsive local economic development | $50 000 | $50 000 |
Resources allocated to promoting gender/youth/PWD responsive projects on climate change | 70 000 | $70 000 |
In terms of local economic develop the council has allocated space at the main road where it is very busy for people to sell their staff. Also the council trains emerging entrepreneurs on business skills through Gender Links whereby they are being capacitated with new knowledge and also what is happening in business world.
The council also works with other private organisations to see that those women are given financial schemes as to assist them to start their own business. The council also has climate change projects that people especially women benefit from, for example women coming together and making hats, shoes with used plastics and linked to the waste management project within the council.
For infrastructure; Land and housing almost 45% of land allocated is owned by women who are not married and this shows that the council has worked very hard to see that women know about their land rights. 15 water hand pump were repaired and 12 VIP toilets, this is to make sure that primary services are given to people by the council.
They also have equal access health services and people are now going for volunteering counselling and testing. Support group members that are managed at the council are working together with clinics centres to make sure that people receive treatment regardless to their condition, if the person cannot reach out to the clinic the support group member makes sure that he/she collects the treatment for the person from the local clinic.
Click here to read more about the Tsana Talana Community Council.
Comment on Lesotho: Tsana Talana Community Council