WYDE, Women and Youth Democratic Engagement, is an EU initiative focused on increasing the participation of young people and women in democratic processes and public life. It seeks to identify and address the barriers to political participation that these groups face, including legal, cultural, and economic obstacles. The initiative encourages youth and women to engage in awareness and advocacy to overcome these barriers.
WYDE is powered by the European Union with a budget of EUR 43 million from the EU’s Human Rights and Democracy thematic program, and it is one of the Youth Action Plan's main flagships.
WYDE supports diverse forms of political participation, including involvement with political parties and parliaments, non-partisan citizen participation in grassroots organizations, and democracy activism through various channels like social media and grassroots movements.
WYDE operates on multiple levels (global, regional, country, and local) and involves a wide range of stakeholders such as parliaments, political parties, academia, democracy support organizations, youth-led organizations, and grassroots civil society organizations (CSOs). The initiative also supports Schools of Democracy and Accountability Hubs to further its objectives.
WYDE is an inclusive, multifaceted program aimed at empowering women and youth to become active, influential participants in democratic governance and civil society.
You can find more information and read about WYDE's implementing partners and their activities on this page.
¨ Regional Conference of Leaders of Youth and Women's sections of political parties in Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire: A WYDE Political Parties initiative fostering dialogue, policy recommendations, and regional cooperation among young...
From 1 to 2 December 2025, a high-level regional workshop on political party regulation took place in Freetown, Sierra Leone, bringing together representatives of the Offices of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPPs) from...
From 2 to 4 December 2025, the regional training workshop titled “Women and Leadership: Breaking Down the Glass Ceiling” took place in Dakar, Senegal, bringing together young women leaders from political parties, civil society...
From 2 to 4 December 2025, the regional training workshop titled “Women and Leadership: Breaking Down the Glass Ceiling” took place in Dakar, Senegal, bringing together young women leaders from political parties, civil society...
In Malawi, across local and parliamentary governmental offices, the representation of women in politics remains low. In the 2019 general elections, only 23 per cent of the parliament was made up of women and the representation at...
Under the umbrella of WYDE | Women’s Leadership initiative, funded by the EU and in partnership with International IDEA, IPU, and UCLG, UN Women hosted the second of a series of intergenerational Regional Convenings during its...
Dakar, Senegal — 2–4 December 2025 From 2 to 4 December 2025, Dakar will host a three-day regional training workshop titled “Women and Leadership: Breaking Down the Glass Ceiling”, organised by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for...
Friedrich Naumann Stiftung (FNF)
ORPPs from Kenya, Malawi and Sierra Leone meet in Freetown to validate findings and advance a shared roadmap for regional collaboration Representatives from the Offices of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPPs) of Kenya...
Christian International Democratic Center (KIC)
Dakar, Senegal – 24–28 November 2025 From 24 to 28 November 2025, the Regional Conference on Political Alliances and Democratic Governance in West Africa will take place at the Onomo Hotel in Dakar. The event, organised under the...
Institute for Governance and Development (IGD)
Building the capacity of young political leaders for effective party and legislative participation From 5 to 6 November 2025, Nairobi will host the Youth Congress Workshop, organized by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) as part...
Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS)
Building political literacy and leadership skills among women and youth across Kenya’s 27 counties The Kenya Parliamentary Human Rights Association (KEPHRA), under the WYDE Political Parties Project, is launching a nationwide...
Kenya Parliamentary Human Rights Association (KEPHRA)
