Member of Parliament (MP) Wafa Bani Mustafa knew that in order to change the status quo in Jordan, one in which no woman has ever made it to the head of the parliament or head of the government, she would need to tackle one main hurdle - violence against women in public life.  Political violence, whether its exclusion, harassment, bullying or physical attacks, has detrimental effects on the participation and presence of women in decision-making processes. In Jordan, women involved in politics tend to face cyberbullying, harassment and death threats.

Political parties play an important role in aggregating and representing public interests, shaping political agendas and developing government policies and programs. Parties are also a vehicle for contesting power and earning the right to govern through peaceful elections. To become more competitive, parties can make room for diverse voices within their organizations and practice more inclusive policy-making and decision-making. These actions will help build and maintain a broader base of constituent support and earn citizen trust.  

Amidst this year’s health crisis caused by the pandemic and the worsening economic situation in Iraq, a group of women members of parliament (MPs) comes together across different political parties, sects, and ethnic backgrounds to address one common cause: combating domestic violence. 

Historically, persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Jordan have rarely participated in elections either as candidates or voters due to prevailing cultural stigmatization against PWDs, the absence of accessible polling stations and a lack of awareness on their rights to participate in the electoral process or how to vote. Moreover, disabled persons organizations (DPOs) do not have the capacity to advocate for PWD rights or raise awareness on a large scale. An added challenge is the lack of data about the number of PWDs in Jordan and the types of disabilities in each electoral district. 

Since 2019, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) has partnered with the “Access” (Wusool in Arabic) campaign, a coalition of disabled persons organizations (DPOs) across Libya focused on building support for persons with disabilities (PWDs). The campaign not only works on infrastructure improvements, but also targeted outreach and administrative support at higher education institutions as PWDs pursue their degrees. 

Around the world, a diversity of beliefs and nonbeliefs interact with and are integrated into political, social and cultural contexts. This reality makes collaborating and partnering with religious communities to advance development goals, known as strategic religious engagement (SRE), an intricate, yet important, process. 

From the COVID-19 pandemic to the heightening climate crisis to an increase in authoritarian overreach, 2020 has sorely tested the strength of democracies globally. Even while the world continues to reel from the effects of these multiple threats, at least one lesson of 2020 is already apparent: the parliaments most effective in upholding democratic norms and meeting citizen needs are the ones that have maintained a firm commitment to the principles of transparency, openness and accountability.