NDI - Mali

NDI and Three Nations in the Sahel Collaborate on Security Threats

erodriguez — Fri, 23 Dec 2016 17:19:27 +0000

Western Africa’s Sahel region “has for several years known an unprecedented security crisis,” according to NDI Central and West Africa Director Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh. This crisis “places strain on all people of the Sahel and simultaneously constitutes a real threat to international security and governance.” To foster a regional approach to this crisis, NDI held a forum from November 20 to December 1 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, which gathered members of parliament (MPs), civil society organization (CSO) representatives and executive agency staffers from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

On the sidelines of the event, NDI representatives briefed the President of Burkina Faso, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré (far right), on the goals of the regional Sahel security program. They underscored NDI’s regional and cross-sectoral approach to addressing security threats that fail to stay within the borders of only one country. President Kaboré voiced his support for the initiative.

Over three days, participants discussed opportunities for cross-border and multisectoral collaboration aimed at strengthening democratic governance of the security sector and promoting human security. Burkinabe, Malian and Nigerien security sector reform experts joined panelists from the African Union, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), G5 Sahel; a regional organization established in 2014 by the governments of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger that aims to foster security and development in the region; and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to provide a practitioner’s perspective on tackling pressing security threats.

From left: Amadou Diongué (African Union Representative), Danish Ambassador Ulla Næsby Tawiah, Alfred Gouba (Burkina Faso Secretary of State for Decentralization; delivering his speech), Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh (NDI Director for Central and West Africa) and Mohamed Znagui Sid Ahmed Ely (G5 Sahel Representative)

Panelists outlined these threats, which include:

porous borders that facilitate cross-border criminality, from banditry to human and drug trafficking to terrorism;
an absence (real or perceived) of state administration, defense and security agents;
lack of social services in stretches of territory; and
a history of military rule in the region, which has weakened public confidence in the state’s ability to protect and provide for its citizens.

Working in small groups, the MPs, CSO representative and executive branch personnel brainstormed robust approaches to face these multifaceted security threats.

“More than ever, it’s time to come together as one to fight terrorism for, as we face this threat together, we are condemned to win or to perish together,” said Abass Malam, a civil society representative from Niger, appealing to the other country participants for mutually reinforcing, coordinated initiatives.

Members of Parliament from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger during a Group Work Session

Participants also acknowledged and highlighted women’s roles in mitigating security risks. They encouraged greater integration of gender into security management in a region where women constitute approximately 52% of the population.

“Who more than a woman, a spouse and a mother can better advise her husband or her children not to go to war or engage in acts of terrorism?” queried MP Marie Laurence Ilboudo, member of the Defense and Security Commission of Burkina Faso’s National Assembly.

At the end of the forum, participants issued a joint declaration detailing recommended steps to take to increase human security in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

Recommendations for MPs included establishing regular consultations, updating the legal framework so that security threats can be effectively managed while respecting human rights and harmonizing legislation across all three countries to facilitate cooperation between security services.

CSOs were tasked with playing a more prominent role in security sector governance, putting in place a platform for CSOs in the three countries, holding more awareness-raising activities on human security, and building relationships between national and local organizations.

Executive agencies were called on to increase the number of frontier posts manned by security agents, reinforce coordination between border management authorities, build working relationships with the legislative branch, put in place basic infrastructure in border regions, and take women into account in security sector governance.

Participants in Plenary at the Regional Sahel Security Forum

Following the joint declaration, the three countries’ program partners engaged the press to relay the forum’s recommendations. As journalists raised concerns about implementation of these recommendations, partners reiterated their will and commitment to work in synergy on joint security governance initiatives within and beyond borders.

Burkinabe Participants from Civil Society, the Executive Branch and Parliament Formulate Proposals and Recommendations to Improve Security

Bringing together MPs, civil society representatives and executive agency staffers from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger allowed participants to create and adopt mechanisms for collaboration by sector and by country, as well as across sectors and countries. They successfully developed a roadmap for continued regional cooperation: the will continue to hold similar dialogue sessions on a recurring basis, organize joint activities that bring defense and security forces together with civilians - especially in border zones - and establish a multi-actor framework to discuss security issues.

Adopting a multisectoral, cross-cutting and regional strategy, as forum participants successfully committed to do in Ouagadougou, presents the most robust method to combat the transnational threats facing those who call the Sahel region their home.

The forum was conducted as part of a program supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark under the framework of the Danish Regional Stabilisation and Peace Programme, which is also funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ambassador of Denmark to Burkina Faso, Ulla Næsby Tawiah, and the Secretary of State for Decentralization, Alfred Gouba, representing Burkina Faso’s Ministry of Territorial Administration, Decentralization and Interior Security, provided opening remarks.

Published on December 27, 2016

West African Leaders Develop Principles for Effective Democratic Executive Branch Transfers of Power

jfrant — Mon, 19 Dec 2016 18:18:42 +0000

Cabo Verde media covered the conference for both radio and television.

Leaders from across West Africa met in Cabo Verde last month to discuss regional guidelines for democratic handovers of power after democratic elections. The November 21-22 gathering represented a significant and timely effort to begin developing international norms and standards around executive branch transitions.

NDI partnered with the Cabo Verde government to host more than 15 current and former government officials from eleven countries, including former Presidents Amos Sawyer of Liberia, Catherine Samba-Panza of Central African Republic and Pedro Pires of Cabo Verde. Representatives from Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal also participated in the two day conference, along with several international experts on executive transitions. Meetings focused on how to build upon good practices in political transitions throughout the region.

“The focus of this conference is so germane to the situations in African countries, particularly to Liberia -- one country that stands in anticipation of its first peaceful transition of power from an outgoing active administration to a newly elected and incoming one next year,” said Anthony Kesselly, who serves in the Office of the Vice President of Liberia.

While there are international standards for assessing the quality of the election process, from the campaign period until election day, an international framework for evaluating or improving the transition process does not exist. Political transitions are difficult, especially if the roles and responsibilities of the incoming and outgoing administrations are unclear. Uncertainty presents a host of potential triggers for conflict and dispute, diverting very limited human resources from the task of governing, during a period when expectations for citizens may be particularly high.

“We have to move away from the norm of ‘Who wins, wins everything and who loses, loses everything,’” said Pedro Pires, former President of Cabo Verde.

The participants brought a wealth of experience to the table for what is the first step in a longer process of developing internationally recognized standards around democratic transitions of the executive branch. They presented on specific topics of expertise, covering the mechanics and processes involved in areas such as: the legal and regulatory framework, governing executive branch handovers of power; approaches to engaging other branches of government on policy priorities such as economic stability and national security; inclusion and diversity in a new administration; and strategic communications, particularly for the first 100 days in office.

Pictured from left: Animata Malle-Sanogo, former president of the ECOWAS Court of Justice; Amos Sawyer, former President of Liberia; Pedro Pires, former President and Prime Minister of Cabo Verde; Catherine Samba-Panza, former President of the Central African Republic; and Jose Maria Pereira Neves, former Prime Minister of Cabo Verde.

The conference came at a time when there is particular interest in the ongoing executive branch transition in the US. NDI support for executive branch transitions is an important and growing element of Institute programing of NDI support for executive branch transitions --- both through the development of adequate legal and procedural frameworks for executive transitions and specific "transition team" assistance to potential incoming administrations.

“We live at a time where citizen demands of their government are extremely high. Newly elected presidents or prime ministers can’t afford to take months or even weeks to get up to speed and begin to govern. The negative impact of a slow, protracted transition -- or worse, serious missteps during an administration’s early days in office -- on lost economic development is something that most countries simply can’t afford,” said Scott Hubli, NDI’s director of governance programs.

The Principles on Democratic Executive Branch Transitions, which was agreed to by participants at the gathering in Cabo Verde, provides a crucial framework for transitions in the region and for future work by NDI and experts around the world to support the development of norms and standards for future incoming and outgoing administrations.

“The framework of principles, established by representatives of countries in the region, is an important step in providing a roadmap for governments to minimize the potential for disputes and to ensure respect for the voters’ preferences,” said Jodi White former Chief of Staff to Canadian Prime Minister Kim Campbell and President of the Public Policy Forum, who participated in the Cabo Verde conference.

NDI will convene an international symposium in Washington, D.C., to add additional perspectives and approaches on this topic beyond just the West African context. The Institute will bring experts from across the world who have experience with executive branch transfers of power and will seek to engage with executive transition initiatives of the following 2016 U.S. presidential election.

“A smooth and successful transition following an election, is of singular importance to the health of any democracy and to the public’s trust in its institutions,” White said.

Published on Deceber 19, 2016

NDI Convenes Malian Authorities to Promote Coordinated Response to National Security Challenges

erodriguez — Fri, 05 Aug 2016 19:36:18 +0000

Mali faces multiple national security challenges, from former separatist rebels in the north to violent attacks by radical Islamist factions across the country, including in Bamako. Combined with porous borders through which arms, drugs and members of criminal networks pass, the Government of Mali (GOM) must handle multi-faceted threats across a vast expanse of territory. Without effective, well-equipped mechanisms in place or sufficient resources and knowledge, Malian authorities are unable to implement fully and thoroughly the June 2015 peace accord or carry out the decentralization mandated in the accord.

An inter-ministerial group of participants take notes during the workshop

As a participant country in the U.S. Security Governance Initiative (SGI), launched by President Obama during the 2014 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, Mali has worked with U.S. officials to develop a plan outlining the country’s participation in this initiative. GOM authorities have expressed their commitment to set guidelines for implementing the peace agreement; disarming, demobilizing and reintegrating former rebel fighters; advancing security sector reform; promoting national reconciliation; and decentralizing government services.

Following a GOM request for SGI assistance to create and institutionalize a functional inter-ministerial coordination mechanism, NDI received funding from the U.S. Department of State Fundamental Freedoms Fund (FFF) to convene relevant actors from across Malian governmental ministries to develop a potential design for an inter-ministerial mechanism to address current and emerging security challenges. Through such a framework, the GOM can better harmonize actions on security sector issues and communicate with other stakeholders.

NDI, in collaboration with the GOM and SGI, organized a workshop in Bamako from June 28 to 30 to catalyze the development of this coordination mechanism. Bringing 37 officials from five key ministries – those responsible for defense, interior, foreign affairs, justice and finance – together with subject matter experts from West Africa and the U.S., the workshop provided participants with techniques and tools to conceptualize and create a structure to improve sustained coordination across these ministries.

To further learning and spark debate on the form such a mechanism could take, NDI engaged three expert consultants to research and author case studies highlighting examples of inter-ministerial coordination. The studies included Mali’s response to the Ebola epidemic, the creation of the National Coordination Commission against Drugs in Niger, and the development and implementation of an anti-terrorism action plan by the Government of Cote d’Ivoire. Practical knowledge was contributed by several current and former U.S. and Malian Government officials sharing their experiences.

Workshop participants in the plenary session.

U.S. General Ed Donnelly (retired) discussed security policy and strategy development, presenting different models used by a diverse array of countries, while Colonel Major Abdrahamane Baby of Mali’s defense ministry outlined the GOM’s current procedures for producing strategic policy documents related to defense and military national security. Former U.S. Ambassador to Kenya, William Bellamy, provided an account of the U.S. National Security Council’s origins and its different iterations under a succession of presidents, an area of much interest to the Malian authorities. Philip Breeden, former U.S. Foreign Service Officer, elaborated seven criteria for effective coordination between government agencies, as well as between government agencies and non-governmental actors such as the media, civil society and elected officials.

Participants from different ministries broke out into small groups and were given a real security challenge to address: preventing violent extremism, resolving the community-based conflict in Mali’s central region or securing Mali’s borders through a decentralized system. Participants used the seven coordination criteria to design a mechanism for inter-ministerial coordination. The three case studies served as “food for thought” from which to draw ideas and distill lessons learned. Based on their assigned case studies, each group determined the best approach to address and resolve their challenge and formulate a structure through which the relevant GOM ministries and actors could do the same.

After groups shared their ideas in the plenary, participants commented on and critiqued the proposed mechanisms in a lively debate. This exercise was replicated the next day, but with a different mixture of participants forming groups, and with a different task--to formulate a mechanism with the flexibility, authority and resourcefulness to respond to any security challenge that Mali currently faces, or might encounter in the future.

Photo credit: aBamako.com. From right to left, Andrew Young of the U.S. Embassy, Chief of Staff to the President of Mali, General Dao, Inspector General Ibrahima Diallo, former Minister of Defense of Mali Boubeye Maiga and General Ed Donnelly (ret). take part in the workshop’s opening ceremony.

In closing the event, the director of Mali’s National Commission for Security Sector Reform, Ibrahima Diallo, and the U.S. Ambassador to Mali, Paul A. Folmsbee, underscored for participants the importance of this collaborative meeting. They emphasized the need for an effective coordination mechanism. GOM participants expressed their commitment to working with SGI to develop a mechanism through which to coordinate the government’s response to security sector challenges. Following the workshop, NDI Mali is working with the GOM focal point as well as U.S. Embassy and SGI officials to develop a report containing the inter-ministerial group’s recommendations for developing and implementing such a mechanism.

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Democracy and Good Governance as an Antidote to Violent Extremism in Africa

erodriguez — Fri, 13 May 2016 20:02:41 +0000

Terrorist activity in sub-Saharan Africa over the past decade threatens to destabilize the continent and roll back some of the gains in broadening political space and participation since the global wave of democratization that began in the 1990s. Dr. Chris Fomunyoh, NDI’s Regional Director for Central and West Africa, made the case before Congress for why democracy and good governance should be a central component of any U.S. strategy on counterterrorism and stabilization in sub-Saharan Africa and around the world.

Dr. Chris Fomunyoh testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee: "More inclusive and responsive governance, especially at the local level, would help sustain long-term military gains against Boko Haram."

Dr. Chris Fomunyoh and his team had a busy week last week. NDI’s Regional Director for Central and West Africa had been invited by both the Senate and the House to testify about how the United States can better incorporate democracy strengthening activities in its counterterrorism assistance.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), chaired by Senator Bob Corker, held a hearing titled “Terrorism and Instability in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Good Governance Imperative” on May 10 and the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC), chaired by Congressman Ed Royce, held “The U.S. Role in Helping Nigeria Confront Boko Haram and Other Threats in Northern Nigeria” before its Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations on May 11. Subcommittee Chairman Chris Smith and ranking member Karen Bass presided over the House hearing.

In his opening remarks to the SFRC, Dr. Fomunyoh laid out the current situation in sub-Saharan Africa:

“Terrorist activity in sub-Saharan Africa over the past decade threatens to destabilize the continent and roll back some of the gains in broadening political space and participation since the global wave of democratization that began in the 1990s. Groups such as Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria and the Lake Chad basin, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQMI) in northern Mali and the Sahel, and Al-Shabaab in Somalia and the Horn of Africa have caused tens of thousands of deaths and tremendous economic and social dislocations of civilian populations. Some of these extremist organizations operating in Africa are eager to establish alliances with violent extremist organizations in other parts of the world, notably Al Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The international community is right in supporting counterterrorism efforts that seek to defeat these extremist groups militarily and must, at the same time, assist the affected countries to address the root causes and triggers of the rise in extremism and violence on the continent.”

Autocratic regimes and weak governments which “fail to deliver public services, combat corruption and protect rights and freedoms” make for a disenfranchised and disconnected citizenry, vulnerable to recruitment by extremists. For more than 30 years, NDI has been working in Africa and around the world to eliminate these spaces by promoting good governance and working with citizens to hold their elected officials accountable and keep their elections free, fair and credible.

Senators and Representatives present at the hearings made encouraging comments, indicating their own strong support for democracy in Africa. For example, Senator Chris Coons reflected on the priorities of Congress: “We are underfunding democracy and governance dramatically,” he said, which “send[s] the wrong message.” In order to best combat and prevent the spread of violence extremism, many in Congress believe that the U.S. must make a commitment to further fund these values.

Read Dr. Fomunyoh’s full SFRC testimony and HFAC testimony, which include his specific recommendations to the U.S. government.

Published on May 17, 2016.

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Mali Adopts Law Promoting Gender Equity

sruiz — Fri, 01 Apr 2016 20:19:57 +0000

On November 12, 2015, the Malian National Assembly adopted a historic gender quota bill. The new law, which requires that at least 30 percent of elected or appointed officials be women, is a result of concerted action to reverse several years of negative trends in women’s representation in positions of power.

Participants attend the high-level workshop to discuss the draft implementation decree.

Women’s political participation results in real gains for democracy; yet women’s representation in Mali falls far below the 30 percent mark. Following the 2013 legislative elections, women currently hold only 14 - 9.2 percent - of the seats in the National Assembly, a decrease from 10.2 percent in the previous legislature.

Women’s representation in the National Assembly has been slowly decreasing since its highest level - approximately 12 percent - in the late 1990s. The electoral results in 2013 were something of a wakeup call to Malian men and women who understand the benefits of greater gender equality. Following the election, women and men came together to advocate for a significant change in policy to end the declining numbers of women in elected and appointed positions. Two years of activism persuaded policymakers to act in favor of the quota measure, which passed with an overwhelming majority of 115 voting in favor, 22 voting against, and three abstentions.

The struggle for greater gender equality in Mali traces back to 1962 with the passage of the Family Code (Code de la Famille), a law that reinforced the traditional power of men over women. In 2009 the National Assembly adopted a revision of the Family Code, which promoted women’s empowerment and increased equality between the genders. Then-President Amadou Toumani Touré rejected the new law and sent it back to the legislature for review. Two years later, in 2011 the National Assembly adopted a new Family Code, which subjugates women further than the 1962 law, by for example, formally declaring men to be the head of household. In reaction to the 2011 Family Code, civil society groups took up the cause of establishing greater gender equality into law by applying a quota in government institutions.

left to right: H.E. Oumou Bah, Schadrac Keita and Hon. Aichata Cisse preside over the draft implementation decree workshop.

Civil society groups joined forces with the Ministry of the Promotion of Women, Children and the Family, and women legislators of the Network of Parliamentary Women (Réseau des Femmes Parlementaires - REFEP) to harmonize their advocacy approach. Together, they organized a national workshop in which women and men from civil society, political parties and government, reached common ground on the key provisions of the bill.

The support of male allies was critical. REFEP members persuaded many of their male colleagues in the National Assembly to back the initiative. Mali’s current President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta publicly commended the collective effort to advance gender equality and urged the National Assembly to vote in favor of the draft quota law. He also called for a broader inclusion of women in political processes, such as in the government's ongoing peace talks with insurgent rebels in the country’s northern region. The bill’s advocates deliberately avoided partisan and cultural battles, while encouraging negotiation and consensus-building.

Four key elements were responsible for the successful adoption of the recently passed quota bill:

A broad network and consensus among those in the Ministry, civil society organizations, REFEP, and political parties.
REFEP’s extensive lobbying within and beyond the National Assembly
The Ministry’s direct engagement of social and political groups through meetings with major religious, civil society and parliamentary actors to establish common ground.
The support from President Keita.

While representing significant progress, the November 12, 2015 gender quota law is just the first stop on a long road to gender equity in Mali. Now, it is up to civil society, lawmakers and the government to raise awareness, establish rules, implement the legislation and enforce its provisions. In order to achieve genuine gender equality in Mali, it is essential to get buy-in on the quota law from diverse perspectives throughout the country. Toward this end, the Ministry for the Promotion of Women drafted an implementation decree of the quota law. This decree lays out the framework for how the law would be executed. The Ministry for the Promotion of Women is currently holding meetings to gather feedback from various members of Malian society on the draft implementation decree.

Upcoming local and regional elections in Mali will serve as the first application of the quota law. If the new law is successful, we should see a sharp increase in the number of seats held by women in local and regional councils across the country. It will be important for a large number of strong women candidates to compete.

Mali’s success in passing this important piece of legislation is an example of the importance of strategic coalition and consensus building for the adoption of a culturally sensitive law. Learning from the challenges surrounding the adoption of the Family Code in 2011, women activists and their male allies built a broad coalition that included representatives from civil society and the legislature and worked hand in hand with the Ministry for the Promotion of Women, Children and the Family on a joint advocacy strategy. Mali provides a successful model for activists in other countries striving to achieve greater gender equality and access to decision-making for women through the introduction of a gender quota.

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Empowering Citizens After Elections

jfrant — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 05:00:00 +0000

Source:

The Nation - Malawi

Article Link:

Published Date:

01/20/2016

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Sandra Pepera

skincaid — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 18:41:17 +0000

Sandra Pepera is a career diplomat and international development professional. Before joining NDI as its director for Gender, Women and Democracy in 2014, she spent thirteen years as a senior officer at the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), including leading programs in the Caribbean, Rwanda-Burundi and Sudan. Prior to joining DFID, Sandra spent time in British domestic politics; lecturing in political science and international relations at the University of Ghana; and as a political analyst in the Political Affairs Division at the Commonwealth Secretariat. She has a portfolio of skills and experience which include strategy development, political and risk analysis, diplomacy, general management and corporate governance.

Much of Sandra’s career has been spent working in or on transitional economies, focusing on the building of resilient and inclusive institutions. She led work on women and politics at the University of Ghana and in outreach public policy during the period of intense and unstable political transition in the early 1990s. This included participating in a program that supported the ANC Women’s League during South Africa’s transition from apartheid to majority democratic rule in 1993.

Sandra is a member of the Cambridge Sustainability Leaders Network, the Royal Commonwealth Society, the Global Board Ready Women initiative, and the International Advisory Board of the Commonwealth Journal for International Affairs (the Round Table). She holds the Financial Times Diploma for Non-Executive Directors, and serves as a trustee for the pension fund of an intergovernmental organization.

NDI’s Pat Merloe Testifies Before Congress on U.S. Election Support in Africa

blesswing — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 18:32:58 +0000

NDI Director of Electoral Programs Pat Merloe testified at a hearing, “U.S. Election Support in Africa” on March 18 before the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations.

“Support for democratic elections in Africa should build longer-term democratic political dynamics that result in responsive, accountable governance,” Merloe said. “International election observation can play an important role in achieving peaceful, credible elections in Africa.”

Watch the hearing »

Read Pat Merloe’s full statement here »

Read more:

NDI's Christopher Fomunyoh Testifies Before Congress on "Nigeria on the Brink?"

Experts to Discuss Critical African Elections at NDI

Published on March 18, 2015

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Identifying Barriers and Opportunities: Malian Women Share Their Views on Their Social, Civil and Political Roles

Fri, 03 Oct 2014 19:25:01 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

10/03/2014

Resource Type:

Report

Language:

English, French

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Mali's Women Face Obstacles, But Are Eager to Engage in Public Life, NDI Study Finds

dleonard — Fri, 05 Sep 2014 19:43:10 +0000

More than a year after national elections in Mali, the country continues to consolidate its nascent democratic institutions. Malian women face particular obstacles to meaningful political participation. According to a focus group report released by NDI, women participants identified a consistent lack of access to education, employment and electoral opportunities.

Women in Mali also suffer from a lack of representation in government; only 14 women were elected to parliament in last year’s legislative polls, accounting for less than 10 percent of members. Representation issues are reflected in legislation that hampers gender equality. For example, Mali’s 2011 Family Code specifies that men are the heads of households and that wives must be subservient to their husbands.

Despite these barriers, the focus group participants expressed a strong desire to engage in public life. “In our community, we do not have enough rights,” said one woman from Koulikoro. “We want greater involvement of women in politics.”

Photo credit: Association Valmy, 2007.

Mali has been wracked by political and humanitarian crises triggered by a military coup in 2012 that ousted the democratically elected government. In the ensuing power vacuum, rebel groups and extremist Islamic militants seized control of Mali’s north. In control of two-thirds of Mali’s territory, the Islamist radical groups imposed a harsh interpretation of Sharia law, precipitating the flight of thousands of Malians.

The burden of these upheavals has landed disproportionately on women, who must juggle traditional responsibilities -- such as cooking, cleaning and raising children -- with new roles as providers for their families, despite shrinking opportunities. “The woman is the pillar of the community,” said one participant. “Women support [the] family’s expenses, because men are unemployed.”

“The role of women has seen much change in recent years,” said a woman from Banconi. “Before, our mothers were satisfied with what our fathers brought back home. But nowadays, as long as the woman does not get up to look for money, there is no food.”

The focus group study was designed to help Malian officials and politicians better understand the opinions and concerns of women, as well as the challenges they face.

The report is based on 12 focus group discussions that took place in late April involving 118 women from all eight of Mali’s regions and the capital of Bamako. The focus groups were representative of the majority ethnic groups of each region. Groups were further organized according to age and level of education.

The scarcity of jobs is in part a product of poor access to education, especially for girls. However, participants felt that employment opportunities were scarce even for those with degrees. “Those who are educated do not have access to employment,” complained one woman from Kayes, “and those who are not educated have no income generating activities.”

Focus group members expressed concern about the paucity of representation of women in government, as political parties rarely endorse female candidates. “In developing the [electoral] lists, the party is putting the names of five or six men before putting the name of a woman,” said a young woman from Bandiagara. “I think it’s not fair. I want women to be on the list.”

Indeed, many of the women saw political parties as corrupt, dishonest and unresponsive. “They charm us during the electoral campaigns,” said another participant, who is living in Bamako after being displaced from her home. “But after they [are elected], they forget about us.”

Still, participants were widely enthusiastic about broadening women’s engagement with civil society. “To claim our rights, women should actively participate in civil society organizations,” said one young woman from Kita.

The focus groups are part of NDI’s 30 month-long Mainstreaming Gender in Electoral and Political Processes program, funded by the Royal Danish Embassy in Mali. Past efforts include a February meeting of Malian gender and legal experts to draft a law to increase representation of women in government.

Read more:

Published Sept. 5, 2014

NDI Mali Analyse Genre des Elections Legislatives 2013 au Mali

dleonard — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 21:06:30 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

08/04/2014

Language:

French

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Malians Show Dramatic Leap in Confidence

dleonard — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 14:33:55 +0000

Source:

All Africa

Article Link:

Published Date:

03/31/2014

“The return of democracy and peace to much of Mali has generated a complete turnaround in public confidence in the country's future,” according to an opinion survey by the Afrobarometer, a leading researcher on public opinion in Africa.

Before the coup d’etat in December 2012, a survey in southern Mali revealed that only 25 percent of people “believe[d] the country was headed in the right direction.” But now, following Mali’s 2013 parliamentary and presidential elections, the Afrobarometer report found that two in three Malians believe the country is “heading in the right direction.”

The Afrobarometer report also found that “Malians feel very positive about the quality of [the] national elections held in 2013, with 83 percent seeing the presidential contest as ‘completely free and fair.’” However, “Malians still regard political instability as the country’s most important problem”

In Mali, Activists Renew Efforts to Increase Women in Government

dleonard — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 21:32:22 +0000

In early February in Bamako, Mali, a group of local gender and legal experts, including a member of the Supreme Court and a former member of parliament, came together to draft a law aimed at improving the representation of women in Mali’s government. The proposed statute included a quota requirement that at least 30 percent of each political party’s candidates in national and local elections be women. The 30 percent provision would also apply to nominations for government positions.

This draft has the support of Mali’s Minister for the Promotion of Women, Family and Children, who is working with the Consultative Framework for Women in the Malian Political Parties (CCFPP), a cross-party coalition of women, and local civic organizations to persuade the National Assembly to pass the law. NDI is providing technical assistance.

In years past, a coalition of 17 women’s groups, human rights organizations and political parties has twice asked the parliament to consider quota proposals, but without success.

These recent efforts to increase the number of women in government stem from a two-day program last December put on by NDI and the CCFPP during which civil society activists and political party leaders discussed gender quota laws in other countries and developed recommendations for one in Mali.

The program followed 2013 parliamentary elections in which women constituted just 14 percent of candidates and won only 14 out of 147 seats, one less than in the last elections in 2007.

With 80 activists and leaders from across Mali in attendance, the program looked at different types of gender quotas around the world, including in West Africa, and prior attempts to pass a quota law in Mali. The group also heard from Moustapha Cisse, the former president of the National Election Commission of Mali, on Malian laws and international conventions relevant to women’s equality.

On the program’s second day, participants broke into four groups to discuss the best ways to structure an affirmative action law to increase the number of women in elected positions.

Two groups favored a system reserving some number of seats in the parliament for women, while the other two proposed a system mandating parties to include a certain percentage of women on their candidate lists. Noting the experiences of other countries where party-list mandates helped increase the number of women candidates but did little to raise the percentage of women elected, the latter groups said the Malian system should incorporate a “zippered placement,” requiring party lists to alternate between men and women candidates to ensure women are elected.

The groups’ recommendations formed the basis of the law that the gender and legal experts drafted in February, which includes a zippered placement system.

Participants at the December program also advocated for training programs on political leadership skills, including public speaking and advocacy, to help women candidates. In addition, because women are often unable to pay the costs associated with gaining a nomination and campaigning, several suggested training women candidates on fundraising and requiring that parties provide them with financial support.

NDI organized the two-day program with funding from UN Women and continues to support initiatives advancing women’s political participation in Mali with funding from the Royal Danish Embassy.

Read more:

Published March 27, 2014

Empowering Women for Stronger Political Parties: A Good Practices Guide to Promote Women's Political Participation (Now available in Burmese)

fstovall — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 14:31:07 +0000

Author:

Julie Ballington

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute United Nations Development Programme

Published Date:

10/31/2011

Resource Type:

Manual|Handbook

Language:

Arabic, Burmese, English, French, Russian, Spanish, Urdu

English

Arabic

French

Spanish

Russian

Urdu

Attachment	Size
Read the manual (English)	2.49 MB
Read the manual with case studies (English)	3.45 MB
Read the manual (Arabic)	1.9 MB
Download the poster (Arabic)	1.18 MB
Read the manual (Burmese)	4.59 MB
Read the manual (French)	2.57 MB
Download the poster (French)	670.54 KB
Read the manual (Russian)	2.82 MB
Download the poster (Russian)	256.16 KB
Read the manual (Spanish)	2.59 MB
Download the poster (Spanish)	680.95 KB
Read the manual (Urdu)	3.74 MB
Read the manual with case studies (Albanian)	10.91 MB

Equal Access: How to Include Persons with Disabilities in Elections and Political Processes

dleonard — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 14:59:44 +0000

Author:

National Democratic Institute, International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)

Publisher:

National Democratic Institute

Published Date:

03/06/2014

Resource Type:

Manual|Handbook

Language:

Arabic, English, French, Indonesian, Russian, Spanish, Uzbek

English

Arabic

Spanish

Russian

Attachment	Size
Download the manual in Arabic	2.54 MB
Download the manual in English	3.24 MB
Download the manual in French	2.36 MB
Download the manual in Indonesian	16.34 MB
Download the manual in Russian	2.37 MB
Download the manual in Spanish	16.87 MB
Download the manual in Uzbek	3.85 MB