SECOND ANNUAL SOUTHERN AFRICA LOCAL

GOVERNMENT AND GENDER JUSTICE

SUMMIT AND AWARDS
28 – 30 MARCH 2011
KOPANONG HOTEL, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH
LEADERSHIP

AFRICA
“365 DAYS OF LOCAL ACTION TO END GENDER
VIOLENCE: HALVE GENDER VIOLENCE BY 2015”

REDUCING GBV THROUGH INCOME

GENERATING PROJECTS
 Please give a brief biography of this leader.
Please attach a face photography and one
that shows this leader at work

• Councillor and the deputy mayor of Victoria Falls Municipality. I am

the only female councillor in a local authority of eleven councillors,
LEADERSHIP

became a councillor in 2003.

• An executive member committee member of Women In Local
Government Forum (WILGF). I hold a diploma in Executive
Leadership. She is a gender champion, who strongly believes
perpetrators of gender based violence must be tried by a court.

• I am a leader who believes in her inner self, working hard to

achieve my goal is my “Moto”. Always driven by a passion on women
development. I wish is to see women liberating themselves from
cultural norms, and seeing them contributing meaningfully towards
the welfare of their families and to the community in reducing GBV.

REDUCING GBV THROUGH

•
INCOME GENERATING PROJECTS
 WHAT ROLE HAS THE LEADER PLAYED IN
CHAMPIONING GENDER AND GBV
ACTIVITIES?

• Holding workshops with women and men on gender and

gender based violence (GBV) at ward level.
LEADERSHIP

• Successfully advocated for the enactment of a council

gender policy.
• Mediator between the affected and the effected before
taking to the law enforcing agencies.
• Forming gender committees in each ward.
• Also offering counselling to Gender based violence
victims.
• Initiated a sewing project for 25 women and a catering
project of 20 women.
REDUCING GBV THROUGH INCOME
GENERATING PROJECTS
 The councilor counseling a victim of GBV

REDUCING GBV THROUGH INCOME

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Councillor with victim of GBV showing her
wounds

REDUCING GBV THROUGH INCOME

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 Member of the catering service

REDUCING GBV THROUGH INCOME

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Patrons enjoying the meal
REDUCING GBV THROUGH INCOME
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 A member of the sewing project
displaying her work

REDUCING GBV THROUGH INCOME

GENERATING PROJECTS
 HOW HAS THE LEADER INFLUENCED THE
LEVEL OF BUY IN AND INVOLVEMENT OF
MANAGEMENT?
• Formation of a gender desk which is managed by a female
gender focal person.
• Management and councillors took part in the adoption of the
LEADERSHIP

gender policy.
• Management is very interested in my feed backs when I come
from workshops and seminars.
• Management now taking gender based violence issue seriously
like any other statutory issue.
• Recruitment system has changed now have employed a female
engineer, town planner and a chief security officer.
• Housing application now include spouse information .

REDUCING GBV THROUGH

INCOME GENERATING PROJECTS
 IS THE LEADER KNOWN WITHIN THE
INSTITUTION, COMMUNITY, ETC FOR
ADVOCATING FOR ISSUES OF GENDER AND
GBV?
• The leader is known for advocating for female workers rights
and coming up with a gender policy for the municipality.
LEADERSHIP

• Influenced the formation of a women committee which

influence the budgetary process.
• In the community the leader is also known for holding
meetings and workshops.
• Regular meetings with the police gender desk officers with
the Victoria Falls community.
• Distribution of gender based violence pamphlets.
• Annual march to sensitise on gender violence

REDUCING GBV THROUGH

INCOME GENERATING PROJECTS
 WHAT TIME DOES THE LEADER DEVOTE TO
THIS WORK? IS IT PAID OR VOLUNTARY?
• The leader lives within the community therefore
she is available whenever there is a need.
LEADERSHIP

• Being a councillor it is purely voluntary and

passion driven work.

REDUCING GBV THROUGH

INCOME GENERATING PROJECTS
 HOW HAS THE LEADER HELPED TO
POPULARISE GENDER AND GBV ACTIVITIES
AND INITIATIVES IN THE WORKPLACE?
• The leader is known for advocating for female workers rights
and coming up with a gender policy for the municipality.
• Formation of the gender desk
LEADERSHIP

• Discussion and meetings with the police gender desk officers

with community.
• Distribution of gender based violence pamphlets.
• Annual march on gender and gender based violence
• Formation of a women committee which take part in the budget
formulation

REDUCING GBV THROUGH INCOME

GENERATING PROJECTS
 WHAT RESULTS HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED?
HOW IS THIS LINKED TO PERSONAL
CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE LEADER?
• Having some feed backs in municipality after attending every workshop
• Moving motions in relevant committees in council on gender issues to
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be implemented
• having by-laws which are gender sensitive.
• Holding meetings with colleagues at work discussing about gender and
gender based violence.
• Formation of a safety committee
• Women and men coming up to talk about gender and the depth of how
gender based violence were affecting them at work and in their families.
• most women are now aware that it is not taboo to speak out with
confidence abut GBV in their families.

REDUCING GBV THROUGH

INCOME GENERATING PROJECTS
 SHORT STORY OR ANECDOTE THAT
ILLUSTRATES THE PASSION OF THE LEADER
There was a woman in my community who was abused by her
husband who would beat her and call her bad names in front
of her children. The husband had stopped honoring his
duties to his family and would become angry when the wife
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would question his behaviour. It was very difficult for the

woman to open up, fearing reprisal from the husband.
Despite all the abuse she did not want to seek help,
preferring to keep it as a secret, because it would tarnish the
image of her husband at work as a manager, and culture
does not allow to talk about abuse in public before it has
been discussed with her in laws . I assisted her through
counselling and after a while she agreed to let me speak with
her husband. I thank Gender links for the training which they
imparted to me. Although it was not easy, I managed the
situation and the husband was sorry for all the sorrow and
damage he has caused to the family.
REDUCING GBV THROUGH
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Patricia (second from left) with one of the groups she
helped to set up to offer catering services

REDUCING GBV THROUGH

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 Members of the sewing project happily
displaying their work

REDUCING GBV THROUGH INCOME

GENERATING PROJECTS
 Thank you
LEADERSHIP

ANY QUESTIONS?

REDUCING GBV THROUGH

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