U.S. Embassy Luanda Grant: Cultivating Democratic Values and Inclusive Leadership in Sao Tome and Principe

The U.S. Embassy to Angola and Sao Tome e Principe in Luanda is pleased to announce the availability of an open competition funding opportunity to carry out a project to promote and model democratic ideals and values to the large Sao Tome e Principe (STP) youth population, leading them to become more involved in local communities and become catalysts for positive change and promotion of mutual respect. The project also seeks to foster greater participation in government and civil society by women, leading to greater gender balance in future leadership roles. This project should complement and build upon prior and ongoing work in these areas by international organizations, or non-governmental organizations (NGOs), but ideally would seek to meet challenges not currently being addressed by other projects.

STP leaders have cited a need for trainings on values and democratic principles in order to increase the skill set of potential future leaders. This project seeks to create a program that uses dialogues, sports, and civic activities aimed at STP’s large youth population as a mechanism for encouraging values such as: respecting others, valuing education, fundamental democratic principles, and advocating for increased inclusion of women in government leadership roles and democratic processes.  

In July 2022 STP’s National Assembly unanimously passed the Political Parity Law which provides for a minimum of 40% of seats in elected bodies and cabinet positions be reserved for women, but women elected to leadership positions in 2022 legislative elections fell considerably short of this goal.  The project seeks to work with women leaders in government and civil society to develop advocacy programs and an outreach and education campaign fostering greater involvement of women in government roles and democratic processes.