The South African Local Government Association (SALGA) Women's Commission will convene a two-day National Lekgotla and Master Class Series, on September 28th and 29th, 2023, at the Radisson Blu O.R Tambo Hotel in Kempton Park, Gauteng, to reflect on matters of women representation in local government structures, and the gender transformation in local government in general. The Department of Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) Deputy Minister Hon Nokuzola Sisisi Tolashe is scheduled to deliver the keynote address.

To be held under the theme, "Accelerating Socio-economic Opportunities for the Empowerment of Women", the SALGA Women's Commission National Lekgotla and Master Class series will be attended by women leaders mainly form local government and other spheres of government, civil society, academia, Independent Electoral Commission, and the business community. The primary focus of this gathering is to review and reflect upon the progress made in gender transformation in local government, particularly in relation to women's representation and empowerment, and adopt a plan of action to achieve 50/50 gender equity in local government leadership representation.

Among the highlights of the program is the Master Class series designed to equip women leaders on their roles as leaders in the local sphere which will include a presentation by the Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy to be delivered by Anne Schefer, titled: Changing the World with local Democracy Core Values.

Day two of the National Lekgotla will centre around discussions aimed at advancing women's economic empowerment and inclusion in local government. Topics to be explored include women's empowerment programs, strategies for translating policies into evidence-based implementation, and more.

Members of the media are cordially invited to cover this significant event, which promises valuable insights into the advancement of women's roles in local government and empowerment initiatives.

The Members of the Media is invited as follows:

Date: September 28th - 29th, 2023

Time: 09:00 AM

Venue: Radisson Blu O.R Tambo Hotel

Kempton Park, Gauteng Province

Issued by: South African Local Government Association

For further media enquiries:

Sivuyile Mbambato, Email: smbambato@salga.org.za; Mobile: 073 897 8519 

Tebogo Mosala | Email: tmosala@salga.org.za | Mobile: 084 666 7699