CFPs: Women’s Economic Empowerment Activities in Kyrgyz Republic

The UN Women Women’s Economic Empowerment Call for Proposals invites qualified women-led civil society organizations and youth organizations in the Kyrgyz Republic to implement economic empowerment initiatives under the Zero Violence Against Women and Girls (Zero VAWG) Initiative. Grants ranging from USD 220,000 to USD 235,000 will support projects that improve women’s access to finance, entrepreneurship, digital and financial literacy, climate-resilient businesses, and economic opportunities while contributing to the prevention of violence against women and girls.

UN Women Women’s Economic Empowerment Grants under the Zero VAWG Initiative in the Kyrgyz Republic

UN Women has launched a Call for Proposals seeking qualified women-led civil society organizations and youth organizations to implement Women’s Economic Empowerment activities under the Zero Violence Against Women and Girls (Zero VAWG) Initiative. The program aims to strengthen women’s economic independence, improve access to financial resources and markets, and create sustainable economic opportunities that contribute to preventing violence against women and girls in the Kyrgyz Republic.

The initiative recognizes that limited access to employment, finance, productive resources, business networks, and decision-making opportunities can increase women’s economic vulnerability. By improving women’s financial autonomy and expanding access to income-generating opportunities, the program seeks to strengthen gender equality, reduce economic barriers, and support long-term social and economic development.

Focus Areas

The program supports projects focused on:

• Women’s economic empowerment
• Access to finance and financial services
• Financial inclusion
• Digital financial literacy
• Financial literacy education
• Business development
• Women-led enterprises
• Entrepreneurship development
• Business mentorship
• Business acceleration
• Market access
• Private sector engagement
• Women’s leadership
• Climate-resilient entrepreneurship
• Climate-smart businesses
• Access to climate finance
• Gender-responsive economic policies
• Gender equality
• Positive social norms
• Women’s participation in economic decision-making
• Advocacy and policy dialogue
• Multi-stakeholder partnerships
• Digital communication
• Knowledge generation
• Research and evidence-based policy recommendations
• Prevention of violence against women and girls

Funding Information

The program provides:

• Grant funding ranging from USD 220,000 to USD 235,000
• Support for comprehensive Women’s Economic Empowerment interventions
• Funding for capacity building, advocacy, research, networking, and enterprise development activities

Application Deadline

• Proposal submission deadline: 26 July 2026

Program Overview

The Women’s Economic Empowerment initiative forms part of the broader Zero Violence Against Women and Girls (Zero VAWG) Initiative implemented by UN Women in the Kyrgyz Republic.

The program is designed to strengthen women’s economic independence while simultaneously contributing to violence prevention through increased financial security, improved access to employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, and stronger community support systems.

Selected organizations will implement integrated interventions that address economic, institutional, and social barriers affecting women’s participation in economic life.

Objectives

The initiative aims to:

• Increase women’s access to economic opportunities.
• Improve financial inclusion.
• Expand access to business development services.
• Strengthen women’s entrepreneurship.
• Improve access to markets.
• Build financial and digital literacy.
• Promote climate-smart economic opportunities.
• Strengthen women’s leadership.
• Promote gender-responsive workplaces.
• Build sustainable partnerships.
• Generate evidence for policy reform.
• Prevent violence against women and girls through economic empowerment.

Eligible Activities

Funding may support activities such as:

• Financial literacy training
• Digital literacy training
• Entrepreneurship training
• Business mentoring
• Business coaching
• Business accelerator programs
• Peer-learning initiatives
• Networking events
• Business matchmaking
• Market linkage activities
• Access-to-finance initiatives
• Partnerships with financial institutions
• Investor engagement
• Research on barriers to women’s economic participation
• Policy analysis
• Development of evidence-based recommendations
• Awareness campaigns
• Advocacy campaigns
• Gender equality promotion
• Women’s leadership development
• Climate-smart entrepreneurship initiatives
• Green enterprise development
• Climate finance awareness
• Digital communication campaigns
• Knowledge product development
• Documentation of lessons learned
• Knowledge-sharing events

High-Level Forums

A key component of the project includes organizing two high-level multi-stakeholder forums that will:

• Promote dialogue on gender-responsive economic policies.
• Discuss the Women’s Empowerment Principles.
• Encourage sustainable financing.
• Support inclusive economic growth.
• Showcase women-led businesses through EXPO events.
• Create networking opportunities between:
  • Government agencies
  • Financial institutions
  • Investors
  • Development partners
  • Business associations
  • Civil society organizations
  • Academic institutions
  • Media representatives

Climate-Resilient Women’s Entrepreneurship

The initiative also supports:

• Climate-smart businesses
• Green entrepreneurship
• Climate adaptation initiatives
• Access to gender-responsive climate finance
• Sustainable business development
• Environmentally responsible enterprises

Who is Eligible?

Eligible applicants include:

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

Applicants should have the capacity to implement large-scale economic empowerment initiatives and collaborate with multiple stakeholders.

Expected Results

Successful projects are expected to:

• Increase women’s financial inclusion.
• Improve women’s access to finance.
• Strengthen women-owned businesses.
• Expand market opportunities.
• Increase digital and financial literacy.
• Build stronger business networks.
• Promote gender equality.
• Strengthen women’s leadership.
• Improve climate resilience among women entrepreneurs.
• Generate policy recommendations.
• Support long-term prevention of violence against women and girls.

Why This Initiative Matters

Women’s economic empowerment is a critical factor in reducing poverty, strengthening gender equality, and preventing violence against women and girls. Economic independence enables women to make informed decisions, access essential services, improve household wellbeing, and participate more fully in community and economic life.

By combining entrepreneurship support, financial inclusion, policy advocacy, and community engagement, the initiative seeks to create sustainable systems that strengthen women’s resilience and contribute to inclusive economic development in the Kyrgyz Republic.

How to Apply

Follow these steps to submit a competitive proposal:

1. Confirm that your organization meets the eligibility requirements.
2. Review the objectives of the Zero VAWG Initiative.
3. Design an integrated Women’s Economic Empowerment project.
4. Develop a realistic project budget between USD 220,000 and USD 235,000.
5. Include activities addressing finance, entrepreneurship, advocacy, partnerships, and knowledge sharing.
6. Prepare all required supporting documentation.
7. Submit the complete proposal before 26 July 2026.

Tips for a Strong Proposal

To improve your chances of success:

• Demonstrate experience in women’s economic empowerment.
• Present evidence-based interventions.
• Include measurable outcomes.
• Develop strong partnerships with financial institutions and private sector organizations.
• Incorporate climate resilience and digital inclusion.
• Show sustainability beyond the project period.
• Include community participation and stakeholder engagement.
• Align activities with gender equality and violence prevention objectives.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid these common errors:

• Focusing only on entrepreneurship without addressing broader economic empowerment.
• Submitting fragmented rather than integrated interventions.
• Providing an unrealistic budget.
• Weak monitoring and evaluation plans.
• Limited stakeholder engagement.
• Insufficient evidence supporting proposed activities.
• Missing required documentation.
• Submitting the application after the deadline.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who can apply?

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

How much funding is available?

Applicants may request between USD 220,000 and USD 235,000.

What is the application deadline?

Applications must be submitted by 26 July 2026.

What types of activities are supported?

The program supports financial literacy, entrepreneurship, business mentoring, market access, climate-smart enterprises, advocacy, research, networking, digital communication, and women’s leadership initiatives.

Are climate-related activities eligible?

Yes. The initiative encourages climate-resilient businesses, green entrepreneurship, and improved access to gender-responsive climate finance.

Are partnerships encouraged?

Yes. Strong collaboration with government agencies, financial institutions, private sector organizations, investors, development partners, and civil society organizations is encouraged.

How does the project contribute to preventing violence against women and girls?

The initiative strengthens women’s economic independence, improves access to income and financial resources, promotes gender equality, and reduces economic vulnerabilities that can contribute to violence against women and girls.

Conclusion

The UN Women Women’s Economic Empowerment Call for Proposals provides USD 220,000 to USD 235,000 in funding to support transformative initiatives that expand women’s access to finance, entrepreneurship, markets, leadership opportunities, and climate-resilient livelihoods in the Kyrgyz Republic. By integrating economic empowerment with violence prevention, policy advocacy, capacity building, and multi-stakeholder collaboration, the initiative seeks to create lasting improvements in gender equality, women’s economic participation, and community resilience.