Engendering Democracy: Lessons

Localisation and decentralization are frequently presented as good for women. However, the reality is not so clear-cut. Local government is in an ambiguous position. It is the part of the state closest to society and as such has the potential to engage most effectively with women. However, informal systems and institutional relationships, many of which are deeply patriarchal, also cut across local government. Drawing on the experience of democratic reform in South Africa, which is invariably held up as an example of good practice in advancing gender equity in governance, the paper points to some of the paradoxes of engendering decentralisation and governance at the local level. Local authorities in South Africa are relatively weak but are nevertheless repositories of not insignificant power and resources. The paper shows first how competing interests remain clustered around local government in ways that tend to exclude women. Particularly important here is the role of traditional authorities in local government. Second, and perversely, it is demonstrated that it is also at the local level that women in civil society are organising most vigorously and effectively. This is because the neoliberal policy framework that frames decentralisation in South Africa has adversely affected household incomes and services that are important to women. Third, the paper suggests that South African women do not have as secure a footing in local government structures as in other tiers of government. It concludes that the engendering of local governance constitutes a fundamental litmus test of the success of women’s political representation and access to and involvement in public office. Since South Africa’s transition to a liberal democracy, government efforts to advance gender equity have been held up as a beacon of good practice across the world. However, South Africa’s experience of democratic reform has demonstrated that local government poses immense and particular challenges for advancing gender equity and increasing women’s representation in politics. Given the careful attention paid to women’s representation and the strong showing of women in the national parliament and the cabinet, this article asks why the South African government has been prepared to risk its celebrated reputation on the back of a relatively desultory performance in relation to women and local governance. A twofold argument is advanced. First, in South Africa there are a number of factors that operate against women-friendly local government, exacerbated by the legacy of apartheid policies. These include the lasting impact of colonial patterns of local government; the local legacy of political violence during the anti-apartheid struggle that affected women in gendered ways; and the continued salience of traditional authorities in local decision making and resource allocation, particularly in relation to land. Thus even in a best-case scenario such as South Africa, local level processes of democratisation that sustain a commitment to gender equity are difficult to achieve. I am grateful to Anne Marie Goetz, Mirjam van Donk and Melanie Samson for their helpful comments on an earlier draft of this article.