Approximately 60 percent of Guinea’s population is under the age of 24, but young people in the West African nation continue to be underrepresented in politics. Their interests and priorities are largely ignored in policies and electoral strategies. More often than not, youth interested in politics find themselves marginalized and feel disenfranchised—a feeling that is shared by many citizens of all age groups in Guinea.

A widespread perception among Nigerians is that a vote for a woman is wasted as she cannot win or should not lead—a perception that hampers women from rising in the ranks within parties and from winning elected office. These negative stereotypes about women's political participation exist partly because the information sources that Nigerians trust most, like community leaders or journalists, do not challenge these views and instead negatively portray women in public life.

Lebanon is the oldest democracy in the Middle East, granting women the right to vote and run for office in 1953. So why, more than six decades later, does Lebanon have so few women in its parliament? According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Lebanon ranks 185 out of 193 countries surveyed with only 3 percent of women in its 128-seat parliament. This low rate is not for lack of qualified women. Women now account for more than half of university graduates in Lebanon and can be found in senior level positions in the private sector, civil society, and academic institutions.

From February 20 to 23, NDI convened 16 electoral experts and data-minded civil society leaders in Kyiv, Ukraine, for an intensive four-day Election Data Academy. As part of NDI’s Open Election Data Initiative (OEDI), these participants, representing 12 different countries*, were led through practical, hands-on modules developed by NDI that highlighted best practices for obtaining and using election data to advance electoral integrity.