In many countries, including Mali, the exclusion of women in politics persists despite legal structures that aim to increase their participation. At an exchange session led by NDI and its local partners, Network of African Women Ministers and Parliamentarians of Mali (REFAMP) and the Young Malian Women Political Party Leader’s Network (REJEFPO), women from Malian political parties in the Mopti region discussed obstacles that impede gender equality in politics.

Since 2019, the Disinformation Coordination Hub -- a platform that unites more than 20 Ukrainian organizations and initiatives -- has worked together to fact-check, counter disinformation, improve media literacy, and conduct strategic communications. The Hub has persevered with its work following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February and has continued to facilitate coordination and information exchange among its members, as well as contributing to a “one-voice” policy for countering Russian information attacks.

Oleksandra Shchukina is the head of Smart Media, an NDI-supported civil society organization that helps Ukraine’s citizens understand key reforms. She was raised in a family with civic and patriotic values, values which have given her strength during Russia’s war against Ukraine. “I am inspired by how caring our people are, by their desire to help others. My own patriotism and national identity come from my own family,” Oleksandra says. Her parents, grandparents, and great grandparents devoted their careers to civic life in Kharkiv, working as teachers, professors, and priests.

On August 9, an estimated 22 million Kenyans went to the polls to elect their next president. Despite being one of the most competitive elections in the country’s history, it resulted in a peaceful transition of power and a step forward in Kenya’s democratization process.

Making Democracy Work by Improving Government Communication and Public Engagement in The Gambia

For the first time ever, the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteurs for Human Rights Defenders and for the Right to Peaceful Assembly and Association have explicitly recognized election observers, in particular nonpartisan citizen observers, as human rights defenders and called on member states to “enable independent and impartial election observation by all monitors, including from abroad.”

When Muammar Gaddafi’s 42-year autocratic rule came to an end in 2011, Libya turned its eye towards a new form of government, one in which the Libyan people’s interests would be represented under democratic principles. After decades of a government-enforced ban, political parties are emerging across Libya, giving Libyans the opportunity to organize their political beliefs under a collective banner.

Against the backdrop of full-scale war, missile attacks and infrastructure outages, Ukrainian citizens, civil society, political parties, media, business leaders and key democratic institutions continue to drive recovery and reconstruction planning.

In 2022, it is hard to imagine Armenia's parliament without young professionals in the corridors, rushing into a committee session, a parliamentary hearing, or patiently taking notes while talking to citizens at the reception center. You may even run into a group of young professionals sitting at the cafeteria preparing for important national and international events. Many of these young professionals are NDI Parliamentary interns and fellows.