AYNI-FIMI Call for Applications: Leading from the South Program

Deadline: 31 July 2018

Applications are open for “Leading from the South” grant program with an aim to promote reflections and collective actions, learnings and constructions of solidarity networks between countries and regions to link the voices and experiences of indigenous women, so that, from their worldview and identity in the local spaces, articulate with movements at national and regional level for human, egalitarian and sustainable development.

The “Leading from the South” (LFS) Program is a special fund created to provide resources to promote gender equality and the promotion of women’s rights in the Global South for a period of four years (2017 to 2020). It is an initiative funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, which will be implemented jointly by four Women’s Funds: Fondo de Mujeres del Sur (for Latin America and the Caribbean), the Women’s Development Fund of Africa ( includes the Middle East and North Africa), Women’s Fund of South Asia (for Asia) and the International Forum of Indigenous Women (FIMI).

Topics

• Incidence in political power
• Institutional strengthening
• Land, territory and resources
• Mitigation and adaptation to climate change
• Access to public services​

Type and Size of Subsidies

1. Small grants: The small grants will focus on projects whose implementation takes place in the 12 (twelve) month period and the maximum amount to request is $ 24,000 USD.
   • They may submit proposals in this category:
     • Organizations led by indigenous women;
     • Groups of indigenous women,
     • Communities of indigenous women,
     • Groups of indigenous women in mixed organizations, to be eligible they must have at least one third of women in their leadership, or have an organized section or group of women within the organization, with participation in decision-making.
   • The themes of the projects to be financed at this level are:
     • Incidence in political power
     • Institutional strengthening
     • Access to public services

2. The medium grants: The medium grants will focus on projects whose implementation takes place in the period of 12 (twelve) months and the maximum amount to request is $85.000 USD.
   • They may submit proposals:
     • Organizations led by indigenous women holding positions in decision making of the organization and most of the technical positions;
     • Organizations must be based and lead their work in accordance with the worldview of indigenous peoples.
     • Groups of indigenous women in mixed organizations. To be eligible, at least one third of their leadership must be from indigenous women and / or there is a section of women within the organization that participates in decision-making.
     • Preferably have their own legal status and a bank account in their name; in the case of organizations without legal status, they must provide evidence of a good experience of prior collaboration with their fiscal sponsor.
   • The themes of the projects to be financed at this level are:
     • Incidence in political power
     • Institutional strengthening
     • Land, territory and resources,
     • Mitigation and adaptation to climate change
     • Access to public services

3. The large grants: Special consideration will be given to proposals that come from organizations and networks that are articulated or have alliances for their implementation. It may be implemented in a period of 12 (twelve) months and the maximum amount to request is $200.000 USD.
   • They will be able to participate:
     • Organizations led by indigenous women holding decision-making positions in the organization and most of the technical positions;
     • Organizations must be based and lead their work in accordance with the worldview of indigenous peoples, have their own legal status and a bank account in their name;
     • The organization must have proven technical capacity in the areas and topics prioritized by this call.
   • The themes of the projects to be financed at this level are:
     • Incidence in political power
     • Institutional strengthening
     • Land, territory and resources,
     • Mitigation and adaptation to climate change
     • Access to public services

Eligibility Criteria

• Only indigenous women’s organizations, networks and funds can present their projects, including mixed organizations. Organizations must be registered in their countries, in accordance with current legislation. It is important to note that organizations that have their headquarters and work outside the country where the Fund is invested, are not eligible to request funds from this Program.
• Organizations must be registered in accordance with current legislation in their respective territories and have a minimum of 3 years of activities. On the other hand, the requested amount cannot exceed 50% of the current budget of the organization (or the leading organization in the case of consortiums).
• Indigenous women’s groups and / or networks can submit projects jointly, as a consortium for any of the grant categories. To this end, one of the organizations will be responsible for receiving and managing the funds and signing the Memorandum of Understanding with FIMI in the event their project is approved.
• Applicant organizations must have:
  • 50% of indigenous women in their capacity as members of the Board of Directors / Board of Directors
  • 70% of the resources of their projects and programs should be allocated to programs and actions directly for the rights of indigenous women.
• It is important that the organization be led by indigenous women. In the case of mixed organizations, the organization must guarantee and demonstrate that indigenous women have a delegation to represent the project and to make decisions about it.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted online via given website.

Eligible Countries:

• Latin America: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela.
• África: Angola, Benin,Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central Africa, Lebanon, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
• Middle East: Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Palestine, Syria, Morocco, Tunisia, Yemen.
• Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam.
• Pacific: Micronesia, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea.

For more information, please visit Leading from the South.