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News & Updates
Feature
She Leads Program: Q&A with Katie Ryan
She Leads, a flagship program of IFES, works to empower women with the skills and knowledge to participate and take on leadership roles in political and electoral processes through a series of beginner, intermediate and advanced trainings. In this Q&A, Katie Ryan, lead author of She Leads, discusses the origins and impact of the program, which has trained over 2,600 women in four countries and continues to expand.
News & Updates
Feature
Promoting Voting Rights for Persons with Disabilities in Sri Lanka
In February 2018, Sri Lanka held a local government election to elect over 8,000 representatives under a new mixed-member proportional representation system. IFES worked with the Election Commission of Sri Lanka and civil society partners to conduct targeted voter education initiatives for voters with disabilities ahead of the elections.
News & Updates
Feature
Learning About Violence Against Women in Politics in Leaps and Bounds: Surprising Findings from the Maldives
In 2011, IFES' Electoral Violence Education and Resolution (EVER) methodology found that women were rarely the subjects of political violence in the Maldives – less than 2 percent of violent incidents specifically targeted women, compared to 46 percent targeting men. Four years later, using a new, survey-based methodology, data collected by Professor Elin Bjarnegård from Sweden's Uppsala University in collaboration with IFES suggested a very different situation.
News & Updates
Feature
She Leads: Empowering Female Candidates Ahead of Local Elections in Sri Lanka
Ahead of Sri Lanka's February 2018 local government election, IFES carried out a women’s leadership program, She Leads SL, that equipped 458 Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim women with practical campaign skills including fundraising, networking and coalition building, campaign messaging, social media use, public speaking, and development of personal campaign action plans. As a result of the She Leads SL training, nearly 43 percent of alumnae participated as candidates in the 2018 local government elections, utilizing skills gained from the training to elevate their campaigns.
News & Updates
Feature
Dialogues on Democracy: Latin America’s 2018 Election Super Cycle
In this edition of IFES’ Dialogues on Democracy, Editorial and Communications Manager Adam Gallagher talks with Vice President of Programs Michael Svetlik about the busy slate of elections in Latin America in the year ahead. Svetlik discusses why 2018 will be an important year for democracy in Latin America, the potential for democratic backsliding, Mexico and Venezuela's upcoming elections and the role of professional, independent election management in meeting challenges to democracy.
News & Updates
Feature
Photo Gallery: Sri Lankans Learn About their New Voting System
Sri Lanka’s February 10, 2018 local government election introduced numerous changes to the electoral system. Under its U.S. Agency for International Development-funded “Improved Election Management Program,” IFES is working with the Election Commission of Sri Lanka (EC) and local partners to support implementation of inclusive voter awareness-raising programs.
Election FAQ
Elections in Sri Lanka: 2018 Local Government Elections
On February 10, Sri Lanka held elections for all of its 341 local government bodies, after a two-year delay due in part to the adoption of a new, mixed-member proportional (MMP) system and the subsequent need for a new delimitation of electoral wards. To help you understand this important electoral process, IFES provides Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Elections in Sri Lanka: 2018 Local Government Elections.
News & Updates
Feature
The Principles of Election Reporting
Sri Lanka’s upcoming local government election will introduce numerous changes to the electoral system. The public will need to be informed of these changes in a balanced, impartial and fair manner. To meet this need, on January 8 and 9, IFES organized a two-day media training on principles of election reporting for 37 journalists from Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim communities from across the country.
News & Updates
Feature
A Multi-Stakeholder Approach to Addressing Violence Against Women in Elections
Sri Lanka looks to hold local government elections in early 2018, which will introduce thousands of new women leaders as the country implements its first-ever women’s quota. There is a critical need to mitigate violence against women in elections (VAWIE). To address this need, IFES is working with the Election Commission and civil society partners to implement a series of initiatives that aim to engage a diverse group of electoral stakeholders in comprehensively addressing election violence against women.
News & Updates
Feature
Remembering Senarath Attanayake, Sri Lankan Politician and Advocate for Disability Rights
IFES is deeply saddened by the passing of Uva Provincial Councillor Senarath Attanayake. He was the first person with a disability to enter politics in Sri Lanka and hold ministerial portfolios. Attanayake was serving his fourth term as a member of the Uva Provincial Council (UPC), becoming one of the longest serving elected politicians with a disability in the world.