Strengthening the building blocks of democratic legislatures – transparency, accountability, oversight, responsiveness and effective legislation – is among the goals of the House Democracy Partnership (HDP), an organization created by the U.S. House of Representatives to promote and support emerging democratic governments around the world.  HDP currently has 14 partner countries on five continents.

Provincial councilors (PCs) in Afghanistan have seen their roles change and expand  since their offices were created four years ago. Many of them had little political experience, so they’ve had to learn on the job. NDI has played a significant role in that learning process.

As the countries of southeastern Europe struggle to move beyond a legacy of violent conflict and consolidate their democratic institutions, women leaders play an essential role. Frequently, women serve as the vanguard of political change, willing to break with established traditions and accepted wisdom to advocate for reforms. However, women politicians in the region have little place at their parties’ decision-making tables and are frequently absent when policy is developed. To foster cooperation among like-minded women leaders in the region, NDI, from Oct.