Collingwood will be part of project to support women in local government in Ghana

Collingwood staff and politicians have been selected to join a national, multi-million dollar, six-year project to help more women get involved in government leadership in Ghana, Africa. 

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities chose the Town of Collingwood to be part of its Partnerships for Municipal Innovation program, and specifically the Women in Local Leadership project. 

The overall project aims are to increase women’s capacity to get involved in local governance in their countries, and to grow the local government capacity to deliver inclusive, gender-responsive services. The project will be working with local government associations in Benin, Cambodia, Ghana, Sri Lanka, and Zambia, and the Town of Collingwood, along with the Region of Halton, has been assigned working with the associations in Ghana. 

The fine details of the work aren't ironed out yet, but the project will support "capacity development, outreach, awareness-raising, and engagement activities in all five countries, as well as at regional and global levels," according to a news release issued by the town.

Collingwood Councillor Kathy Jeffery is a director on the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Board, and has already been part of a similar project in Jordan where the aim was to improve opportunities for women in government leadership and public input as well as help improve the state of local solid waste management. 

Jeffery said the program offers peer-to-peer support and the engagement and action items are determined through consultation with the local government associations and the participating Canadian municipalities. 

In Jordan, the project is ending with the formation of a learning institute for women. 

“A learning opportunity [through the institute] could include speakers and mentors available to help build the capacity of women to run for government office,” said Jeffery. “It also provides a way to develop something that would stay there and be sustainable once the project ends.” 

The Jordan Municipal Support Program is the Federation of Canadian Municipality’s only municipal development program in the Middle East. 

In her years on the board for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Jeffery has seen reports from other projects that have closed in Peru and Colombia, where more municipal development was occurring through peer-to-peer support between Canadian and local municipalities. 

“Some of those programs have had more than 100 Canadian municipalities involved in a five-year contract to help develop what they’re working on,” Jeffery told CollingwoodToday. 

She said she doesn’t know exactly the kind of activities Collingwood staff will participate in for the Ghana project, as the work is still in the early stages of planning and outreach, but she's looking forward to the work that will come.

“The Town of Collingwood’s appointment … is an immense honour and an extremely proud moment for our town,” said Jeffery in a news release. 

Based on the preliminary reports she has received through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, less than 10 per cent of the mayors in Ghana are women, and less than 15 per cent of the mayors and regional leaders (akin to Canada’s Member of Parliament) combined are women. 

Many government leadership positions are appointed, not elected. 

“We have to respect that all countries are at a different stage in the continuum of parity for women in leadership,” said Jeffery. “We recognize we have gone through what Ghana is going through now.”

Some of the options for peer-to-peer support could involve women from Ghana watching Canadian women run for municipal office in the upcoming election, or having staff from the Canadian municipalities explain how each town updated or passed new policies to encourage gender parity at town hall. 

“It’s really important to share our learning … to be able to use our expertise to help other countries and help women, globally, have parity of voice in government is extremely important,” said Jeffery. “And there’s a reciprocal learning, you get a lot more out of it than you put into it.” 

Over six years, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities estimates the total project cost for all five countries combined at $27.61 million. Of that, $26 million will come from Global Affairs Canada, which covers the expenses related to the project. 

The Town of Collingwood and other participating municipalities would be contributing in-kind staff time, but no money to the budget. Travel costs for town staff, if they go to Ghana, would be covered by Global Affairs Canada. 

In September 2021, Collingwood council voted in favour of supporting the town’s application to be considered for future Federation of Canadian Municipality international projects, provided they fit with Collingwood’s Community Based Strategic Plan.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities was formed in 1901 and includes members from more than 2,000 Canadian municipalities, representing more than 90 per cent of Canadians. 

To read more from the town about its participation in the Women in Local Leadership Project, click here.