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In the Philippines, local politics is often characterised by informal networks and personal dependencies, which makes it more difficult for women to gain influence.
The Palme Center’s partner organisation, the Institute of Politics and Governance (IPG), has established the so-called Women Power Hub initiative to strengthen women’s role in politics. In six local communities, female politicians and women’s organisations have begun to collaborate in new ways.
Previously, many worked in isolation, with limited resources and small personal networks. Through this new initiative, these women and organisations now meet regularly to formulate joint political priorities and plan advocacy work together.
IPG has brought together local decision-makers and civil society organisations for education, mentorship and exchanges of experience on gender equality issues and an inclusive governance.
As a result, more women are now acting in a more coordinated manner and with greater knowledge of political processes.
Local communities in Thailand enforce new climate policy against forest firesRecurring forest fires in northern Thailand have become increasingly severe as a result of climate change. The fires particularly affect local communities through rising health problems, destroyed ecosystems and threats to livelihoods.
At the same time, the people who are most affected by this have had limited influence over the political decisions that govern the efforts to combat these fires.
With support from the Palme Center, local communities in Chiang Mai province received education on climate change, environmental impacts and forest fire management. Through the education, participants developed their own policy proposals based on their experiences and needs.
The proposals were presented to a progressive parliamentary partner in Thailand, who took the initiative further and transformed the recommendations into a draft bill. The bill was passed in two of three readings in the Thai parliament before parliament was dissolved in December 2025. At the same time, a breakthrough was achieved at regional level: the Lamphun provincial administration adopted both the education methodology and the policy proposals as the basis for its own strategy for managing forest fires.
This work has brought about a significant change. Local communities that previously tried to fight the fires themselves have now been given the opportunity to influence the policies that govern climate adaptation and environmental work.
By combining public education, local engagement and parliamentary influence, the initiative has demonstrated how climate policy can be developed from the bottom up – where those affected by climate change also have a say in decisions on how to address them.
40 000 Burmese refugees granted the right to work in ThailandTens of thousands of people who have fled the war in Myanmar have long lived in camps in Thailand without the opportunity to work legally and support their families. As international aid has decreased sharply, the uncertainty is increasing further for these already vulnerable communities.
Through joint advocacy efforts by a progressive parliamentary partner in Thailand, civil society organisations and the SocDem Asia network, the situation has begun to change.
In December 2024, policy workshops were organised where Thai politicians, researchers and representatives of Burmese communities met. In March 2025, a conference on Myanmar was held in the Thai parliament, focusing on living conditions and security in Thailand’s border areas.
This resulted in more concrete policy proposals regarding access to the labour market, education, healthcare and legal status for people from Myanmar in the country.
The Palme Center’s Thai partner organization adopted the proposals as part of their parliamentary agenda and pushed the issue alongside civil society.
When the Thai government finally took action, the result became that around 40 000 refugees from Myanmar got granted work permits in Thailand.
For many, this decision means legal income for the first time, greater security and increased dignity. At the same time, it opens the door to further discussions on education for children, access to healthcare and more long-term social inclusion.
Youth mobilisation paved the way for new female leader in the PhilippinesIn San Jose del Monte, local politics has long been dominated by political dynasties, large campaign budgets and traditional electoral machinery.
In the most recent local election, a new generation of voters showed that politics can also be built from the bottom up. With the support of hundreds of young volunteers, human rights lawyer Atty Ronalyn Pordan succeeded in winning a seat on the city council through a campaign built on dialogue and grassroot mobilisation.
Ronalyn Pordan was no typical candidate. For several years she has, as a lawyer, offered free legal advice to vulnerable groups in for example land- and labour disputes, and cases of violence against women.
When she decided to run in the election, she lacked both financial resources and the backing of a political dynasty. Instead, her campaign was built on a growing a network of young people inspired by her work.
Through the Palme Center’s partner organisation, the Active Citizenship Foundation (ACF), several of the young volunteers received training in how to run so-called grassroots campaigns – campaigns based on dialogue and organisation rather than money. Young activists organized themselves into local teams, went door-to-door, visited small shops and spoke with families in their neighborhoods.
The campaign’s motto became “Kwento, hindi kwarta” – “Stories, not money”.
The campaign quickly grew into a broad movement – the Purple Movement – which symbolised her feminist values and vision of a more inclusive political realm. When the votes were counted, it was clear that the grassroot mobilisation had succeeded. Despite limited resources, Ronalyn Pordan won a seat on the city council. The victory marks more than just an election result.
It shows that young people can change politics through organisation and participation. Today, many of the volunteers continue to work alongside Pordan on issues such as education, social services, youth participation and the protection of vulnerable groups.
Massive movement against corruption changes the Philippines political landscapeFollowing the 2025 election, the progressive Akbayan party is at the center of a new political dynamic in the Philippines. The party became the largest in the country’s party-list system and received a record number of votes, securing the maximum number of seats in Congress. This success is closely linked to a broad popular movement against corruption, with the party’s campaign emerging following revelations of widespread embezzlement linked to the state budget for flood protection.
Together with civil society organizations, local leaders and youth movements, Akbayan mobilized a national movement for accountability and reform. Demonstrations brought together thousands of people across the country and focused their attention on how political dynasties and clientelism enable systematic corruption.
A key force in the mobilization was the young activists participating through the Akbayan Youth wing. Their ‘Youth Against Kurakot’ campaign organized a new generation of young people demanding transparency and accountability from those in power. The protests on EDSA – one of Manila’s main roads and a symbolic site in the Philippines’ democratic history – demonstrated a growing youth engagement in political change.
The collaboration with SSU has helped strengthen the act of organizing, political education and inclusive leadership within the youth movement. Through training and the exchange of experiences, more young people have become involved in the work for democracy and accountability.
This mobilization has put strong pressure on decision-makers to push through reforms against political dynasties and strengthen anti-corruption legislation.
