Newsroom

Women councillors are sworn into Puntland’s Jariban district.

UNDP is helping to create strong, organised and representative district councils in Puntland as part of efforts to improve efficiency and responsiveness in local governance.

Decentralisation of government by devolving decision making down to the lowest constituencies is a fundamental principle of the Puntland administration. Evidence shows that smaller, more local bodies are generally more efficient, but also that taking the process of decision making down to the community level gives rise to a more responsive organization on the one hand, and greater community involvement and buy-in on the other.

Creating properly organised district councils with a clear mandate is a central part of this philosophy, and an area in which UNDP has been actively supporting the Puntland government through the work of its Governance programme since 2006.

A system for the establishment of local councils was set up in which sub-clans in a district select a body of councillors under criteria set out in local government law. Councillors then elect a mayor and a vice-mayor who in turn form a municipality staff for the delivery of basic services. The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) is responsible for the design, oversight and fulfilment of this task.

The first four district councils were formed in 2005 with UNDP financial assistance and sat in the main towns of Bossaso, Qardho, Garowe and Galkaayo. By 2006 seven more district councils had been formed, this time with funds mobilized locally by the government, bringing to 11 the number of established councils in the 34 administrative districts in Puntland.

In December last year, while planning its 2008 work in Puntland, UNDP agreed to provide financial support to the state government to establish councils in four additional districts - Ufeyn, Jarriban, Bargal and Alula - following a request from the minister of Local Government and Rural Development. This time, however, UNDP specified two conditions to form the basis of the agreement: increasing the number of female councillors to at least six in each of the planned councils, and adding six more women members to the 11 existing bodies.

The objective of this precondition was to empower women and enable them take their rightful part in community decision-making, but there is much evidence to show that empowering women socially and economically contributes substantially to poverty reduction and increased social harmony.

Concerted effort by the Ministry meant that all four district councils were up and running by the end of February this year. In addition, 40 of the 128 new councillors are women, with an average 30% female representation on each new council. Inspired by their success, and encouraged by the task force charged with forming district councils, the previously established councils are following the lead of the new bodies and stepping up efforts to increase the numbers of women representing their communities.