Over the past few years, Ecuador has gradually been taking steps to achieve gender parity in political processes. To further this effort, NDI has established and provided technical support to the Violet Coalition (Coalición Violeta, CV), a multi-sector coalition to promote increased women’s participation in Ecuadorian politics made up of members representing academia, civil society organizations, media outlets, and the private sector.

From its earliest days in the 1980s NDI recognized that throughout the world young people were driving forces in democracy movements. From the Philippines’ People Power Revolution to Czechoslovakia's Velvet Revolution, from South Africa’s struggle to end apartheid to student protests against Panama's dictator nullifying elections, young people played key roles in autocracy yielding to democracy. NDI also recognized that young people were not politically monolithic nor necessarily politically active and that significant barriers excluded them, even within democratic structures.

For political systems to be representative, all parts of society must be included. When young people are disenfranchised or disengaged from political processes, a significant portion of the population has little or no voice or influence in decisions that directly affect their lives. As a result, young people are increasingly getting frustrated and turning away from formal political participation.