Democratic Governance

Issue areas- pro-poor economic policy, poverty and inequality,resource rights, corporate accountability, domestic resource mobilization, social policy, and gender justice.

Africa is endowed with a vast wealth of natural resources, which if governed properly, can be a driver for inclusive growth and economic transformation. Climate change has emerged as an urgent issue as competition for water, land and other natural resources threatens food security and human security. Meanwhile, African youth need education that prepares them to be employable in a rapidly changing world of work.

This program area builds on the impact of many of our initiatives, including curbing illicit financial flows from Africa, securing policies to help smallholder farmers, and reforming higher education. The latter includes a high-level summit we co-hosted with the Government of Senegal and CODESRIA which fed into the AU Continental Education Strategy for Africa, 2016–2025.

Program’s Strategic Aims

Citizen participation and voice

Strengthen the capacity of local, national and continental social movements and groups working to improve the political environment for civic engagement.

Peace and justice

Deepen our transitional justice work and advance justice for victims, an end to impunity, and freedom from violence.

Women’s rights

Support gender equality advocates from the grassroots to the regional level, including those advocating for rights of the girl child and an end to gender-based violence.