GENDER INEQUALITYWITHINSOUTH AFRICANMUNICIPALPLANNINGSYSTEM:A REVIEW FROMINTERSECTIONALITY

• Main Author: NJ Mokoele
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Social Sciences Research Society 2017-01-01
• Series: International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanity Studies
• Online Access: http://www.sobiad.org/ejournals/journal_IJSS/arhieves/IJSS_2017_1/n-mokoele.pdf

Prior 1994,South Africaplanning was characterised bydiscriminatory planning,separate developmentand oppression.South Africa promulgated the Constitutionof South Africa as a Supreme Law that promoteinclusivity,decentralisation ofplanningandgood governance.However, thecontemporary planning systemspost 1994demonstrate an antagonistic picture inpursuitto effectively inculcategender intotheplanning to resolve the developmental challenges confronting thecountry. The complexity of intersectionality demonstrate thatthe societalinteractionshave created social categories which relegated women to the lowestsocietal hierarchy, thus deter their full participation in local governmentplanning. The embedded ideology that identify men superiority and womeninferiority construct unequal power relationsand conditionslimited womeninfluence in planning.In 2015, women constitute only 39% of all municipalcouncillors in South African municipalities which demonstrate male dominationin politics.Thepaper is purely aconceptual in nature, and thus reviewed variousliterature such as government reports, academic journals articles and legislativeframework which were analysed through content analysis.The article concludesthat there is an urgent policy requirement to resolvean‘inequality regime’withinlocal governmentin order to foster inclusive participation in planning and thepromotion of good governance.