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Registering Marginalized Populations to Vote in Nepal
As Nepal undergoes critical electoral and governance changes, IFES Nepal is working with local partners to register Nepalis – including Dalits, youth, Muslim women, freed Kamaiya (those subjected to forced labor) and other historically marginalized groups – to vote. This is part of IFES Nepal’s efforts to ensure that all Nepalis are able to participate actively in Nepal’s evolving political process.
News & Updates
Feature
Improving Access to Citizenship Certificates
As a primary legal document in Nepal, the citizenship certificate is compulsory for banking; accessing formal education and employment; registering on the voter’s roll; and obtaining a variety of benefits, including social security and government allowances for people with disabilities, victims of armed conflict and internally displaced persons. Yet despite its importance, there are significant barriers – including lack of knowledge or supporting documents and issues related to gender, caste and extreme poverty – that hinder access to citizenship certificates, especially for those from Nepal’s more marginalized groups.
News & Updates
Feature
Empowering Youth in Nepal to Secure their Voting Rights
As part of the USAID-funded “Strengthening Political Parties, Electoral and Legislative Processes” program, IFES Nepal is partnering with subawardees like Youth Initiative (YI) to strengthen the participation of youth, ethnic minorities and historically marginalized groups in Nepal’s electoral process. In support of this objective, IFES Nepal and YI recently launched a new initiative – “Voter Registration, Electoral Participation and Citizenship Certificate Support for Youth” – to ensure that eligible youth are able to register and secure their right to vote.
News & Updates
Feature
IFES Hosts Election Commission of Nepal
On July 14, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) hosted a delegation from the Election Commission of Nepal (ECN), led by Commissioner Dolakh Bahadur Gurung, an interactive learning session at its Washington, D.C. headquarters.
News & Updates
Feature
Marie-Paule Kodjo’s Fight for Women’s Rights in Côte d’Ivoire
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. Marie-Paule Kodjo, a dogged women’s rights advocate from Côte d’Ivoire, is one such figure. Her story and life’s work evidence many of the challenges women face throughout Africa, yet offers a hopeful prospect for the advancement of their rights.
News & Updates
Feature
A Rights-Based Approach to Electoral Security
In India, Maoist rebels killed 14 people in attacks in Chhattisgarh state as part of a campaign of violence aimed at disrupting the ongoing five-week national election in the world’s most populous democracy. Similarly, in the days leading up to the April 5 presidential election in Afghanistan, the Taliban unleashed a campaign of violence to discredit the electoral process and keep voters from the polls. Many hope this election will be known for delivering the first peaceful transfer of power in the country’s history.
News & Updates
Interview/Speech/Testimony
IFES Alumni Goes Back to School, Looks to Level the Global Playing Field
Alexandra Matthews, a graduate student at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, tells us what she learned about empowering the vulnerable while at IFES, and how this work inspired her studies.
News & Updates
Press Release
IFES Supports Women’s Network in Cote d’Ivoire
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is honored to join the Women’s Network in Cote d’Ivoire at the official presentation of recommendations to Ivoirian institutions and government on new opportunities for women’s leadership in political processes. A priority among those recommendations is support for the Ivoirian Parliament to enact a gender quota to increase the participation of women in government.
News & Updates
Interview/Speech/Testimony
CEDAW Anniversary: Helping Women in Nepal Find Their Voice
Although increasing women’s political, economic, social and legal influence is needed for the development of Nepal, women in general – poor women, in particular – are discriminated against, disadvantaged, marginalized, excluded and exploited from the development of all sectors, at all levels. Radhika Regmi, IFES' national training adviser in Nepal, talks about how IFES tries to bring women into political processes in Nepal.
News & Updates
Interview/Speech/Testimony
CEDAW Anniversary: Encouraging Women’s Participation in Post-Conflict Cote d’Ivoire
Women in Côte d’Ivoire represent a strong, productive force in the economy. However, gender equality, as proclaimed in Ivorian law, is still not always applied in practice. Samira Keita, IFES program officer in Côte d’Ivoire, talks about efforts to empower women's participation in the country.