CFPs: Women and Youth Organizations Leading Action to End Violence (Kyrgyz Republic)

The UN Women Zero VAWG Initiative is inviting women-led civil society organizations and youth organizations in the Kyrgyz Republic to implement community-based initiatives that prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. The call provides USD 235,000 to USD 245,000 in funding for projects that promote positive social norms, strengthen community partnerships, enhance digital communication, and build sustainable systems to eliminate gender-based violence.

UN Women Zero VAWG Initiative: Grants for Community-Based Violence Prevention in the Kyrgyz Republic

UN Women has launched a Call for Proposals inviting qualified women-led civil society organizations and youth organizations to jointly implement Output 3 of the Zero Tolerance for Violence against Women and Girls (Zero VAWG) Initiative in the Kyrgyz Republic.

The initiative supports community-led interventions that prevent violence against women and girls, strengthen partnerships between civil society and public institutions, promote gender equality, and encourage long-term community transformation. The program also focuses on expanding digital engagement, strengthening institutional collaboration, and creating sustainable knowledge-sharing systems that contribute to ending violence against women and girls.

Focus Areas

The program supports projects focused on:

• Prevention of violence against women and girls
• Community-based violence prevention
• Community engagement
• Positive social norms
• Gender equality
• Women’s rights
• Community transformation
• Social behaviour change
• Youth engagement
• Institutional partnerships
• Multi-stakeholder collaboration
• Community coordination
• Digital communication
• Digital advocacy
• Online awareness campaigns
• Digital storytelling
• Knowledge generation
• Knowledge sharing
• Capacity development
• Digital innovation
• Public awareness campaigns
• Community leadership
• Inclusive participation
• Disability inclusion
• Prevention of child marriage
• Prevention of forced marriage and bride abduction
• Sustainable community development

Funding Information

The program provides:

• Grant funding ranging from USD 235,000 to USD 245,000

Application Deadline

• Proposal submission deadline: 26 July 2026

Program Overview

The Zero VAWG Initiative seeks to strengthen community responses to violence against women and girls by supporting organizations capable of implementing integrated, community-based prevention activities.

The selected organization will work closely with communities, youth organizations, local authorities, academic institutions, and civil society partners to strengthen prevention systems, encourage positive behavioural change, and promote inclusive participation.

The initiative recognizes that sustainable prevention requires collaboration across multiple sectors while ensuring that women and girls, particularly those facing multiple forms of discrimination, have access to safe, supportive, and inclusive communities.

Program Objectives

The initiative aims to:

• Prevent violence against women and girls.
• Promote positive social norms.
• Strengthen gender equality.
• Increase public awareness.
• Strengthen institutional collaboration.
• Expand community participation.
• Improve digital communication.
• Build sustainable partnerships.
• Promote inclusive community engagement.
• Strengthen knowledge-sharing systems.
• Document best practices.
• Build organizational capacity.
• Institutionalize the Zero VAWG Community Model.

Eligible Activities

Funding may support activities such as:

• Community awareness campaigns
• Behaviour change campaigns
• Public education initiatives
• Community dialogues
• Youth engagement activities
• Leadership development
• Capacity-building workshops
• Digital communication campaigns
• Social media outreach
• Storytelling initiatives
• Development of digital advocacy tools
• Production of digital knowledge products
• Community mobilization
• Partnership development
• Institutional coordination
• Knowledge-sharing events
• Research documentation
• Best practice documentation
• Community consultations
• Digital platform development
• Online learning resources
• Small grant administration
• Monitoring and evaluation activities

Community Engagement

The selected organization will collaborate with:

• Women-led organizations
• Youth organizations
• Community leaders
• Local authorities
• Civil society organizations
• Academic institutions
• Informal community groups
• Service providers
• Men and boys
• Community influencers

Activities should encourage collective action to eliminate violence against women and girls while promoting respectful relationships and gender equality.

Digital Communication and Innovation

A major component of the initiative focuses on strengthening digital engagement through:

• Online awareness campaigns
• Digital advocacy
• Interactive communication platforms
• Storytelling campaigns
• Educational content
• Digital knowledge repositories
• Online engagement tools
• Communication capacity building

Organizations will also strengthen their internal digital communication skills to improve outreach and public engagement.

Knowledge Generation and Sharing

The initiative promotes:

• Documentation of lessons learned
• Development of knowledge products
• Best practice publications
• Institutional learning
• Academic collaboration
• Sustainable knowledge-sharing mechanisms
• Replication of successful community models

Partnerships and Sustainability

Projects should establish long-term collaboration among:

• Civil society organizations
• Women’s organizations
• Youth organizations
• Informal community groups
• Local governments
• Academic institutions
• Development partners
• Other relevant stakeholders

The goal is to ensure that community-based violence prevention efforts continue beyond the project period.

Who is Eligible?

Eligible applicants include:

• Women-led civil society organizations
• Women-led non-governmental organizations
• Youth organizations

Applicants should demonstrate strong experience in community engagement, gender equality programming, violence prevention, partnership building, and organizational capacity development.

Expected Results

Successful projects should contribute to:

• Increased community awareness.
• Reduced acceptance of harmful social norms.
• Stronger prevention of violence against women and girls.
• Greater youth participation.
• Improved institutional coordination.
• Expanded digital engagement.
• Stronger partnerships.
• Sustainable community-led prevention systems.
• Increased inclusion of marginalized women and girls.
• Enhanced knowledge sharing across sectors.

Why This Initiative Matters

Violence against women and girls remains one of the most significant barriers to gender equality and sustainable development. Community-based prevention approaches help transform harmful social norms, strengthen protective systems, and encourage communities to take collective responsibility for preventing violence.

By combining community engagement, institutional collaboration, digital innovation, and knowledge sharing, the Zero VAWG Initiative aims to create long-lasting change throughout the Kyrgyz Republic.

How to Apply

Follow these steps to prepare your proposal:

1. Confirm your organization’s eligibility.
2. Review the objectives of the Zero VAWG Initiative.
3. Develop an integrated community-based intervention.
4. Design activities addressing prevention, communication, partnerships, and knowledge sharing.
5. Prepare a detailed budget between USD 235,000 and USD 245,000.
6. Gather all required supporting documents.
7. Submit the completed proposal before 26 July 2026.

Tips for a Strong Proposal

To strengthen your application:

• Demonstrate experience in preventing violence against women and girls.
• Include measurable outcomes.
• Present a realistic implementation plan.
• Build strong partnerships with local stakeholders.
• Integrate digital communication throughout the project.
• Include disability inclusion and gender-responsive approaches.
• Explain how activities will remain sustainable after project completion.
• Show evidence of community ownership.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid these common application errors:

• Proposing isolated activities instead of integrated interventions.
• Weak stakeholder engagement.
• Limited sustainability planning.
• Inadequate monitoring and evaluation.
• Unrealistic budgets.
• Insufficient attention to inclusion and accessibility.
• Missing required documentation.
• Submitting after the application deadline.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who can apply?

Women-led civil society organizations and youth organizations operating in the Kyrgyz Republic.

How much funding is available?

Applicants may request between USD 235,000 and USD 245,000.

What is the application deadline?

Applications must be submitted by 26 July 2026.

What types of activities are supported?

The program supports community engagement, awareness campaigns, digital communication, partnership building, knowledge sharing, behaviour change initiatives, and violence prevention activities.

Does the initiative support digital communication?

Yes. Digital communication, storytelling, online advocacy, digital knowledge products, and communication capacity building are key components of the program.

Are partnerships encouraged?

Yes. Strong collaboration with civil society organizations, youth groups, local authorities, academic institutions, and community stakeholders is strongly encouraged.

How does the project promote sustainability?

The initiative supports institutional partnerships, knowledge-sharing systems, community ownership, and the long-term implementation of the Zero VAWG Community Model to ensure lasting impact beyond the grant period.

Conclusion

The UN Women Zero VAWG Initiative provides USD 235,000 to USD 245,000 in funding for women-led civil society organizations and youth organizations in the Kyrgyz Republic to implement community-based initiatives that prevent violence against women and girls. Through community engagement, digital innovation, institutional collaboration, positive social norm transformation, and sustainable partnerships, the initiative seeks to build safer, more inclusive communities and advance gender equality across the country.