Gender and Governance Home Article

The gender and governance programme has grown out of various research and advocacy projects which promote equal representation and effective participation of women in decision-making. In 2002/2003 GL conducted the seminal study, Ringing up the Changes: Gender in Southern African Politics, which was the first study of its kind in the region and examined the impact of women in politics in SADC. Among other findings, this study identified local government as an area of weakness due the fact that almost all of the empowerment strategies undertaken up to that point had been focussed on parliamentarians. It is an area that has been sidelined despite having the potential to bring about real change for women because of its proximity to the real and basic needs that concern women.