So much of the conversation in Washington and in the media on Africa tends to focus on the violent and tragic events transpiring on the continent. And while there is much work to be done by African States, their citizens and the international community to advance human rights and democracy, the work that is being done by inspiring figures all over Africa is often overlooked.
Feature
27 Jul 2017
On July 20, 2017, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and the Central Electoral Board (Junta Central Electoral [JCE]) of the Dominican Republic signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to confirm future cooperation of the inclusion of persons with disabilities in electoral processes.
25 Jul 2017
The 2015 elections in Myanmar saw a historic number of women candidates run for office, and resulted in more than twice the number of women in elected office. However, Myanmar remains dramatically behind international standards for women’s representation and gender equality, with one of the lowest percentages of women in elected office in Asia.
25 Jul 2017
On June 12-13, 2017, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and the National Assembly of Persons with Disabilities of Ukraine (NAPD) organized a conference in Kyiv on recent initiatives to inte
19 Jul 2017
In Kenya, youth are defined in the constitution as persons between the ages of 18 and 35 years old. This demographic is a vital part of Kenyan society, making up roughly 78.3 percent of Kenya’s population. This segment of the population also falls predominantly in Living Standard Metrics (LSM) 2-8, which means that they are low on the socio-economic scale and thus often marginalized.
19 Jul 2017
“Violence is an everyday reality for women running for office in Kenya – from physical and verbal abuse, public undressing and humiliation, to arson attacks. Women continue to bear the brunt of it all and this needs to change.”
18 Jul 2017
In July 2009, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously decided that each year July 18 would be celebrated as Nelson Mandela International Day, commemorating the lifetime of service anti-apartheid advocate and former President of South Africa Mandela gave to South Africa and the world.
14 Jul 2017
As Kenya draws close to the August 2017 elections, one area of concern has been the underrepresentation of women in the electoral process. Underrepresentation by this often-marginalized group does not only stem from the number of women that register to vote but also the lack of availability of targeted voter education.
11 Jul 2017
Silvia Quan, a former Vice-Chairperson of the CRPD Committee, speaks o7 Jul 2017
An image of two Fulani women patiently queueing to register to vote in Nigeria’s 2015 historic elections received top honors in the International Foundation for Electoral Systems’ (IFES) 2015 Photography Contest. In Kwara state, where the photo was taken, people of Fulani ethnicity are a minority among the much larger Yoruba and Hausa groups.
