By Nangamso Mabindla
3 September 2007

A GENDER policy and strategy would ensure that Buffalo City achieved its goal of being at the centre of transformation in gender relations, Executive Mayor Zintle Peter said at the end of Women's Month.

She was speaking at an event to mark the end of the month-long celebrations, held at the East London City Hall on Friday, 31 August.

The director-general in the Office of the Premier, Sibongile Mthwa; City councillors; the municipal manager, Gaster Sharpley; and municipal staff attended the event. Peter said that she was encouraged by the City's goal.

"I am encouraged because I take it as a vision for the city and the municipality, a statement of intent, even though it is fair to say that it is not in every respect a present reality."

In her State of the City address earlier this year, Peter urged the municipality to empower more women during the current financial year.

"I don't think any of us would be so bold as to claim that Buffalo City has done all that it could have done over the past few years to mainstream gender relations, to make gender equity and equality a central value of our society and the municipality itself," she said on Friday.

However, the mayor acknowledged that gender transformation would not be achieved overnight; the municipality needed to have long term goals if transformation was to succeed.

Peter urged people to unite in the fight for women's empowerment in Buffalo City.

"We need to reject the notion that the transformation of gender relations is a matter that is primarily a terrain of struggle for women, rather than a challenge to men and women together."

Turning her attention to the municipality's attempts to put gender transformation on the agenda, Peter said, "Buffalo City municipality has taken decisive steps to put in place a gender policy and strategy that is the necessary first step in [it] becoming the leader that it aspires to be in gender relations transformation."

She encouraged the municipality's leaders to ensure that gender-related policies and strategies were implemented for the benefit of the citizens of Buffalo City.

"I will be even more proud when the city is known as a place where we implement our policies and our strategies, where our attitudes and personal and institutional relations reflect our theoretical commitments to the values of equality, dignity and mutual respect."