Call for entries: Third Annual Gender Justice and Local Government Summit and Awards

Local councils, associations, community based organisations and activists are called on to submit award entries for the third Gender Justice Local Government Summit and Awards. Convened by Gender Links (GL), the summit is the premiere regional event for show casing local level efforts to end gender violence and empower women.

The summit is a practical illustration of the Southern African Protocol on Gender and Development at work in the lives of ordinary women and men in the SADC region. The Protocol, adopted in 2008, has 28 targets for the attainment of gender equality by 2015, also the deadline for the Millennium Development Goals that include gender equality (target three).

“We have gone to great lengths this year to broaden participation and ownership by starting with country summits in some countries, leading up to the regional summit,À noted GL CEO Colleen Lowe Morna. “We are hoping for a bumper number of entries and robust participation.À

The regional summit from 16 -18 April will this year be preceded by country summits in Mauritius, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, Madagascar and Zimbabwe. The deadline for submission of entries, country summits and process is given below.

Entries are invited in the following categories:

1. Gender violence- Prevention of GBV at local level À“ how do councils/ institutions/ organisations work to ensure that GBV does not occur? This category includes strategic and innovative communication campaigns and initiatives, specific GBV campaigns and 16 Days campaigns, including cyber dialogues during the 16 Days this award will go to the council/ institution and organisation who host the best innovative cyber dialogue during the 16 Days period and who hosts a 16 Days activity that demonstrates impact
2. Gender violence – Response to GBV at local level À“ what do councils/ institutions/ organisations do to advance legal literacy, work with local police, etc. to ensure redress for victims? How do you respond to GBV  
3. Gender violence – Support around GBV at local level À“ how do we support those who have experienced GBV
4. Gender and governance: programmes and campaigns to prepare women for political office and elections and support their effective participation as well as programmes and campaigns supporting men gender champions
5. Local Economic Development: including youth economic empowerment and empowerment of women À“ at local level to enhance the ability of young women to take control of their lives
6. Climate change and sustainable development: projects at the local government level that address the gender dimensions of climate change
7. HIV/AIDS and Care Work: at the local level, what are councils doing to support care givers including advocating for the involvement of men
8. Institutional – COEs À“ This award is for the council/s that demonstrate/s the greatest commitment to ending GBV   and COE councils that have made the greatest progress and have completed stages 1 À“ 10
9. Leadership À“ Individuals
10. Youth leadership, including junior local councils and young women actively engaged in local government/ politics who show particular innovation and dedication to ending GBV at the local level.

The Summit kicks off on  23 April with a panel discussion about local elections in the SADC region À“ Lesotho, Zambia and South Africa in the last year; Mauritius, Madagascar, and Zimbabwe this year.

On 24 April, the plenary discussion will focus on Gender and Climate Change. The final day,  25 April, Summit participants will take to the streets of Ekurhuleni for field visits that will expose them to some of the gender initiatives being undertaken in South Africa. Awards will be presented in the evening at a gala dinner. Video footage can be made available on request.

For more information and online forms for the awards go to https://www.genderlinks.org.za/page/gender-justice-and-local-government-summit-2012

Or contact Abigail Jacobs À“ Williams at governance@genderlinks.org.za Cell phone: +27 (0) 72 693 5744.

For information on past summits and awards go to: https://www.genderlinks.org.za/page/gender-justice-and-local-government-summit-2011