Gender Justice and Local Government Summit

365 Days of local action to end gender violence
22-24 March 2010

Approximately 200 participants from ten Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) countries will converge in Johannesburg, South Africa from 22-24 March 2010 for the first ever Gender Justice and Local Government Summit. Taking place on the eve of Human Rights Day in South Africa and Namibia’s 20th anniversary of independence, the event is aimed at showcasing best practices led by local councillors and community activists for empowering women and ending gender violence.

Convened by Gender Links under the banner 365 Days of local action to end gender violence, the summit is being attended by journalists, local government authorities, municipalities, NGOs and representatives of ministries of gender and local government. The summit, which will become an annual event, coincides this year with final preparations for Soccer 2010. In line with the target set in the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development for halving gender violence by 2015, the specific theme this year is Score a goal for gender equality: halve gender violence by 2015.

Dubbed the ‘Idols’ of gender justice and local government, the 109 good practices entered in six different categories will be judged by the audience and also a high level panel of judges. The major highlight of the summit is the Gender Justice and Local Government Awards taking place at a gala dinner on 24 March. Awards will be presented according to the following categories:

• Support around gender violence (GV) at local level – how do we support those who have experienced GV? In total, there are 27 entries for this category from Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. One winner and runner up will be awarded.
• Specific GV campaigns – e.g. 16 Days campaigns and lighting campaigns. 18 entries have been submitted for the winner and runner up awards for this category. Countries represented include Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.
• Response to GV at local level – what do councils do to advance legal literacy, work with local police, etc. One winner and one runner up will receive awards under this category which has 19 entries submitted from Botswana, Madagascar, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
• Prevention of GV at local level – how do councils work to ensure that GV does not occur? There are 20 entries for this award from Botswana, Mauritius, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. One winner and one runner up will be announced for this award.
• Institutional good practises – 15 entries from Madagascar, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe that demonstrate good practices such as lobbying for a GV budget in IDPs / Municipality’s Annual Strategic Plans will be considered for awards to one winner and a runner up.
• Individual innovation – 10 entries have been submitted from Lesotho, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Three awards will be presented to individuals who show particular innovation and dedication to ending GV at the local level.

The summit will kick off on 22 March with a panel discussion that will set the context of the event. Directors and Permanent Secretaries from different countries will be given an opportunity to speak on gender justice and local government.

Presentations of good practices will follow in parallel sessions. On Tuesday 23 March, the Gender and Media Diversity Centre, the knowledge unit of GL, will launch its journal titled Gender and Soccer 2010: Score a goal for gender equality. The stories in the journal are aimed at providing gender perspectives of the FIFA 2010 World Cup, and how these can be put on the soccer 2010 agenda by different stakeholders. The journal launch will be followed by a panel discussion which will discuss such issues as using soccer to end gender violence, violence against female informal traders, what female football associations can learn from the soccer 2010 event among other things. Presentations of good practices will follow thereafter.

24 March, the third day will include field visits for summit participants to expose them to some of the excellent gender initiatives being undertaken around Johannesburg. Awards will be presented on the same day at an evening gala dinner and video footage documenting some of the grassroots initiatives will be shown. Footage can be made available on request.

For more information contact: Saeanna Chingamuka gmdc@genderlinks.org.za or call 082-229-2337