This municipality is one of the five that make up the O.R. Tambo District Municipality. It comprises two magisterial areas, viz. Libode and Ngqeleni. It has a largely rural/traditional character. It is bordered in the south-west by the King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality. In the north, it is bordered by the Mhlontlo Local Municipality and in the east by the Ntabankulu, Ingquza Hill and Port St John Local Municipalities. The population according to Census 2011 is 290�390 people, which is 21,3% of the population of O.R. Tambo District. In 2001, the population was 274�416 people, which constituted 21,2% of the district population.

The municipality covers an area of 4�231 square kilometers, which gives a population density of 68,6 persons per square kilometer. The municipality�s economy is largely dependent on agriculture.

The municipality comprises the magisterial areas of Qumbu and Tsolo. It is bounded to the south by the King Sabata Dalinyebo Local Municipality; to the east by the Nyandeni Local Municipality; and to the north by the Mzimvubu Local Municipality. The surface area of the municipality is 2�826km2,with a population of 188�226 persons in 2011, which translates to a population density of 66,6 persons per square kilometre.

The municipality comprises two magisterial areas, viz. Mthatha and Mqanduli and their surrounding rural areas. The municipality is largely rural in character with the urban areas concentrated around the towns. It is 3�028 km2 in extent and had a population of 444�832 persons in 2007, which rose to 451�710 in 2011. The number of households in 2007 was 93�382, and this increased to 95�382 in 2011. The major economic activities in the municipality are forestry and agriculture, although agriculture is of more of a subsistence nature.

Umzimvubu Local Municipality is one amongst four local municipalities that fall under the Alfred Nzo District Municipality located in the northern region of the Eastern Cape. It stretches to the border of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. It is formed by two towns, Mount Frere and Mount Ayliff, which are geographically located along the N2 route between Mthatha and Kokstad (http://www.localgovernment.co.za).

Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality is located on the south- eastern coast of Africa in the Eastern Cape.� It is one of eight category A municipalities in South Africa.� In 2001, the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality was formed as an administrative area covering Port Elizabeth, the neighbouring towns of Uitenhage and Despatch, and the surrounding agricultural areas.� Nelson Mandela Bay is a major seaport and automotive manufacturing centre.

The Coega Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) is situated within the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality.� The initiative is a multibillion-dollar industrial development complex customized for heavy, medium and light industries.� It is adjacent to a deepwater port, the Port of Ngqura, and covers 110 km� of land.� The city�s unique advantage of possessing two ports, namely Port Elizabeth Harbour and Ngqura, creates an opportunity for the city to establish a strong and vibrant maritime sector.

South Africa has a history of exclusion and discrimination on all kinds of grounds, such as race and gender. For this reason we have developed one of the most inclusive constitutions in the world, with a Bill of Rights that specifically refers to equal treatment for all regardless of race, age, disability status, socio-economic status and gender (Section 9). Legislation � such as the Employment Equity Act of 1998 � has facilitated access to formal employment for women, where employers are legally required to work towards more equitable representation based on gender, race and disability. Our National Development Plan 2030 envisions an inclusive society and economy, free from unequal opportunities through capacity building, redress and increased interaction. Through a combination of legislation, monitoring and accountability, significant progress has been made in this regard, especially in the public sector. For example, the percentage of women in senior management positions in the public service increased from 13% in 1998 to 42% in 2017. Gender and gender statistics are not just about women. Whereas the term sex refers to a biological male/female classification, the word gender connotes more than that. It encapsulates social and cultural differences, and also includes how an individual views him-/herself. The term �gender role� relates to society�s concept of how men and women are expected to act. Gender stereotypes form the basis of sexism, or the prejudiced beliefs that value males over females or vice versa. Gender inequality refers to the unequal treatment and/or perceptions of inequality of men in relation to women or vice versa. Even though there are instances where discrimination occurs against men, more often than not women are at a disadvantage. This is manifested in, for example, preferential access to work and/or certain jobs for men, unequal pay for equal work, bullying, domination and violence against women, selective abortion of female children, and preferential household expenditure on boys� education. While great strides have been made towards equality for women, there still remains great challenges; there is a need for continued measurement and policy and programmatic interventions. In addition to monitoring progress with regard to the situation of men and women, an understanding of gender gaps in the following key areas will move the agenda of leaving no one behind forward: Market participation�� Equal representation of both sexes in the labour force is important; gender equality allows for an increase in the number of women participating in the work force, which expands the labour force and can contribute towards increased economic productivity and growth. Resource equity�� Indicators of men�s and women�s asset ownership and control are important measures used to monitor gender equality. This is achieved when people are able to access and enjoy the same rewards, resources and opportunities regardless of whether they are male or female. Women�s ownership of and control over resources is one of the key elements of empowerment. Governance�� Gender equality in positions of decision-making, as well as political representation, are important not only from an empowerment perspective, but also to ensure that issues affecting women are considered during policy formulation, planning and programme/project implementation. Stats SA publishes a wide range of statistics in various reports and publications, highlighting the challenges experienced by women and men in South Africa as measured through household surveys and censuses conducted by Stats�SA, as well as other sources.read more »