Every Voice Counts - Strategic Partnership Some 1.5 billion people, half of the world’s poor, live in fragile settings where the government is unable or unwilling to fulfill its core responsibilities to protect and care for its citizens. In such fragile settings, often characterized by variable levels of violent conflict, perspectives for stability and sustainable inclusive development - key priorities of the Dutch Government - continue to be extremely bleak. Whereas each fragile setting is unique, a broad international consensus exists on the multiple and complex causes that need to be addressed for a transition out of fragility. Among these, establishing inclusive governance processes is considered essential. A key obstacle for achieving stability and sustainable development in fragile settings is the structural exclusion of segments of society from local, district level and national governance processes. Our theory of change (TOC) addresses this with a focus on inclusive governance processes, referring to the extent to which governance processes provide space to overcome the systematic exclusion of disadvantaged groups seeking to participate in decision making. Therefore this strategic partnership’s overall objective is to contribute to inclusive and effective governance processes in fragile settings. Specific target and impact groups may vary country by country and will be determined on the basis of thorough analysis and consultation with relevant stakeholders. The inclusion of women in governance processes is key to stability and development in all countries and therefore crosscuts all program interventions.