Following the October 2014 protests in Burkina Faso, the Projet d’Appui aux Elections (Electoral Support Project) was developed in 2015 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme. With the aim to help organize free, fair, transparent and peaceful elections, 14 international and 48 national UN Volunteers were deployed throughout the country to support the CENI - Commission électorale nationale indépendante (Independent national electoral commission).
In Korsimoro City, near the capital Ouagadougou, UN Volunteers encourage people’s participation in the elections. Through citizenship awareness sessions, they especially encourage the participation of women in the electoral process.
“Women account for most of the country’s electorate, and therefore play a significant role in the country’s development,” adds Somda Flore, another national UN Volunteer.