Selma Taukuheke – Namibia

Selma Taukuheke from the Grootfontein Municipality in Namibia believes that as a councillor it is her responsibility to help other women as she is the eyes and ears of the people. Coming from a struggle background she believes that being a being a councillor isn’t difficult because nothing stops a woman from performing better than her male partners. “Every woman can do it,” she says.

Although she hasn’t been a councillor for long, she pulls out a sheath of handwritten pages with ideas that she has to ensure “that at the end of the day people have something to eat. There are some women who are suffering, sometimes we hear about suffering but we have not seen it with our own eyes, but I am the one that walks around the location and what I see has made me want to do something to help them.”

Her list of 17 projects includes the type of project and what is needed and they range from irrigation, poultry and catering projects to domestic work, yard cleaning and house watching. She plans on taking these ideas to the council and the CEO to see if the municipality will provide assistance to start these projects. She will also be looking for funding from embassies and other funding agencies: “I shall not surrender”.

She believes that women’s lives have improved since there are women in local government. “If I walk around my eyes are open to see things and report problems. My ears also now open. I consult with everyone and I have discussion with people so I understand things better. I stay in the location and I stay with the people and I inform them of everything.”