Citizen Participation

Mali Adopts Law Promoting Gender Equity

On November 12, 2015, the Malian National Assembly adopted a historic gender quota bill. The new law, which requires that at least 30 percent of elected or appointed officials be women, is a result of concerted action to reverse several years of negative trends in women’s representation in positions of power.

Defensora de los Derechos Humanos Guatemalteca: Luchar por sus derechos como mujer tras protege los derechos de todas las mujeres

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Nota del editor: esta historia es la primera de una serie sobre los programas de NDI enfocados en las mujeres, que serán destacados durante el mes de marzo en honor al Día Internacional de la Mujer.

Guatemalan Human Rights Advocate: Fighting for Her Rights as a Transgender Woman Protects the Rights of All Women

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For Debby Linares Sandoval, the challenges faced by transgender women in Guatemala are personal. Watching her peers struggle to gain access to basic healthcare services, and experiencing discrimination herself as a transgender woman, Linares began to realize the importance of not just advocating for human rights, but also actively participating in the broader political system to effect even greater change.

Guatemalan Human Right Advocate: Fighting for Her Rights as a Transgender Women Protects the Rights of All Women

Editor’s Note: This story is the first in a series about NDI’s women-focused programs that will be highlighted throughout the month of March in honor of International Women’s Day.

Public Opinion Research Points to Path Forward for Iraq Reconciliation

NDI released new public opinion research, which reveals a clear path forward for Iraq’s road to reconciliation. The research, which is the result of 22 in-depth interviews with Iraqi leaders and a nationwide survey of 2,200 citizens conducted between December 12, 2015 and January 8, 2016, points to the need for Iraq’s politicians and governing institutions to work together to forge a shared vision for the country.

Stepdown Training Toolkit on Legislative Engagement

This toolkit provides information and reference materials the National Democratic Institute (NDI) has used in conducting a series of legislative advocacy/engagement workshops in Liberia under its Building Citizen Centered Political Engagement program funded by the Embassy of Sweden (EOS). This toolkit provides reference and support materials, and allows its users to organize similar trainings to assist civil society groups and to lobby and advocate with individual lawmakers and the legislature as a whole on issues of importance to citizens.

NDI Partner NAHNOO Mobilizes to Re-Open Beirut’s Largest Park

Public space – and green space in particular – is a rarity in Beirut, where nearly 50 percent of Lebanon’s population resides. Despite trends toward privatization and overlapping mandates of Beirut’s governor and municipal council, a group of young Lebanese citizens has been advocating for change.

Campaign Schools Mobilize Thousands Across Middle East and North Africa

Following the Arab Spring, new opportunities for political participation opened up in much of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, particularly for women, youth and minorities who had historically been marginalized and excluded from power.

Results of November 2015 Public Opinion Poll in Georgia

Iraq Survey: Lack of Government Responsiveness Impacts Public Mood

Iraqis grew increasingly frustrated with poor service provision and rampant corruption, according to the findings of an NDI national survey conducted from August 12 to September 3, 2015. Citizens’ concerns about the government’s perceived lack of responsiveness to the people’s needs (58 percent saw the issue as worsening) negatively impacted public attitudes about politicians and political entities.