International IDEA is an intergovernmental organization (IGO) with an explicit mandate to support sustainable democracy worldwide. International IDEA combines a global presence based on a diverse membership, a feature that reinforces the legitimacy of its actions. The Institute develops, shares and enables the use of comparative knowledge, assists in democratic reform through on-the-ground technical assistance, and influences policies and politics through cutting-edge research and analysis. Its work focuses on six overarching topics: electoral processes, constitutional governance, democracy assessment, political participation and representation, climate change and democracy and digitalization and democracy. It also addresses gender equality across all its work.
Institutional Representative: Seema Shah, Head, Democracy Assessment
Dr. Seema Shah is the Head of International IDEA’s Democracy Assessment (DA) Unit, which produces an annual ‘Global State of Democracy’ report, an annually updated Global State of Democracy Indices and monthly-updated Democracy Tracker. The DA team’s approach combines quantitative and qualitative research as well as strategic foresight methods to produce analysis that influences policymakers who are interested in deepening democracy around the world.
She previously served as the research and strategy lead for the International Rescue Committee’s humanitarian innovation department in the Middle East region. Prior experience also includes leading electoral integrity-related research and advocacy for a coalition of Kenyan civil society organizations in Nairobi. As the Director of Research, she managed a team of data analysts in the development of evidence-based advocacy reports for national election reform campaigns and for Supreme Court cases challenging the credibility of the 2013 and 2017 Kenyan elections.
Seema has also worked on election violence, media development, campaign finance reform, human rights research and advocacy, and standard-setting for electoral integrity with civil society organizations in DRC, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and the United States as well as with International IDEA in a previous capacity. She holds a PhD in Political Science from UCLA and a MSc in International Human Rights Law from the University of Oxford. Her research interests include electoral integrity, democratic resilience, and post-liberal models of democracy, especially in the developing world.
International IDEA is an intergovernmental organization (IGO) with an explicit mandate to support sustainable democracy worldwide. International IDEA combines a global presence based on a diverse membership, a feature that reinforces the legitimacy of its actions. The Institute develops, shares and enables the use of comparative knowledge, assists in democratic reform through on-the-ground technical assistance, and influences policies and politics through cutting-edge research and analysis. Its work focuses on six overarching topics: electoral processes, constitutional governance, democracy assessment, political participation and representation, climate change and democracy and digitalization and democracy. It also addresses gender equality across all its work. Institutional…