It was a busy December in Washington D.C., as leaders from across the African continent attended the African Leaders Summit, and met with their American counterparts and diaspora communities. Days before the African Leaders Summit, the Kenya Diaspora Alliance - USA (KDA - USA), with support from the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the U.S.

In November, representatives from NDI’s civil society partners in Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sudan came together for a two-day virtual roundtable event addressing their respective advocacy efforts focused on the preservation of civic space. As countries across sub-Saharan Africa face a worrisome trend of democratic backsliding, NDI seeks to provide opportunities for civil society organizations (CSOs) to learn from their peers' experience operating in increasingly repressive environments and promoting greater respect and protection of civil liberties.

Today, more than one-third of Africa’s population is aged between 15 and 35. Ordinarily a cheering picture of a promising future for the continent, but evidence shows this demographic advantage remains to be seen in political inclusion, particularly inclusion and visibility of young people in internal political party processes. There is more evidence that young people tend to vote less frequently, stand as candidates less often and remain underrepresented in electoral functions and political party processes in the continent.

One of the most critical barriers to inclusive democracies and institutions is violence or threats of violence that directly impact women’s ability to participate in politics and in the media. While the two sectors have distinct challenges, violence against women in politics and in the media (VAW-PM) exhibits many of the same traits: individuals, institutions, and sociocultural norms mitigating against women working safely and equitably in male-dominated fields. Often, however, women in both fields are pitted against each other and encouraged to distrust each other.