Category: Learning tools

Care Blocks Bogotà

This learning case sets out in the city of Bogotá, Colombia. Through the personal story of Graciela, the case examines unpaid care work from an intersectional perspective and reflects on how Bogotá’s Secretariat for Women’s Affairs implemented “Care blocks” to in 2020.

The material can be read on its own but is intended as basis for a facilitated discussion. By putting themselves in the shoes of the civil servants at the women’s office, participants will learn to:

  • Create a local government policy to reduce and redistribute unpaid care work that falls mainly on the
    shoulders of women and consider how including men in this work might impact equity.
  • Identify how to put into practice an intersectionality approach in gender, class, race, disabilities, etc.
    in the implementation of local policies related to care work.
  • Analyze the role of inter-institutional coordination and citizen participation in creating gender policies.

The material comprises the case in English and in Spanish, and a faciliator’s guide in English with suggested workshop structure. There is also a workshop presentation – a modifiable version of this can be shared upon request.

Publication Type
Learning Cases
Project Area
Social care and wellbeing
Sustainable Development Goals
5 - Gender equality
Topic
Gender Equality
Tags
Gender equality, Latin America, Unpaid work,

Cape Town’s Quest for Accessible Transportation

Key concepts: Spatial Inequality, Social Inclusion, Disability Rights

As in many countries in the world, people with disabilities in South Africa face a number of social, attitudinal, structural and infrastructure barriers that inhibit their full participation in society. Accessible transportation can be one way to overcome some of these barriers and allow for access to education, employment, services, and social opportunities, particularly in sprawling and spatially segregated cities like Cape Town. Cape Town City Council developed a bus rapid transit system called MyCiTi and a Universal Access Policy (UAP) putting forth ambitious goals for accessibility, but transportation accessibility did not extend meaningfully beyond the new bus system and there continued to be gaps between policy and practice.

The case is one where a municipal government sought to take action and leadership on a human rights issue and chose to ‘aim high’ with an ambitious policy to meet international and domestic human rights commitments and redress inequality. It also, however, highlights potential gaps between these commitments and the resources available to municipalities. Is it appropriate to set goals that seem unreachable, or should policy objectives in this area be aspirational?

Learning objectives:

  • Examine city councils’ role in disability-related issues including access to transportation and public spaces
  • Consider the experiences of people with different types of disabilities who navigate transportation in urban settings
  • Understand South Africa’s obligations towards people with disabilities
  • Consider how cities like Cape Town might meet obligations that require significant resources
  • Consider what forms of consultation and monitoring are necessary for an effective, accessible transportation system

Publication Type
Learning Cases
Project Area
Inclusive leadership and governance
Sustainable Development Goals
10 - Reduced inequalities11 - Sustainable cities and communities
Topic
Human Rights

Securing the Right to Housing and Services in eThekwini’s Informal Settlements

Key Concepts: Spatial Inequality, Right to Housing

Like other major cities in South Africa, Durban’s eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality faces a growing population fuelled by migration from both rural areas and neighbouring countries. Many new residents find shelter in informal settlements which are, although real communities, often overcrowded and unsafe, lacking critical infrastructure. The municipality’s Human Settlements Unit endeavoured to create a “quality living environment” by new costructions, but after a while changed their strategy to implement an “incremental informal settlements upgrading” program.

The case is one of a municipality responsible for addressing an ongoing and growing problem that is beyond their financial and infrastructure capacity. It encourages discussions based on the concepts of spatial inequality (particularly apartheid’s legacy), and the legal codification of the right to housing. Combined, these present a conundrum: there is a legal duty to provide housing and services, this duty is tied to a history of inequality, and this duty falls primarily on municipalities, including municipalities like eThekwini who struggle to locate the resources to meet these duties.

Primary learning objectives:

• Examine municipalities’ role in providing housing
• Identify the human rights that are connected to housing
• Consider the needs and experiences of people living in informal settlements
• Consider what consultation is necessary to develop an effective housing plan

Publication Type
Learning Cases
Project Area
Inclusive leadership and governanceSocial care and wellbeing
Sustainable Development Goals
10 - Reduced inequalities11 - Sustainable cities and communities
Topic
Human Rights

Sexual Orientation and Human Rights in Botswana – The City of Gaborone’s role

Botswana stands out in the African context for its unique approach to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) issues. In addition to societal stigma, their sexual behaviour was criminalized by the penal code. Gaborone City Council did not have jurisdiction over the legalization of same-sex sexual activity or identity, but it did have an important voice that could be influential.

In the midst of cautious social change, the city council of Gaborone, the country’s capital and largest city, came out with an unexpected motion “Request[ing] the government to consider decriminalisation of same-sex sexual activities to support HIV/AIDS Programmes and Policies” before the Gaborone City Council. Three years later, subtle change gave way to radical transformation, and Botswana’s High Court declared sections of the penal code criminalising same-sex sexual activity to be in contravention of sections 3 (rights to liberty, privacy, dignity), 9 (right to privacy) and 15 (right to non-discrimination) of the Constitution and struck them down (Motshidiemang 2019).

The case of Gaborone can be introduced as one where a municipal government took action to speak openly and clearly about the human rights of a marginalized group, even though this was not in their area of jurisdiction. This action speaks to the role that municipal governments can take with respect to speaking on human rights issues, and raises questions about the role of democratically elected officials vis-à-vis minority rights, the relationship between federal and municipal governments, and the impact andappropriateness of making statements in areas beyond one’s jurisdiction.

Learning objectives

• Examine the role of city councils on social and human rights issues
• Understand the different actors and factors that led to legal and social changes to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) rights in Botswana
• Understand the experiences of LGBT people, men who have sex with men (MSM) and women who have sex with women (WSW) in Botswana
• Consider when and whether city councils should make statements or take action beyond their formal jurisdiction
• Consider the inputs and impact of incremental versus one-step plans
• Reflect on the impact of ‘rhetorical’ actions (i.e., statements with no direct legal impact)
• Reflect on how majority-based governance systems should address human rights issues of minority populations

Publication Type
Learning Cases
Project Area
Inclusive leadership and governance
Sustainable Development Goals
10 - Reduced inequalities3 - Good health and well-being5 - Gender equality
Topic
Human Rights
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