Around 70 countries in the world still criminalize same-sex relationships. In 11 of these countries, there is evidence of the death penalty occuring or being ‘allowed” for same-sex relationships. A quarter of the world’s population believes that being LGBTQI+ should be a crime.
After 20 years of civil war between the region of Bougainville and Papua New Guinea (PNG), Bougainville voted for independence from PNG in a 2019 referendum conducted as part of a peace agreement ending the conflict. Since then, the PNG National Government and Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) have embarked on a post-referendum consultation process to decide the political future of the province. However, ample public consultation, including by women, youth, and interest groups, would be needed to guarantee buy-in and lasting results of the peace process.
A strong and vibrant democracy is dependent on information integrity to enable citizens to hold their government accountable on the basis of accurate information. Since independence in 2008, Kosovo has made great strides in developing strong democratic institutions. However, the country faces deep partisan divides, unresolved ethnic tensions, marginalization of women, frequent electoral campaigns, and low government responsiveness to citizens’ concerns. This environment makes Kosovo susceptible to anti-democratic narratives which spread quickly and widely, affecting public opinion.
The internet is a tool that can simplify and encourage democratic engagement, but the rise of online disinformation challenges even the world’s most robust democracies. While the most recognizable disinformation campaigns are related to national politics, disinformers frequently employ narratives targeting women’s gender and sexuality in order to disrupt democracy. This is often then amplified by media agents and the general population, who may not have the intent to drive disinformation nor the capacity to discern it.
In April 2021, Kosovo citizens were more optimistic than in the fall about the direction of the country. Economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and vaccination against the virus joined longstanding concerns related to unemployment and corruption. Concerns about the safety of the vaccine were high, and belief in false Covid-19 narratives remained, just before Kosovo began its broader national vaccination campaign.
NDI cautions that opinions from this research represent a snapshot from April 2021 only.
The February 2021 snap parliamentary elections marked the beginning of a new chapter for Kosovo. For the first time since Kosovo's independence in 2008, a single political party has a majority in the Assembly. It also elected a female president for the second time and a record 43 women representatives to the 120 seat National Assembly.