1. 50/50 by 2030? Women in politics in Lesotho: Gender in the 2017 Lesotho Local Government Election  
Local Government Elections at Malumeng: Photo by Limpho Sello, Lesotho Times Newspaper

2. Introduction
The proportion of women elected in the September Local Government elections in Lesotho decreased from 49% to 40%.
The first Lesotho local government elections saw the highest representation of women in the SADC region at 58%.
This was due to the legislated quota where 30% of the constituencies were reserved for women. However this was challenged and abundant in 2011 where there was a 9% decrease in the representation of women has seen a further decrease by 9 percentage points. The system that was used for the elections is the reserved proportional representation seats as it was in the 2011 elections.

3. Women Representation Trends

4. 2017 Lesotho Local Government Election Results
Lesotho 2017 Local Government Results
Total number of Councillors by sex and by %
FPTP Results for Men and Women Councilors
Women reserved seats
POLITICAL PARTY
Women
Men
All Councilors
% of women
Total
% of Women
ABC
193
346
539
36% 80
426
19%
113 AD 47 94
50% 11 58 36
11%
BNP 24 19 43
56% 6 25
44% 18 6% DC
179
358 74
253
29%
105
33%
LCD 33 40 73
45% 8 48
17% 8%
MEC 16 28 44 1 29 3% 15 5%
PFD 10 20 4 14 7 2%
Other Parties 2 3
25%
INDEPENTS 76 87
13% 59
16% -
ELECTED CHIEFS 45
104
149
30%
559
851
1410
192
735
944
319 %
40%
60%
100%
20%
79%

5. THE RESULT
A total of 1410 Councillors were elected in the September 2017 polls. This number is made up of men and women elected through the FPTP seats, special reserved seats for women and elected chiefs. Of the total number of councillors, women make up 40% while men make 60%.

6. 50/50?
There has been progress with respect to gender representation at the local government level. Efforts of civil society organisations, MGYSR, the Gender Technical Committee (GTC) amongst others are evidence of this. However the drop that has been experienced in the last two elections call for concern.

7. 50/50?
Overall it is evident that Lesotho has the legal frameworks in place to make huge strides in gender equality in local government. The challenges however remain at party level as well as in the mind-set of the people to attain the regional standards. A possibility to ensure political parties set quotas for their women members may possibly lie with the SADC Secretariat or the Gender Unit. Only by compelling political parties regionally to comply with a regional standard will we see parties select more women to stand for elections, especially in the non-reserved seats.

8. KEA LEBOHA
KHOTSO
PULA
NALA