The five-year Bringing Unity, Integrity and Legitimacy to Democracy project provided critical assistance to help build electoral systems, strengthen civil society and encourage civic participation in Somalia, with a particular focus on women, youth and other marginalized groups.
It was funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development and implemented by Creative Associates International, with its partners the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa, Forcier Consulting and the International Republican Institute.
Credible democratic elections and systems in Somalia were obstructed by decades of civil war along with elite- and clan-based governance systems, a weak central government and a lack of a culture of civic participation.
Additionally, the participation and role of women in politics was extremely limited, perpetuating gender inequalities across society.
The Bringing Unity, Integrity and Legitimacy to Democracy project supported newly-formed political parties and regulatory bodies to shift incentives so that political parties increasingly sought to earn a broad-based popular mandate from voters, rather than rely on traditional political alliances that are often based on clan structures.
With a focus on local ownership and sustainability, the project strengthened the capacity of electoral management bodies, political parties, media, civil society organizations and other key stakeholders.
