Helping CSOs advance electoral reform in Nepal

The EU Delegation to Nepal and International IDEA launched a project on electoral reform to enhance the equal participation of women, youth, Dalits and other marginalized groups in Nepal’s political processes. This comes as Nepal is implementing a federal system that has increased the representation of historically marginalized and excluded groups in state bodies. The institutionalization of the new system faces risks, however, especially from political parties exploiting loopholes in electoral laws. 

The project created a consortium of three CSOs, each of which focuses on one of three areas—women, youth or Dalit affairs. The project has been helping the consortium strengthen its capacity to create grassroots pressure for electoral policy reform. The idea is that electoral reform should be led by affected communities themselves.

International IDEA is facilitating this process by helping CSOs improve their understanding of issues in Nepal’s electoral reform landscape through research and comparative knowledge from around the world. The project deploys young development professionals who mentor the staff from the CSOs, helping them improve their skills, which, in turn, makes the work of their organizations more impactful.