Gender, Women and Democracy

In Pursuit of Inclusive Peace: New Report on Women’s Inclusion in the PNG-Bougainville Consultations Process

After 20 years of civil war between the region of Bougainville and Papua New Guinea (PNG), Bougainville voted for independence from PNG in a 2019 referendum conducted as part of a peace agreement ending the conflict. Since then, the PNG National Government and Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) have embarked on a post-referendum consultation process to decide the political future of the province. However, ample public consultation, including by women, youth, and interest groups, would be needed to guarantee buy-in and lasting results of the peace process.

Information Integrity Challenges: A growing threat to Kosovo’s democracy

A strong and vibrant democracy is dependent on information integrity to enable citizens to hold their government accountable on the basis of accurate information. Since independence in 2008, Kosovo has made great strides in developing strong democratic institutions. However, the country faces deep partisan divides, unresolved ethnic tensions, marginalization of women, frequent electoral campaigns, and low government responsiveness to citizens’ concerns. This environment makes Kosovo susceptible to anti-democratic narratives which spread quickly and widely, affecting public opinion.

Addressing Online Misogyny and Gendered Disinformation: A How-To Guide

The internet is a tool that can simplify and encourage democratic engagement, but the rise of online disinformation challenges even the world’s most robust democracies. While the most recognizable disinformation campaigns are related to national politics, disinformers frequently employ narratives targeting women’s gender and sexuality in order to disrupt democracy. This is often then amplified by media agents and the general population, who may not have the intent to drive disinformation nor the capacity to discern it.

September 1, 2021

The Impact of Online Violence Against Women in the 2021 Uganda General Elections

The growth of internet users has brought about social and economic benefits on a global scale. However, significant harms such as online violence, disinformation and hate speech have also proliferated in these online spaces. Discriminatory gendered practices are shaped by social, economic, cultural and political structures and are similarly reproduced online across digital platforms. In Uganda, there has been rising rates of online harassment targeting both high profile women as well as everyday users.

NDI Kosovo Public Opinion Poll April 2021

In April 2021, Kosovo citizens were more optimistic than in the fall about the direction of the country. Economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and vaccination against the virus joined longstanding concerns related to unemployment and corruption. Concerns about the safety of the vaccine were high, and belief in false Covid-19 narratives remained, just before Kosovo began its broader national vaccination campaign.

NDI cautions that opinions from this research represent a snapshot from April 2021 only.

August 10, 2021

Women's Advisory Boards in Iraq Propose Solutions to Improve Access to Education

For nearly two years, Women’s Advisory Boards (WABs) in five Iraqi provinces have been assessing the unique needs of women and girls, implementing gender-sensitive community projects, and offering advice to local authorities in order to ensure that gendered perspectives are included in decision-making processes. Now, after months of researching how families in their communities are impacted by inequalities in their education systems, the WABs are developing recommendations to help increase access to education.

NDI’s Assessment of Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality Taking Stock and Mapping Forward

Situated in the Balkans region of Europe, Kosovo’s two million citizens have not been spared the ravages of Covid-19, with thousands infected and hundreds succumbing to the disease. As elsewhere, the pandemic has upended the lives of women, who have lost their jobs in hard-hit retail and hospitality sectors where they predominate, stepped forward as essential medical workers to fight the contagion, and devoted themselves as primary caregivers to children and the elderly.

Kosovo's Vibrant Democracy: Closing the deficit in women's full participation

The February 2021 snap parliamentary elections marked the beginning of a new chapter for Kosovo. For the first time since Kosovo's independence in 2008, a single political party has a majority in the Assembly. It also elected a female president for the second time and a record 43 women representatives to the 120 seat National Assembly.

No women, no change: Mighty Merkel, multitasking mothers and managers of medical miracles.

By Birgitta Ohlsson,

Director Political Parties,

National Democratic Institute (NDI)