As we conclude Day 1 of the 2026 Election Academy, here are the key takeaways from Session 4: Adapting to Inclusive Elections 🌍🗳️
Inclusive elections are not merely aspirational; they are fundamental to credible, legitimate, and representative democracies. The session underscored several critical points:
✨ Strengthening meaningful participation of women, youth, persons with disabilities, and other marginalised groups.
✨ Moving beyond numbers to ensure real influence in decision‑making spaces.
✨ Tackling persistent structural barriers, including restrictive social norms, limited access, and exclusionary political systems.
✨ The vital role of election observers in assessing inclusivity throughout the entire electoral cycle.
✨ A powerful reminder that no election is truly credible if it leaves people behind 🤝
The discussion also highlighted key regional realities:
🔹 Women continue to face deep‑rooted structural challenges, largely driven by entrenched patriarchal systems across many African countries.
🔹 In countries like Zambia, women’s representation in Parliament has never exceeded 20% 📉.
🔹 Critical questions were raised about whether reserved seats effectively benefit women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
🔹 Many political party policies remain unfavourable, limiting the full and meaningful participation of these groups.
🔹 This led to an important call to action: How can civil society engage in more strategic and impactful advocacy? 💬✊
A thought‑provoking session that challenged us to rethink inclusion, not as a checkbox, but as a democratic imperative.
#ElectionAcademy2026 #InclusiveElections #Democracy #WomenInPolitics #YouthParticipation #DisabilityInclusion #CivicEngagement
AHEAD Africa European Partnership for Democracy (EPD) ZESN East and Horn of Africa Election Observation Network (E-HORN) Ghana Center For Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) West Africa Election Observers Network – WAEON South African Council Of Churches Women’s Academy for Leadership and Political Excellence (WALPE) Sitabile Dewa Nzira De Deus Zambia National Women’s Lobby Golden Nachibinga
