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The National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.

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  • For Mexican Women, Fundraising and Technology are Key to Overcoming Campaign Obstacles

    As Mexico celebrates 55 years of women’s suffrage, women candidates continue to face obstacles in running for elected office. While gender quotas have led to an increase in the past two decades of women holding party and elected positions, they still represent fewer than 5 percent of municipal and state elected officials. They also often receive ballot placement that lessens their chances of winning and they receive less public financing and fewer opportunities for training.

  • Middle East and North Africa: Application Process Opens for 2009 Young Women Leaders Academy

    NDI is accepting applications for its 2009 Young Women Leaders Academy, to be held in Doha, Qatar, in July. The program provides young women with knowledge and practical skills needed to participate effectively in the political process. The core of the Academy is an intensive academic and training program. To provide practical experience, NDI will help participants secure internships or carry out projects using their newly developed political, advocacy and leadership skills.

  • Members of Parliament Form the Somali Women Parliamentarians’ Association

    The withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Somalia last January and the return  of the president, prime minister and parliamentarians to Mogadishu at the end of February created an opportunity for Somali women seeking to play a greater role in the new unity government. To aid in this effort, NDI organized a two-day study tour to Uganda and a four-day workshop in Mogadishu to help women members of parliament (MPs) and civil society representatives plan legislative and advocacy initiatives.

  • Four Kuwaiti Women Become First to Win Seats in Parliament

    On May 16, 2005, the women of Kuwait, standing together, won a prize they had been working toward for years – the right to vote and run for election. On May 16, 2009, the promise of that achievement came to fruition. Four women, running competitive, professional campaigns, won seats in Kuwait’s 50-member parliament.

  • Albanian President Topi Tells Women Leaders to Make Their Voices Heard to Strengthen Nation's Democracy

    Albanian President Bamir Topi, speaking to graduates of NDI’s women political development program, urged women across the country to assert their voices in public affairs.  Albania has one of the lowest percentages of elected women in Europe. They hold only 10 of the 140 seats in Albania’s parliament, and only one of the country’s 65 mayors is a woman.

  • ‘Leaders of Tomorrow’ Conference Kicks Off Collaborative Program for North African Women

    A diverse group of North African women with the potential to be leaders in their countries convened in Rabat, Morocco, last week as part of a collaborative program, unprecedented in the region, to shape future roles for women in political and civic life. 

  • Leadership Academy Raises Aspirations for Young Middle Eastern Women

    Raising the sights of young women from across the Middle East and North Africa who aspire to political careers was among the accomplishments of the Young Women Leaders Academy (YWLA), a 10-day program held recently in Doha, Qatar.

  • Women Candidates Prepare for Legislative Elections in Guinea

    A poor and vulnerable segment of the population, women in Guinea who aspire to leadership roles face a steep climb. The literacy rate for women is only 18 percent, compared to 42 percent for men, and in the last civilian government, women occupied only 19 percent of the seats in the national assembly and 15 percent of positions at the ministerial level. But with legislative elections scheduled for early next year, NDI is working to help a great number of these women overcome the odds to become elected leaders.

  • Salvadoran Women Define a Common Agenda

    Chronically underrepresented in the political life of El Salvador, women from a cross section of national political parties came together recently in San Salvador to lay out a National Legislative Assembly program to move the nation toward more gender equity.

  • iKNOW Politics Partners Launch Arabic Language Website to Support Women in Politics

    iKNOW Politics, an online network dedicated to the advancement of women in politics, launched a new Arabic language version in Amman, Jordan, Oct. 27, opening it up to potentially millions of new users in a region where women are significantly underrepresented politically.

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