Closing the Gender Gap in Local Government

Posted: 01 March 2022

While it is true that some progress has been made towards closing the gender gap in local government, but overall, much more still needs to be done to achieve gender parity. 

Findings from the Women's Political Participation: Africa Barometer 2021 published by Gender Links with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), revealed that women comprise only 21% of councillors in Africa, 19% of Mayors of capital cities, and of the 54 capital cities on the continent, 10 are led by women. 

Zeroing in on South Africa, women's representation in local government peaked at 41% in the 2016 local government elections and dipped slightly to 37% in the 2021 municipal elections.  

In a country where women constitute more than half of the population, the equal presence of women across all levels of government is necessary to ensure greater responsiveness to citizens' needs.

It is for this reason that the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), as the national voice of local government in South Africa, proactively models equity, diversity, and inclusion for the sector to follow.

Of the organisation's 404 employees, 261 (64.6) are female and 143 (35.4) are male. In addition, the average age profile of SALGA employees is 38 years, while the majority are between the ages of 30-39. 

With March 8, 2022, marking International Women's Day, SALGA calls on its member municipalities, stakeholders, and partners to use the day as an opportunity to take stock of the progress made towards advancing gender equity in the sector and commit to closing the remaining visible gaps. 

SALGA 6th national conference

SALGA's 6th national conference will be taking place from March 2-4 at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Cape Town. 

The gathering of local government leaders comprising, among others, mayors, municipal managers, senior officials, and councillors from across the country's 257 municipalities, will elect a new leadership collective for SALGA, review, and strengthen the organisation's institutional systems and processes, and adopt a new organisational strategy that will give the organisation a solid vision, mission, and key objectives and goals to achieve over the next 5-years.

SALGA TV will also be there to capture all the moments that will define the conference and have them recorded as part of the organisation's history. 

Commemorative events

• Human Rights Month is commemorated in March (1-31) to remind South Africans about the sacrifices that accompanied the struggle for the attainment of democracy in South Africa. 

• International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. 

• Commonwealth Day is celebrated on the second Monday in March every year. People in Commonwealth countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Americas, the Pacific and Europe will observe Commonwealth Day. 

Faith and civic gatherings, debates, school assemblies, flag raising ceremonies, street parties and fashion shows are just some of the events they will use to celebrate the vast diversity, strong unity and uplifting values that define the Commonwealth.

• South Africa will be chairing the 66th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66) taking place at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York, from 14 – 25 March 2022.

South Africa is chairing the CSW at a time when the government has taken a deliberate policy decision to give highest priority to the thematic issues of women, children and persons with disabilities as they have historically suffered multiple and aggregated forms of discrimination.

South Africa has consistently been the champion and advocate for the UN programmes to initiate concrete and tangible empowerment programmes for the realisation of the rights of these categories.

• The UN General Assembly resolution 2142 (XXI), adopted on 26 October 1966, proclaimed 21 March as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to be commemorated annually. 

On that day, in 1960, police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa, against the apartheid "pass laws". Proclaiming the Day in 1966 which signifies the struggle to end the policy of apartheid in South Africa, the General Assembly called on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination.

• World Water Day takes place each and every year on March 22nd and aims to underline the importance of water. While this may sound simple – and, in many people's eyes, a bit daft – the lack of clean water around the world, alongside the damaging effects of global warming, water pollution and damaged water tables, is more important to understand than ever.

Follow hashtag:

#20YearsofDemocraticLocalGovernment, #25YearsofSalga, #InspiringServiceDelivery and look out for more activities planned for the 20 Years of Democratic Local Government on the SALGA website: www. salga.org.za and all our social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram