Gender mainstreaming in local communities: open & distance learning suggestions

Abstract

Good local governance cannot work if due attention is not given to gender equality and women’s empowerment. This is why sustained efforts should be made to incorporate gender both internally and in its work with open & lifelong learning initiatives. This paper highlights the gender dimension and makes an effort to incorporate it into ongoing training activities and open learning suggestions in order to further support gender policies in local communities. Despite efforts on national and international level, many local government institutions are neither adequately equipped to provide specific training on gender, nor have they been able to integrate the gender dimension into their day-to-day practices, not to even mention complete lack of gender sensitiveness and enhance of relevant training for that matter. Therefore, a sustained policy for gender equality should include carefully designed training material, a provision for higher education institutions to be included as partners in mainstreaming gender education of local authorities for capacity-building regarding gender concerns.