25/09/2025

Democracy on the move, citizenship in dispute: redefining democracy from the south

The new report *The Global State of Democracy 2025: Democracy on the Move* by International IDEA confirms a troubling trend: more than half of the countries assessed (94 out of 174) recorded democratic backsliding between 2019 and 2024, compared to one third (55) that showed progress. These numbers sound a global alarm, but for Latin America and the Caribbean—a region marked by structural inequalities—the figures are also an uncomfortable reflection of unmet citizen demands.

Setbacks that undermine rights and deepen gender gaps

The most evident deterioration is concentrated in the Rule of Law: 32 countries regressed in this indicator, while press freedom declined in 43 nations, the most extensive drop recorded since 1975. These are not mere statistics: when justice or an independent press is eroded, what is undermined is the capacity of citizens to denounce abuses, hold power accountable, and defend their rights.

Women and gender-diverse groups experience these crises in aggravated ways. Judicial weakening implies fewer guarantees against gender-based violence; media concentration combined with the rise of far-right movements invisibilizes their agendas; and lack of access to justice perpetuates inequalities. Incorporating a gender perspective into democratic assessments is not a secondary gesture—it is about understanding how institutional precariousness reinforces historical patriarchal hierarchies.

Formal liberalism vs. social democracy

One of the most valuable contributions of the report is that, by speaking of “democracy on the move,” it reminds us there is no single model. However, global indexes often privilege the liberal definition: competitive elections, civil liberties, separation of powers. Important, yes, but insufficient.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, citizenship demands more than formal guarantees. Democracy also means economic rights, redistributive justice, cultural recognition, environmental protection, and regional autonomy. When these dimensions are absent from the democratic agenda, frustration sets in: what is the value of voting if material conditions do not change, if the gender gap persists, if inequality remains structural?

Electoral apathy and rising abstention in several countries can be read in light of this tension. It is not that citizens do not value democracy, but rather that they perceive the liberal democracy on offer does not engage with their social urgencies. Women, in particular, face a double frustration: they participate more actively in social and community movements, yet their political representation remains limited and their social and economic rights postponed.

Participation on hold and voting abroad

The report notes that political participation is the most stable dimension, with few advances or setbacks in the last five years. This apparent stability may conceal another reality: growing disinterest in electoral mechanisms that do not translate into tangible improvements. The gap between expectations and results erodes civic motivation.

Here, the special focus IDEA places on external voting gains relevance. With more than 300 million people living outside their country of origin in 2025, the possibility of voting abroad becomes a key right. Yet in Latin America this right is often riddled with bureaucratic obstacles and poor dissemination. For migrant women, who face additional barriers of time, resources, and caregiving, these difficulties are even greater. Incorporating the voice of the diaspora with a gender perspective is essential if democracy is to be truly inclusive.

Youth and new forms of participation

The state of democracy must also be analyzed from the perspective of young people. While indexes show stability in formal participation, different studies indicate that youth are the most likely to distance themselves from the ballot box, discouraged by institutions that fail to address their needs or the urgency of their daily problems: precarious work, lack of housing access, the climate crisis, and violence that affects them in particular ways.

This electoral disaffection does not mean political apathy. On the contrary, youth in Latin America and the Caribbean are at the forefront of feminist, socio-environmental, student, and digital rights struggles, showing that democratic vitality is not limited to voting. However, the gap between their transformative energy and institutional channels creates the risk of a generational fracture in democratic trust.

Incorporating youth as political subjects in the construction of substantive democracy means not only guaranteeing their right to vote, but also opening new spaces for representation, recognizing the power of their movements, and ensuring public policies that respond to their specific demands. A democracy that excludes young people puts its own future at risk.

Towards a substantive democracy with a rights-based approach

The challenge for the region is twofold. On the one hand, halting setbacks in basic freedoms: press, justice, accountability. On the other, expanding the definition of democracy toward a social and parity-based dimension, where gender equality, economic rights, and redistributive justice are central. Some keys to move forward:

- Plural media and voices: ensure laws that protect journalists, foster community and feminist media. 
- Gender-sensitive justice: independent courts that guarantee real access to justice for women and diverse groups. 
- Effective participation: electoral reforms that ensure substantive parity, equitable political financing, and caregiving mechanisms that facilitate women’s participation. 
- Inclusive external voting: simplified procedures, accessible modalities, and campaigns focusing on migrant women. 
- Youth included: guarantee intergenerational parity in parties and parliaments, and public policies addressing employment, education, and the climate crisis from their demands.

Redefining democracy from the south

The IDEA 2025 report reminds us that democracy moves, but not always forward. In Latin America and the Caribbean, democratic setbacks are not mere statistics: they translate into more vulnerable lives, women more exposed to violence, and young people less motivated to participate.

The region must dare to contest the very definition of democracy: not accept a narrow liberal mold, but insist on a substantive, social, parity-based, and regionally autonomous democracy. Only then will the act of voting once again become, for citizens, a tool of hope and transformation of their realities.

Dolores Gandulfo has extensive experience in democracy, electoral systems, and Human Rights in Latin America and the Caribbean. She is Director of the Electoral Observatory of COPPPAL, a member of regional observatories and networks, and has published on electoral observation and human rights. She directs the Diploma in Comparative Electoral Systems at Universidad Tres de Febrero (UNTREF), is a PhD candidate in Political Science at Universidad de San Martín (UNSAM), holds a Master’s in Public Policy (Georgetown), and a BA in International Relations (Universidad del Salvador).