This August, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) hosted their inaugural Political Leadership Academy program for female mayors in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The three-month training program connects leading female activists from around the world to share their best practices with newly elected mayors. Twelve women have recently been elected to local offices in Haiti – a milestone development stemming from a 2013 law requiring 30 percent of candidates for municipal elections to be women.

Some female mayors have frequently faced threats of violence and have even had their offices burnt down by political opponents. Despite the dangers, they are determined to address the issues neglected by their predecessors, such as public debt and tense relations with Haiti’s neighboring country, the Dominican Republic. For example, Rodely Carietane Balde, mayor of Lascahobas in Haiti’s Centre department, didn’t have previous political experience, but signed up for NDI’s Political Leadership Academy to fill the skill gap. Learn more about the new mayors’ experiences by reading NDI’s full article here.