Over the last year, Turkey has been confronted with a series of crises. Ongoing debates regarding the prevalence of gender-based violence (GBV) and its relationship to conservative cultural norms have only been heightened in recent months as Turkey has confronted the dual threat of a lagging economy and an ongoing pandemic. As Turkish citizens have spent more time at home and the public health sector focuses on fighting the pandemic, pre-existing social challenges, such as GBV, have been exacerbated.

His Excellency. His Majesty King. His Highness. 

So it went on. Heads of State. Mr. and His, but no Her or Ms. 

In Georgia, NDI partners with USAID to support civil society organizations’ (CSOs) citizen-driven advocacy campaigns. Partners identify pressing concerns in their communities, build public support around these issues and advocate to local, regional, and national authorities for their resolution. Between October 2019 and May 2020, NDI supported campaigns in the municipalities of Ozurgeti, Marneuli, and Telavi.

In Ukraine, women remain underrepresented at all levels of governance and local decision making, as well as continuing to face significant obstacles to gender equality in other spheres. Training opportunities for women are essential to empowering more women to run for office and creating strong networks of women leaders who are willing to make an impact in their communities. 

I’m ready to run for office. And what makes me happy is that I will have a team of supporters. Even if I am the only one who runs, I will definitely have a team that will help me win.

When a state of emergency was announced in Kyrgyzstan in March, youth organizers were leading projects to help address some of the local infrastructure issues affecting their communities, such as parks that had fallen into disrepair or poor street lighting. With COVID-19 forcing everyone to remain home, six student organizers from the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek took action to ensure momentum was not lost. With support from NDI, these activists seamlessly pivoted their organizing efforts into the online space. 

As Georgia approaches its parliamentary elections on October 31, 2020, NDI partners are hard at work creating an environment that will ensure all Georgians have access to accurate information necessary for a free and equal election environment. To protect digital space, civil society leaders from Georgia are monitoring social media and working to increase transparency prior to the elections.

Authoritarian actors threaten to undermine democratic ideals around the world. That’s why this month, NDI featured a conversation among incredible leaders  to discuss Disinformation, Cybersecurity,  and Defending Digital Democracy as part of the International Leaders Forum held on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention (and this year held virtually.)

In a wide ranging discussion, one common theme emerged. We know what works: the strongest counter to disinformation is good governance and trust in institutions.