Strengthening democratic and effective governance and fostering greater citizen participation in the Ngäbe Buglé region

The project aims to strengthen democratic governance and indigenous citizen participation in the Ngäbe Buglé region, with a particular focus on women and young seasonal migrants, who face structural barriers to civic engagement.

A key component of the initiative is the analysis and public discussion of obstacles to citizen participation, especially those affecting women and young migrants in electoral processes and decision-making spaces. These dialogues will contribute to identifying inclusive and culturally appropriate solutions.

In parallel, the project seeks to strengthen the capacities of municipal authorities and indigenous women leaders through targeted technical assistance, leadership workshops, and collaborative learning spaces.

The initiative also provides technical support for discussions on decentralization, promoting approaches that are more inclusive, transparent, and sensitive to intercultural contexts in the Ngäbe Buglé region.

In collaboration with the Electoral Tribunal, the project will support the development of mechanisms to facilitate voting for temporary migrants and increase the number of polling stations in hard-to-reach areas.

Additionally, dialogue spaces on gender parity will be created to address challenges affecting women’s participation in both general and traditional electoral systems.

Project activities include the establishment of technical working groups and the implementation of leadership and capacity-building workshops aimed at reinforcing the roles of local authorities and indigenous women leaders.