ABSTRACT
The word democracy, derived from the Greek word for people, generally implies rule by the people. A developing concept of democracy allows more time to achieve results, further consolidation, and to develop different indicators of democratic success. In addition to standard democracy theory, there exists a sub-body of research, albeit much smaller in scope, which focuses on democratic transitions and consolidations. However, for United States (US) democracy practitioners, civil society has become entirely synonymous with non-governmental organizations (NGO). Justification for United States Agency for International Development programming directly and unquestionably reflects US foreign policy objectives and logic. A paradoxical situation is created where a female dominated NGO community does not necessarily yield gender sensitive policies and advancement of women’s rights due to the double patriarchal bargain that women involved in the NGO sector face. US democratic assistance has a very limited understanding of the process of democratic transformation.
