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Women Speak Out Against Discrimination in Burkina Faso

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In the West African country of Burkina Faso, gender discrimination touches many aspects of women's lives. Inheritance rights are unequal between men and women, violence against women is pervasive and women have lower literacy rates — 22 percent compared to 37 percent for men, according to the 2009 U.N. Human Development Report.

To raise awareness about these problems, a coalition of representatives from Burkinabe women's and human rights organizations traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, in October to present a report on the status of women's rights in Burkina Faso to the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

Iraqi National Youth Caucus Works to Turn Youth Priority Issues into Policy Changes

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As Iraqis work to create a new government, a group of young people is working to perfect the civic advocacy skills they need to influence how policy is made.

Members of Iraq's National Youth Caucus (NYC) came together recently to discuss their strategies for ongoing advocacy campaigns for improving high school and college education and combating the high rate of youth unemployment.

Kosovars Celebrate Democracy Day with Greater Citizen Engagement

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Citizen participation as a centerpiece of Kosovo's democracy was the theme of a week-long series of International Day of Democracy (IDD) events held in Pristina last month. Kosovars from a wide variety of ethnic communities attended the events, and most expressed an eagerness to learn about, and participate in, the legislative process.

Mexican Civic Groups Bring Public Security Concerns to Politicians

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Organized crime and an exponential growth in violence have generated serious challenges to democratic institutions in Mexico. Many citizens feel that the government is not providing even basic protection, and they have begun to speak out individually and collectively about their concerns.

Julian Quibell, who directs NDI’s programs in Mexico, sat down for an interview on how NDI is bringing civil society and politicians together to show how collaborative dialogue can help deal with concerns like citizen insecurity.

In Rwanda, Staff Work to Promote Political Party Dialogue and Peaceful Competition

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Fifteen years after the genocide that devastated Rwanda, the country is still dealing with its lasting impact on politics and governance. Rwandans are looking to their government to deal with issues such as poverty and regional integration, and they are hoping for responsiveness from politicians and political parties. With presidential elections approaching, we sat down with Gaston Aín, NDI’s former country director in Rwanda, to learn more about the political landscape, the role of young people and NDI’s work with political parties.

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