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“Supporting Zimbabwe to get free and fair elections is not an event but a process”: The Role of the EU Election Observation Mission

The European Union deploys one of the largest observer missions to monitor the 2023 Zimbabwe elections. We spoke to Dr McDonald Lewanika, politics and development professional, about the importance of the verdict by EU election observers and what contributions European actors can make to assist Zimbabweans in getting the elections they want. By McDonald Lewanika and Katrin Seidel Earlier in the year, the European Union had sent 46 long-term observers and 11 political analysts to Zimbabwe. On Election Day over 150 observers from EU member states as well as Canada, Norway and Switzerland will be monitoring the elections. This is [...]

2023-08-18T12:32:05+00:0018th August 2023|

The Mad Queen of the South – Wardah Noor

Written by Syed Ommer Amer All fairy tales start with the phrase “once upon a time” but the story of Wardah Noor is not a fairy tale with a prince charming or a happily-ever-after. It is a saga of relentless struggles and miseries faced by a woman from her patriarchal community. It is the epitome of bravery that will inspire the upcoming generations for centuries. The protagonist of my story lives in the poorest district of Punjab, Layyah where the per capita income is around 10,000 PKR, far below the poverty line. Most of the community either does farming, works at the local [...]

2021-10-08T12:45:15+00:008th October 2021|

Local film on effects of lockdown on the cards

BULAWAYO-based film producer and content creator Lance Chigodo has produced a film titled Idle Minds that tackles the effects of the Covid-19 induced lockdown on people. The film was shot in Emgwanwini and Emasotsheni under the 2021 Film Fellowship programme. The Film Fellowship is an Accountability Lab Zimbabwe and Magamba Network initiative which holds an annual fellowship for young filmmakers in Zimbabwe who have an interest in social justice and accountability issues. Lance as he is affectionately known in the arts industry said this is his first fiction production that is set to premiere virtually at the Shoko Festival (between [...]

2021-08-16T10:08:59+00:008th August 2021|

Liberian CSOs criticise “leadership failure, weak oversight”

Wednesday, June 23, 2021 - Leading Liberian organizations working on integrity and transparency have welcomed new health measures to mitigate against Covid-19, but also warned about a lack of overall leadership, weak oversight and a low levels of transparency in the way resources are being managed. As Integrity Watch Liberia, Naymote Partners for Democratic Development, Accountability Lab Liberia, the National Civil Society Council of Liberia, the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) and the Institute for Research and Democratic Development (IREDD), we believe the new measures announced by the Government of the Republic of Liberia and the Ministry [...]

2021-07-01T06:14:06+00:0025th June 2021|

Twitter ban in Nigeria stifles free speech and entrepreneurship

Accountability Lab Nigeria, YIAGA Africa, Dataphyte, Premium Times and a number of partner organizations have received news of the decision by the Federal Government of Nigeria- led by President Muhammadu Buhari- to suspend Twitter in Nigeria with trepidation and unease. It is regrettable that the Federal Government has chosen to stifle the rights of citizens with this move which stands to retract the minimal gains made around freedom of expression and media independence since the days of military rule in Nigeria. As the giant of Africa, Nigeria cannot be seen to be undermining constitutional rights and democracy by muzzling and [...]

2021-06-14T16:21:21+00:0014th June 2021|

COVID-19 and it’s impact on people living with disabilities in Pakistan

By Nida Qasim Khan The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed the extent of exclusion that the most marginalized communities in Pakistan experience. Among the most adversely affected groups are Pakistan’s 28 million persons with disabilities (PWDs), who make up 10% to 15% of Pakistan’s population. according to the Special Talent Exchange Program (STEP). Even under normal circumstances, persons with disabilities are neglected and suffer from reduced access to education, poverty, unemployment, abuse and low rates of participation in the community. According to research done by the United Nations’ Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), PWD’s can suffer [...]

2022-11-10T06:46:22+00:0011th April 2021|

Pakistani businesses at a crossroads during COVID-19 

By Nida Qasim Khan The outbreak of COVID-19 has severely affected the Pakistani economy and its micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). The Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) President Saboor Malik said in a statement that due to the lockdown, the businesses of cottage industry, small industry and furniture retailers have been adversely affected. The National Incubation Centre (NIC) also noted in its report “Impact of Covid-19 on Pakistani start-ups and the way forward”,  that start-ups were hard hit by the pandemic. The report stated that while before the pandemic, e-commerce, health-tech and ed-tech were the most popular [...]

2022-11-10T06:46:23+00:0010th April 2021|

Our Virtual Accountapreneurs in Kenya & Uganda Pitch Their Ideas

On January 19th we hosted a pitch session for the recently-graduated accountapreneurs of our 2020 virtual Accountability Incubator for young civil society leaders in Kenya and Uganda.  This session was the culmination of a process we started six months earlier when, with the support of the Ford Foundation, we partnered with Evidence and Methods Lab and Siasa Place to adapt our Accountability Incubator for Kenya and Uganda in the time of COVID-19.  We redesigned our flagship incubator program to support the next generation of accountability entrepreneurs with flexible, hands on knowledge-building, mentorship and support to develop ground-breaking ideas related to [...]

2021-02-01T09:33:08+00:001st February 2021|

Meet the graduates from our first virtual Accountability Incubator

As 2020 took a different turn, so did our programs. Our Accountability Incubator program was moved online as we welcomed our very first virtual cohort of accountapreneurs from Uganda and Kenya. Read about the impact they are making below and  join us for a live pitch session next Tuesday as the accountapreneurs introduce their work over the past year. By Tirelo Makwela The Accountability  Incubator is our flagship program for young civil society leaders to build sustainable and effective tools for accountability, participation and open government. The Incubator provides a non-prescriptive, supportive environment for creative, enterprising individuals with innovative ideas [...]

2021-01-13T20:39:46+00:0013th January 2021|

Women’s Health During COVID-19 in Pakistan

Dangers of not knowing enough about COVID-19’s impact on women in Pakistan According to UN Women’s data, as compared to their male counterparts, women in Pakistan and Bangladesh are less likely to receive information about COVID-19. This is attributed to a variety of reasons including limited access to the internet, limited cell phone ownership, and comparatively lower levels of education amongst women. According to the 2018 Global Digital Report, women in Pakistan are 37% less likely than men to own a mobile phone or have internet access. Limited access to necessary information about COVID-19 puts, not only women, but also [...]

2020-12-17T08:09:27+00:0017th December 2020|
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