At its core, democracy is about citizens having a say in how they are governed through accountable, transparent and inclusive government. Increasingly, social media is the public square in which debates and discussions take place. In our daily lives we all see the role that social media plays in shaping public opinion and coloring political events. We have seen how virtual tools bring communities together, but also spread discord and tear them apart. 

This toolkit is designed to aid visionary, ambitious party members who are on the peripheries of power, but eager to plan and implement internal reforms aimed at improving a party’s internal democracy and electoral appeal. Taking the Wheel seeks to equip party change agents with a roadmap for the implementation strategies and soft skills needed to navigate the arduous party reform process.

In 2010 and 2011, NDI helped convene stakeholders from across Mexico to ensure that legislation promoting women’s political participation would be enacted. Civil society activists, government representatives, academics, and women from leading political parties came together in a coalition for “2% and More Women in Politics,” to develop and advocate for a regulation to promote enforcement of a provision in the federal election code that designates 2 percent of federal political party funding for women’s leadership training.

As part of NDI’s work to increase meaningful and sustained participation of women in the political processes of Côte d’Ivoire, this guide for activists is a tool for the comprehension, instruction and facilitation of women’s political participation in Cote d’Ivoire. This publication provides detailed guidance to activists on discussion, instruction and advocacy regarding women’s political participation in Cote d’Ivoire. It provides context on the current state of women’s involvement in the Ivoirian political sphere, as well as important data to facilitate effective advocacy action.