By IANS,
New Delhi : India presents a good model for gender sensitive local governance among commonwealth countries, said Basil Morrison, chairperson of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF), Tuesday.
“India is a very active partner that supports local democracy and encourages exchange of good practices,” Morrison said.
“The Indian model of 33 percent representation for women in the local governance is a very good model for other countries, which makes it gender sensitive,” he added after a meeting of the policy-making committee of CLGF.
The CLGF good practices scheme in India is operated in two states, Gujarat and Kerala, linking local self-governance in India with partners in Britain and other Commonwealth countries.
The meeting was organised to discuss the CLGF Asian programme on local democracy and good practice scheme in India. They also discussed the feedbacks from the commonwealth heads of the government meeting in Kampala, Uganda, in November last year.
Local government leaders from Commonwealth countries attended the meeting.
Kumari Selja, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation and member of CLGF, said: “This meeting is very timely and appropriate as India has been taking effective steps for strengthening local bodies both in urban and rural areas.”
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, in association with the CLGF is to organise a conference on “The Inclusive City: A Commonwealth Perspective” April 16, 2008 in Delhi.
The conference will focus on case studies of different approaches in India and commonwealth countries in urban development and housing sector.