Full and meaningful inclusion is a core democratic value. This is why NDI is working in Latin America to increase the political participation of underrepresented populations including Afro-Descendants, women and youth. Here’s how: 

Inclusive Political Parties

First invoked by the South African disability rights movement in the 1990s, “Nothing About Us Without Us” became the clarion call of activists organizing to overcome systemic oppression and empower persons with disabilities to take control over decisions affecting their lives. Since then, the concept has anchored the work of the global disability rights movement and its demand for the full and equal inclusion of persons with disabilities.

In support of NDI’s commitment to increasing the inclusion of marginalized populations in political processes, we’re highlighting the essential work of partners who are at the forefront fighting for greater levels of equality, shifting norms and perceptions, and reducing barriers to political participation for persons with disabilities. 

On May 17, Georgian LGBTQI+ rights organization Tbilisi Pride, an NDI partner, published a memorandum signed by fifteen political parties that unambiguously rejects discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in Georgia. This public display of political unity aims to encourage a broader change in political and social attitudes in a country where political parties have often either avoided or been openly hostile to LGBTQI+ issues.

Kenya’s 2010 constitution established a groundbreaking gender quota, requiring “not more than two-thirds of elective public bodies shall be of the same gender.” Ten years later, after numerous attempts, the government still has not adopted legislation to fully implement this constitutional requirement. As a result, this September 21, the Chief Justice of Kenya advised President Uhuru Kenyatta to dissolve parliament.