Namibia – Ondangwa Town Council

Ondangwa is one of the oldest historic towns in the North Central Regions of the country. The town was established as a missionary centre in 1800’s. Along the years the town was then used as a centre of assembly for the majority of the people in the north who used to travel to Ondangwa in order to look for employment in the Southern towns, including South African mines in the late 1950′ and 1960’s.

The Council, as part of gender-related policies, ensures that its commitments on gender equality are translated into clear and tangible outcomes and are accompanied by improved coordination, coherence, leadership, gender evidence and analysis, and adequate financial and human resources. The council has seven councillors, three of those are male and four are female. The Deputy Mayor of the council is a female.

The council has three committees, two of which are chaired by women and one of those is led by a person living with disability (PWD). The council has equal number of young men and women within the Junior Council, and the chairperson is a young woman.

The community members within the council partake in the community projects that will help develop their council. The council is gender sensitive. Most of the work that is being done in the council consists of equal number of men and women. There is no work specifically for men and for women. The council strive for gender equality. Approximately 51% and 75% women are involved in the public consultations. The council has many women in the business market than men. However, many young males are joining the market now.

The council has employed 27% men, 45% women, 18% youth and 10% PWD. Out of the total management force of eight, three women are in the management. The Deputy Manager of the council is a woman and the HR Manager is also a woman. Women are climbing high and they have high posts with good salaries.

Ondangwa Town Council has allocated a budget line from 2015 and 2016 to support gender-related projects, and these funds increase from 2015 and 2016.

The Ondangwa council has a strong and emerging Local Economic Development status. It is centrally located and has some of the biggest shopping malls in the northern region. Being only 60 kilometres from Angolan border a lot of Angolans also use it as a shopping. Women have small business enterprises within the council. When their businesses expand, they make a lot of money. Hence, they are able to pay for their water bills and electricity. In that way the council also makes money and expand the facilities within the town, and also increase street lights in the town to prevent women from being attacked and raped and strengthen security.

Women and men are involved in the planning, management, and maintenance of water and sanitation. There is a total of five water and sanitation committees. These committees have three women and two men altogether, and all these committees are being chaired by women.

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