Municipalities in the province are at various levels of compliance. This varies according to size and resource base of the various entities. Bigger municipalities and those in erstwhile Cape Provincial Administration (CPA) areas are generally better off than the newly created municipalities which form the majority. Issues of capacity both in terms of empowerment and human resources (numbers) also add to these variations.

The rural –urban divide is a contributing factor as well.

There are low levels of compliance with relevant legislation due to weak structural arrangements to support initiatives both at the local and provincial levels in particular gender related programmes and initiatives.

The majority of municipalities in the province have employment equity targets in place but the big challenge is implementation resulting in a situation where the is not a single Municipal Manager in the province who is a woman.

Recruitment processes continue to show gender disparities notably in top management positions.

Very few women councillors are chairpersons of portfolio committees and this has an impact on the municipal projects and programmes in terms of gender mainstreaming and more importantly on the IDP’s of the various municipalities.

The original integrated development documents and subsequent reviews have not managed to bridge the gap in terms of gender inclusiveness of plans.

Integrated development plans have shown glaring omissions and lack of participation by women and other vulnerable groups in the entire IDP process.

This reflects the absence of a gender lens on the side of municipalities due to the absence of relevant desks to monitor and ensure mainstreaming.

In the past two years efforts have been made by the provincial gender focal person to make as part of the criteria for funding quotas for women involvement in projects. This has happened notably in the ISRDP and LED initiatives. This has paid off as projects now show a remarkable difference in reports and budgets earmarked for women at the provincial level which in turn has influenced local allocations.

While this intervention is not enough, it presents a breakthrough.

In terms of the Housing code, 30% of approved housing projects should be awarded to women in construction.

However, a success story in this regard is Women in Construction group in the Ukhahlamba District Municipality Area where women have been allocated projects worth +- R12 Million rands.

Compliance levels are very minimal as this varies from municipality to municipality.

Municipalities still do not have confidence in women contractors and this thinking influences the allocations given to women. In the entire province less than half of municipalities have reached the 30% quota.

The challenge facing these women is that municipalities still have no support structures in place to assist emerging women contractors and women themselves are in most instances not organised as they still battle with organisational issues. There are also weak monitoring mechanisms at the provincial level to assist the local level.