Listening to Grassroots Leadership: WYDE Initiative at International Democracy Day Brussels 2026

On 17 September, the WYDE Initiative will take part in the 12th edition of the International Democracy Day Brussels Conference, contributing a joint session that brings together perspectives from across the WYDE programme.

Hosted within one of Europe's leading annual forums on democracy, the session, "WYDE Initiative: Rethinking Leadership from the Ground Up," will feature representatives from WYDE Women Leadership, WYDE Civic Engagement and WYDE Political Parties. Together, they will explore how grassroots actors are reshaping political participation, leadership and democratic engagement across different regions and contexts.

This year's International Democracy Day Brussels conference asks a timely question: What's Next for Democracy? Rather than offering predefined answers, the conference creates space to reflect on how democracy support can adapt to a rapidly changing political landscape. Within this broader conversation, the WYDE Initiative contributes a perspective grounded in lived experience and local leadership.

Across the world, women, young people and community leaders continue to develop new forms of participation, representation and collective action. Yet the realities they face often evolve faster than traditional democracy support mechanisms. The WYDE session creates an opportunity to listen directly to these experiences and reflect on what international partners, policymakers and democracy practitioners can learn from them.

Rather than showcasing projects or presenting institutional achievements, the discussion is designed as a listening exercise. Participants will explore how emerging forms of leadership challenge conventional assumptions about political participation, while highlighting the importance of adapting democracy support to changing realities on the ground.

The panel will bring together:

• Tosin Ajayi, Executive Director of Women Environment and Youth Development Initiative (WOYODEV), representing WYDE Women Leadership;
• Camila Moreno Gil, representing WYDE Civic Engagement;
• Emmy Otim, Regional Manager for East Africa at KIC Sweden and CEO of Distinct Leadership Consults, representing WYDE Political Parties.

The discussion will be moderated by Chiara Grigolo, Associate Programme Officer at International IDEA.

By bringing together three complementary WYDE components in a single conversation, the session reflects the value of collaboration across programmes working to strengthen democratic participation, inclusion and leadership. While each initiative approaches these objectives from a different perspective, the discussion highlights the importance of learning across sectors and recognising grassroots actors not simply as beneficiaries of democracy support, but as partners whose experience can help shape its future.

As democratic contexts continue to evolve, the WYDE Initiative remains committed to creating spaces where local voices, practical experience and collaborative learning inform broader conversations on democracy, participation and inclusive leadership.