adminThe Minister of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development, Dr Ignatius Chombo, will officially open the event.
The event is organised by Gender Links, a non-governmental organisation.
It is the first time in the three-year history of the event that local authorities would be competing at country level before the regional summit.
In an interview yesterday, Gender Links, gender justice and local government facilitator, Ms Priscilla Maphosa, said the local authorities would compete on 10 topics.
“They will make presentations on programmes that they have carried on Gender violence — Prevention, gender violence — response, gender violence — support, gender and governance, local economic development, climate change and sustainable development, HIV/Aids and care work, leadership — individuals and youth leadership,” said Ms Maphosa.
She said the summit was a practical illustration of the Southern African Protocol on Gender and Development at work in the lives of ordinary women and men in the Sadc region.
“The protocol, adopted in 2008, has 28 targets for the attainment of gender equality by 2015, also the deadline for the Millennium Development Goals that include gender equality (target three),” she said.
Ms Maphosa called for a high number of entries and robust participation in today’s event.
She said other countries in the region would hold competitions that would also culminate in the grand showdown in South Africa, from 23 to 25 April.
She said the regional summit would kick off with a panel discussion about local elections in the Sadc region this year.
“The following day, the plenary discussion will focus on gender and climate change. The final day of the summit will see participants taking to the streets of Ekurhuleni for field visits that will expose them to some of the gender initiatives being undertaken in South Africa. Awards will be presented in the evening at a gala dinner,” said Ms Maphosa.
Online Reporter