Policy Roundtables

Gender and Local Politics

This roundtable was recorded on April 4, 2024. 

According to UN Women, women constitute 36 percent of local deliberative bodies worldwide compared to merely 25 percent in national parliaments. Much of this increase is the result of gender quotas: the Gender Quotas Database shows that as of 2021, 75 countries had some form of gender quota on the local level. Yet, extant work on gender politics tends to focus on the national level. What challenges remain for women's participation in local politics? Why does it matter in local political processes? And how can women's presence and influence be promoted? These questions and more were discussed during GLD's roundtable on gender and local politics, with regional and country experts working on India, the Middle East, and Africa.

Local Responses to the Economic Crisis in the MENA Region

This roundtable was recorded on January 18, 2024.

Over the past decade, policymakers have grappled with issues of high inequality, stagnant growth, climate change, escalating poverty, and soaring rates of youth and female unemployment in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This GLD Policy Roundtable, we addressed these persistent economic challenges in the MENA region, as the panelists discussed the localized strategies implemented across MENA countries to combat the economic crisis.

Local Responses to Conflict and Displacement

This roundtable was recorded on October 16, 2023. 

The roundtable focuses on local responses to conflict and displacement in Syria, Sudan, and Palestine to answer the question: how do these war-torn nations experience conflict? Offering a unique lens into the intricate dynamics of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. 

The panelists discussed the nuances of conflict's impact on various communities, shedding light on the social, economic, and humanitarian challenges it generates. 
 

The Economic Crisis in Egypt

This roundtable was recorded on May 25, 2023.

Egypt's severe economic crisis is marked by the devaluation of the Egyptian pound, dwindling foreign currency reserves, and soaring inflation. While the government attributed the crisis to the 2011 uprisings, COVID, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, deeper issues were at play. Tight state and military control over the economy suppressed the private sector and hindered foreign investment, worsening the foreign currency shortage.

Women's Rights in the MENA Region

This roundtable was recorded on March 8, 2023.

The roundtable focused on women’s rights in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The speakers discussed what progress has been made in the MENA since the Arab Uprisings, and what the remaining challenges are for women in North Africa, Iran, and the Gulf region. The roundtable also explored the shifting attitudes towards women's participation in the public sphere, gender activism, and women's political participation, highlighting regional and/or subnational variations regarding these aspects.

Youth Engagement in the MENA

This roundtable was recorded on October 31, 2022. 

In recent years, youth in the MENA region have been facing uncertainty and challenging economic situations. How can we understand youth engagement a decade after the Arab Spring? What are the factors impacting youth’s participation in their local communities? This roundtable will discuss political participation and activism among youth, focusing on local perspectives from Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and Iraq. The roundtable is moderated by Marwa Shalaby of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Agriculture and Local Adaptation to Climate Change in the MENA Region

This roundtable was recorded on July 27, 2022.

Together with Alternative Policy Solutions (APS), GLD hosted a special roundtable series in 2022 on climate change and environmental justice research. The first roundtable in this series tackled agriculture and local climate adaptation strategies implemented in the MENA region. The panelists also reflected on the gaps in both research and policy regarding community-based adaptation to climate change.

Climate Justice and Equity in the MENA

This roundtable was recorded on September 7, 2022.

Together with Alternative Policy Solutions (APS), GLD hosted special roundtable series in 2022 on climate change and environmental justice research. The second roundtable in this series tackled climate change and equity in the MENA. We discussed the impact of climate change on vulnerable groups such as women, migrants and refugees, focusing on local contexts in Sudan, Oman, Lebanon, and Palestine.

Land Degradation and Water Scarcity in the MENA

This roundtable was recorded on October 12, 2022.

Together with Alternative Policy Solutions (APS), GLD hosted a special roundtable series in 2022 on climate change and environmental justice research. The third and final roundtable tackled land degradation and water in the MENA. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have shown that the MENA region is highly susceptible to land degradation, which is exacerbated by the growing scarcity of water resources and high levels of aridity. The MENA region has been consistently described as “the world’s most water-stressed.” 

Local Effects in Tunisia's Political Crisis

This roundtable was recorded on June 7, 2022.

The aim of this roundtable was to shed light on the effects of Tunisia’s political crisis on local politics and the everyday lives of the Tunisian people. Experts discussed topics relating to the role of the democratically elected municipal councils, the impact of the current political crisis, the challenges associated with service provision and access to basic needs, and the worsening economic conditions on deepening regional disparities. The event also tackled the long-term ramifications of the ongoing crisis on local governance, and provided concrete policy recommendations to promote citizen-based approaches to governance.

Local Governance in Afghanistan

This roundtable was recorded on March 7, 2022.

On August 30, 2021, the US withdrew their military troops from Afghanistan after twenty years, creating a power vacuum that allowed the Taliban to seize power of the country. The rest of the world waited to see what policies would be put into place by the new government, causing international aid to be paused and Afghanistan’s overseas assets to be frozen. Taliban rule and the effect of these international sanctions have already had dire consequences for local development and governance in Afghanistan. In this roundtable, we looked at the situation six months after the events of August 30 and explored how the situation looks locally in Afghanistan.