WDN Member Profile: Silvia Rita Souza
Silvia Rita Souza is the Executive Director of WDN Brazil, where she has trained over 2,000 women in leadership skills…
Citizens across Latin America and the Caribbean want opportunities for themselves and their children – to live in health and safety, pursue education, and achieve their dreams. Unfortunately, most of the countries in the region fall short in creating such environments because of persistent economic inequality, poor government services, and chronic insecurity.
Democratic institutions face challenges of corruption at every scale, opacity in government processes, poor governance from the local to national level, and often elections that fail to deliver representative government. These challenges express themselves in the daily lives of citizens by disenfranchising youth, women, ethnic minorities, and the LGBTI community. The lack of economic opportunities leads many to leave their homes or work in illicit industries, perpetuating the cycle of insecurity and instability. Endemic corruption reduces community resources and deflates popular support for democracy.
Despite these challenges, citizens are as active as ever and continue to demand better governance and representation. Social movements are demanding public policies that meet socioeconomic demands through democratic processes. Civil society organizations work across every topic to organize citizens and hold government accountable. Elected officials, government workers, and aspiring candidates are working to become more effective in their jobs, champion transparency and good governance, and be responsive to constituents’ needs and priorities.
For over 35 years IRI has supported democratic actors in the region to address these issues. At the local level, where citizens interact with elected officials first and most frequently, IRI increases municipal governments’ capacity to deliver services efficiently, foster citizen engagement, and promote economic development. IRI works with civil society and marginalized groups to advocate for community interests and concerns.
During elections, IRI works on both ends of the equation –enhancing the transparency of elections through independent election monitoring and technical support to electoral authorities, as well as working with candidates to transition from elections to governance. IRI builds transparency and access to information across the region by working with journalists, media, and civil society to hold government accountable.
Silvia Rita Souza is the Executive Director of WDN Brazil, where she has trained over 2,000 women in leadership skills…
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