SECOND ANNUAL SOUTHERN AFRICA LOCAL

CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

GOVERNMENT AND GENDER JUSTICE

SUMMIT AND AWARDS
28 – 30 MARCH 2011
KOPANONG HOTEL, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH
AFRICA
“365 DAYS OF LOCAL ACTION TO END GENDER
VIOLENCE: HALVE GENDER VIOLENCE BY 2015”

CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE
 WHAT IS THE LEVEL OF BUY IN AND
INVOLVEMENT OF MANAGEMENT AND
POLITICIANS IN THE COE PROCESS?
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

• Witvlei is the only Village where the Centre

of Excellence for Gender Mainstreaming in
Local Authorities is introduced.
• We thank Genderlinks for inclusion. The
Council has welcomed all COEs 1-7
stages to be implemented.
• The Management as the secretariat is
working around the clock, with stake
holders and community to implement it.

• CENTRE OF EXELLENCE
•
 CONT…
Although gender budgeting is a
challenge in allocation of funding to
gender related matters and
mainstreaming, we run projects within
the overall budget, and look at the
social responsibilities of the Councils
towards, its residents. This included
violence as the main challenge at the
Village.

CENTRE OF EXELLENCE
 CONT…
•The level of understanding lies in various
committees established by Genderlinks
during the 16days Campaign events.
•They make sure that they (Council and
management) paramount.
•The Community at large need to be
consulted also for buy in as they have
been there from stage 3 onwards.

CENTRE OF EXELENCE
 HAS THE COMPLETED STAGES 1 – 6?
INDICATE TIME - FRAMES
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

• Yes. The Village was completed the final

stage 5 on 8th February 2011.
• Stage 1-2 was completed 3 June 2010.
• Stage 4-31 May 2010
• Stage 5-8th February 2011
• Stage 6- during 16days
• Stage 7 Case studies to the Second LA
Summit
•
CENTRE OF EXELLENCE
 IS THERE A HIGH LEVEL GENDER
CHAMPION?
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

• Yes. Council has a champion. Magdalene

Oais, the assistant accountant of the
council is the champion.
• Email:Witvleivc@iway.na
• Cell:0813627629
• Witvlei Village Council
•

CENTRE OF EXELLENCE
 DOES THE COE HAVE A GENDER AND GBV
ACTION PLAN? IS IT BEING IMPLEMENTED?
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

• Yes. Council has an Action Plan see

attached. Some of the prioritised Gender
related projects are being supported by
the Council, to communities as per Action
Plan on Health-HIV and AIDS. A budget
has been allocated.
•

CENTRE OF EXELLENCE
 ARE GENDER AND GBV CONCERNS AND
RESPONSIBILITIES FOR BOTH WOMEN AND
MEN? HOW ARE THEY INVOLVED?
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

• Yes for both. Committees run by Council

with NGOs both men and women
participate. Like housing, HIV and AIDS
etc. The new Councils will be reviewing all
these Committees I am told.
•

CENTRE OF EXELLENCE
 ARE THEIR DEDICATED RESOURCES,
INCLUDING HUMAN AND FINANCIAL
RESOURCES FOR GENDER
MAINSTREAMING?
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

• The appointment of a champion is an added

value to the activities of the Council in
terms of gender empowerment there.
There is no gender Budgeting at Village.
They operate on daily demands. But
Gender is being funded from a
contingency budget which is not enough.
The Village has bigger problems to even
sustain the Municipality for the following
reasons.
• CENTRE OF EXELLENCE
•
 CONT…
• Majority of residents are unemployed and
cannot afford the services, like water
and electricity etc. Very few people pay
for these services and it’s only through
these paid services the Village can
development. There are few donors or
business people at the Village to create
a conducive environment for
employment. But besides this
challenges gender is a priority area for
assistance.
• CENTRE OF EXELLENCE
 RESOURCEFULNESS? OTHER FINANCIAL,
HUMAN AND OTHER RESOURCES
MOBILISED?
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

• The Council has met the Ministry of Local

Government to assist certain projects at
the Village, to sustain activities there. We
have asked the Ministry of Health to assist
in the area of Health. This is forth coming.
The ministry of gender has employed at
the Council a representative on our
request. We are accommodating her at
the Village Council offices. This will help
the Council and Management to better
plan activities on Gender.
• CENTRE OF EXELLENCE
 MONITORING AND EVALUATION
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

• The Council agreed on regular feedback

between the Council and Genderlinks, as
was the case during 16 days GBV
Campaigns. A GBV Committee who
always and on regular basis, inform all on
issues of gender. Reports are also given
after all events. Genderlinks has been
doing some of the reports.
•

CENTRE OF EXELLECE
 WHAT RESULTS HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED?
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

• People are informed, partners, community

and even Ministries like Ministry of Gender
equality and Child Welfare gets report on
activities done at Council level

CENTREOF EXELLENCE
 IMPACT (BASED ON THE SADC PROTOCOL
TARGETS)
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

• The SADC Protocol on Gender and

Development is one document that was
well popularized at the Village. Each
session workshop was accompanied by
the either Quiz, to gauge the felling of
participants. Since the COE mostly deal
with GBV. Article on Gender Based
Violence, Governance and Health are the
ones the Council has prioritized.
•
CENTRE OF EXELLENCE
 SUSTAINABILITY AND REPLICATION
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

• Since Witvlei is the only Village with COE,

our plea is for some other Villages to be
included. This will help us to share more
experiences at those levels. We think of
taking the Protocol to nearby settlements
and farms.
•

CENTRE OF EXELLENCE
 LESSONS LEARNED
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

• Lessons learnt are great. But has also its

challenges. Great lessons, that even at
Village level communities can be use to
mainstream the Protocol in Church, Works
place, shebeen, street campaigns. There
are till much that needs to be done at the
Village. But the little engagement we had
with Genderlinks, show progress.
•

CENTRE OF EXELLENCE
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

ANY QUESTIONS?

CENTRE OF EXELLENCE
 CONTACT DETAILS
•EWINJA JUSTINA //HOEBES
•REGIONAL COORDINADOR 4H NAMIBIA

•OMAHEKE,REGION.

•P.O.BOX 5

•WITVLEI

•TELL: +264-62570008

•CELL:+264-81 238 3383

•FAX: +264-6257375

•jhoebes@gmail.com