IDASA CONF ON WOMEN IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Issued by: SA Communication Service

"Women in Local Government: Breaking Down Barriers to Participation", a conference organized by the Gender Unit of Idasa/LOGIC (Local Government Information Centre), opened this morning to a nearly 400-strong audience of local government officials, NGO and CBO representatives, members of Parliament and other stakeholders. The Gender Unit announced findings of its 1996 Women at the Periphery of Power report where it was found that only 18,04% of all elected council members from the 1995 local elections are women. Conference delegates were addressed by Mayor Sophie Maite (Johannesburg MSS), Member of Parliament Pregs Govender, Rural Women's Initiative Chairperson Norah Fakude-Nkuna, and Minister of Provincial Affairs and Constitutional Development Mohammed Vallie Moosa who pledged to consider the plans of action and recommendation that emerge from the two day conference on women's participation in local government structures.

Speakers addressed many facets of the barriers to women's effective and representative participation in local government, as well as touching on strategies to promote women's participation, and attention to women's concerns in all levels of government.

• Minister Vallie Moosa pledged to take serious consideration of the conference's recommendations, in answer to an earlier comment that because the conference was not an official government setting, implementation of recommendations would be difficult. After reiterating the strong constitutional support that exists in South African civil society for a culture of human rights based on non-racialism and non-sexism, Moosa conceded that without implementation and action, the golden words of the new Constitution will have little meaning for stronger and more meaningful women's participation in local government.
• Parliamentarian Pregs Govender spoke on the Women's Budget Initiative, a movement to analyze current budget processes for their gender inclusivity, and to promote budgets which are gender sensitive and women empowering.
• Mayor Masite and Women's Rural Initiative Chair Norah Fakude-Nkuna were met with resounding applause as they detailed current conditions of rural women and local government, and emphasized the need for primary and immediate social development of women, including cutting the illiteracy rate of women by half by the year 2000, and giving women in local government arenas the opportunity to translate their strong historic organising and community development skills into formal government responsibilities.

The Conference continues until Tuesday, 18 June, culminating in a Media Conference to announce Conference recommendations and strategy plans at 2:45 at the Holiday Inn Garden Court, Lower Garden Terrace room, 3rd floor, Johannesburg. The media conference will be jointly hosted by LOGIC's Gender Unit, and the office of the Minister of Provincial Affairs and Constitutional Development. Press are welcome to attend the conference at any time of its duration.

For more information, please contact: Deevy Holcomb or Melanie Naidoo, tel: 083-272-1680, or Mpho Mosimane, tel: 082-552-5212 June 18 1996