Mauritius: District Council of Moka

The District Council of Moka is located on the Central plateau of Mauritius. It has 16 Village Council Areas, comprising of Camp Thorel, Dagotiere, Dubreuil, Esperance, La Laura Malenga, L’Avenir, Melrose, Moka, Montagne Blanche, Nouvelle Decouverte, Providence, Quartier Militaire, Ripailles, St Julien d’Hotman, Saint Pierre and Verdun.

The council has implemented a number of gender-related policies. Currently, there are 105 male councillors and 39 female councillors. The council is working to increase the proportion of female councillors in its team. The council has 9 committees, all of which are chaired by men. However, women are part of these committees and equally participate in meetings. Both the Chief Executive and Deputy Chief Executive of the Council are males.

Health and security is a key concern of the Council.  The Safety and Health team has set up a strategic system of work to ensure a safe and clean space for employees and inhabitants.

The Council offers sanitation facilities and regularly conducts visit to ensure that such services are well-provided. It has a Welfare team which works to ensure the well-being all inhabitants, irrespective of age, gender or class. It encourages women entrepreneurship. Along with sewing classes, it also offers a range of different courses to women. The Council has a non-discriminatory policy in allocating market stalls.

The Moka District Council has also partnered with Civil Society Organisations and the Government to work on a collective plan towards the alleviation of poverty in the region and also focuses on gender equality. The plan is a very strategic one with an internal committee set with all the stakeholders across different fields including: poverty alleviation, gender equality, climate change, education and training. The plan is to work with the vulnerable group in society and empower them to be independent both socially and economically.

The Moka District Council has also been organising a lot of welfare-based activities for people in the region particularly encouraging women to come out of the private sphere. Collective familial activities are also regularly organised by the Council to bring forward harmony within the community. The Council is in the midst of the smart village centre which is happening in the Moka Village as per the Government plan in collaboration with the private bodies. The village will soon be composed of several institutions working smartly towards innovation in view of tackling current social problems.

Click here to read more about the District Council of Moka.