CFPs: Advancing Women’s Political Participation Project (Nigeria)

Deadline: 20-Apr-2024

The UN Women is seeking applications for Advancing Women’s Political Participation project to support actions that will enhance inclusion of women’s voice and their equal representation and participation in leadership and political processes.

Women’s political empowerment programming must focus on the prevention and mitigation of gender-based violence and violence against women, particularly women in politics, and address other societal norms, power dynamics and use of money in electoral politics in Nigeria. It is therefore important to start engaging early so that electoral and governance reforms, and enforcement mechanisms can be strengthened to ensure political parties’ leadership structures and processes, as well as the entire electoral and the electoral justice chain is more sensitive and responsive to the inclusion and participation of women and other disadvantaged groups.

To address the persistent gender gaps and in line with the country’s national and international commitments, UN Women, with funding from the Government of Canada has prioritized multiple partnerships to increase women’s participation in politics and public life in Nigeria. The ADVANCE Women’s Political Participation (ADVANCE WPP) Project is also aligned and responds to the Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls Action Area of the Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy.

Through this Call, UN Women seeks to build and support partnerships with Nigerian women in their diversities; communities, relevant government agencies and departments; cultural and traditional leaders; political parties; women movements, coalitions, networks and organizations; civil society; faith-based organizations; media and the private sector to support and catalyze such actions that will enhance inclusion of women’s voice and their equal representation and participation in leadership and political processes. The call also focuses on supporting gender-sensitive reforms to ensure that affected communities, especially marginalized women and persons with disabilities benefit from, and are fully engaged to advocate and participate in the development of affirmative action policies, legislation and programs.

Type of LOTs

The overall indicative amount that will be made available for successful organizations are specified by LOTs. Interested organizations are expected to respond to only one LOT under this call, even if such organizations feel they have the required capacity, expertise, interest, and networks in other LOTs.
- LOT 1: Interventions for Ekiti State: Civic society organizations to be selected under this LOT will support advocacy platforms and multi stakeholders’ dialogue and awareness targeting community members and rights holders, CBOs, CSOs, policy makers, cultural and traditional rulers, and political parties, religious leaders and governmental entities to commit to promote women’s political participation and inclusion, and to address harmful societal norms that impede women’s political participation, and those that promote gender based violence and violence against women in politics in Ekiti State. Proponents must also articulate how they will support state-level advocacy, lobbying, and promote cross-party collaboration among women parliamentarians to build alliances with male gender champions for development and adoption of affirmative action policies, legislation, including the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill, and gender-responsive programs and budgets.
- LOT 2: Awareness and Capacity Building Training for Women Leaders: Funding under this LOT will support skills development and capacity building training for women parliamentarians, women leaders in political parties and women in the executive at federal and state level to undertake high-level advocacy, lobbying and legislative drafting, and promotion of cross-party collaboration among women leaders and parliamentarians to build alliances among themselves and with male champions on affirmative action and women’s political empowerment initiatives. Proponents must explain how they will deliver capacity building support based on a customized UN Women Political Leadership and Candidate Training Manual. National level capacity building, coordination of key actors in the women’s political empowerment space, and awareness of stakeholder groups, including media, community influencers, male allies and political leaders to create an enabling environment for women’s political leadership will be part of this LOT.

Funding Information

LOT 1: Interventions for Ekiti State: Up-to 40,000,000 Naira one-year single grant will be issued to one organization for Ekiti State.
LOT 2: Awareness and Capacity Building Training for Women Leaders: UN Women will give a single one-year grant of up-to 110,000,000 Naira.

Timeframe

Start date and end date for completion of required services/results.
- The project implementation is expected to start as soon as possible upon signing of the Project Partner Cooperation Agreements (PCA). The grants are expected to be issued by April 2024 and be implemented through March 2025.

Results/Outcomes

To maximize on the ADVAVCE WPP Project results, available resource envelop, great amount of phase II investment and efforts will be in six target states of Borno, Cross Rivers, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Kaduna, Kwara and the Federal City Territory (FCT). National efforts on capacity building for strategic partners, and support to affirmative action enabling policies, administrative, legal frameworks, programs, and institutional reforms will also be prioritized.
Building on the key achievements summarized above, and informed by analysis of the project performance, lessons from field visits and reflection sessions with key partners and project beneficiaries and taking into consideration the findings and recommendations from the Mid-Term Evaluation of the ADVACE WPP Project, UN Women Nigeria is pleased to launch a Call for Proposals.
Proposals submitted under this Call must articulate innovative ideas, activities, and strategies to be implemented through a mix of online and offline initiatives. Proponents must demonstrate how the proposed activities and innovative approaches will lead to the achievement of results around the intermediate outcomes and outputs areas:
- Intermediate Outcome I: Improved gender-responsive legal environment, including implementation of accompanying policies by political/democratic instructions at state and federal levels in Nigeria.
  - Organizations supported to carry out advocacy campaign on the development, adoption and advancement of policies, legislation, regulations, and programs on affirmative action, including the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill (GEOB) and other affirmative action bills.
  - Initiatives and structures to address systemic and societal barriers to women’s political participation developed.
  - The capacity of legislators and relevant government agencies to initiate and enact gender-responsive policies and laws, including the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill (GEOB) at federal and state levels in Nigeria strengthened.
  - Political parties, electoral and other relevant institutions are strengthened to develop and implement gender-responsive reforms on policies, strategies, procedures, and programs at ward, state and national level.
  - Women parliamentarians are trained (equipped with knowledge skills) on building alliances with male gender counterparts/champions and on cross-party high-level advocacy and lobbying for the development and adoption of affirmative action policies, legislation, and gender-responsive programs and budgets.
- Intermediate Outcome II: Increased women’s participation in political processes and leadership in elective and appointive positions at ward, state and federal level in Nigeria.
  - Women in the executive, and other women leaders (including young women, women with disabilities and girls) trained on skills, knowledge, and strategies on how to advocate, lobby for and influence key women friendly policies and programmes at national and local level.
  - Women members of political parties acquire skills, knowledge, and strategies on political party power dynamics, and on how ascend to key positions in their political parties.
  - Capacity of key stakeholder groups, (including media, community influencers, male allies and political leaders) to create enabling environment for women’s political leadership strengthened.
  - Key political parties and the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) supported to develop and adopt policies on zero tolerance to sexual harassment, use of violence in party elections, and violence against women in politics.
  - A critical number of young women, women entering elective politics and women from corporate sector are taken through an inter-generational women political leadership academy training program, and are mentored, coached and linked with the electorate and political parties, and exposed to networking and peer-to-peer learning opportunities.
  - UN Women Political Leadership and Candidate Training Manual customized to deliver a comprehensive training curriculum for establish leadership training cohorts.
  - Enhanced support to advocacy and multi stakeholder dialogue targeting policy makers, religious, cultural and traditional rulers, and political parties to promote women’s political empowerment and inclusion, and to address harmful societal norms that impede women’s political participation, and gender-based violence and violence against women in politics.
  - Action by community members, CBOs, CSOs, media, traditional and religious leaders and government entities to address persistence of multiple forms of discrimination that impede women’s political participation at national and local level catalysed.
  - Relevant organizations and institutions are better equipped with knowledge and skills on prevention and response to violence against women in politics (VAWP), sexual gender-based violence (SGBV) and other forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG).
- Intermediate Outcome III: Enhanced coordination among Women’s Political Empowerment (WPE) partners and their engagement with key stakeholder groups in project communities to strengthen collaboration and partnerships for women’s political leadership promotion.
  - National and state-level women’s political empowerment coordination mechanisms are strengthened to ensure better networking, collaboration, and building synergy around activities among actors within the women’s political empowerment space.
  - Implementing partners coordinate in conducting regular assessments, analyses, and reflection to inform project learning, adaptation and scale-up.
  - Key media institutions (public and private national and local media outlets) and media professionals, including editors, influencers, journalists, reporters, news anchors, content creators, bloggers, graphic designers, and media marketing professionals are supported to embrace and advance women’s participation in leadership and political processes.
  - Relevant ADVANCE WPP project implementing partners are supported to develop media strategy for impactful campaign on women’s representation and political leadership using mainstream and community media, as well on digital and social media platforms.

Who can apply?

A competitive selection process will take place to identify potential partners. The proponents/organizations will be selected only if they have proven structures, networks, and presentence (for state-based grants), and capacity and experience to deliver the proposed activities. The organization’s capacity will be assessed by UN Women based on UN Women’s policy and procedures. The selected organizations will sign Partnership Agreements (PA) with UN Women Nigeria Country Office.
- Technical/functional competencies required.
  - Organizational Competencies.
    - Must be legally registered non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Nigeria.
    - Must have proven track record in promoting women’s political participation; and promotion of the rights of women and girls, including the rights of young women and women with disabilities.
    - Must have strong track record in understanding the specific local context in the areas of targeted location.
    - At least 5 years of operation with minimum 3 years of specific experiences on gender equality and women empowerment (GEWE) programming.
    - Strong experience in programme management and implementation particularly on women’s leadership and political empowerment.
    - Experience in partnership/working with relevant government agencies and institutions; communities; religious and traditional leaders; women movements; local CSOs and CBOs; media and the private sector at state and federal level.
    - Organizations responding to LOT 1 must, in addition, have verifiable grass root and community networks and linkages, structures, and presence (office, organization leadership and key staff) in the selected state, and must have in-depth ongoing or previous related activities in the specific state.
    - Experience working with gate keepers such as male champions of gender equality, religious and traditional leaders.
  - Team Leader, the overall team leader should have.
    - Must be a Nigerian national with Master’s degree (or equivalent) in International Development Studies, Social Sciences, Politics, Law, Human Rights, Gender, Women Studies, Economics, Monitoring, and Evaluation or related field. A PHD is an added advantage.
    - Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in overseeing and leading the implementation of elections, women’s rights, gender equality, women’s political participation programmes.
    - Substantive experience in managing and implementing similar projects.
    - Proven experience in producing coherent, clear analytic reports and knowledge products.
    - Excellent communication skills and fluent in English and other local languages.
  - Team members, facilitators, and other members will be assessed on the following.
    - Must be a Nigerian national with bachelor’s degree in International Development Studies, Social Sciences, Politics, Law, Human Rights, Gender, Women Studies, Economics, Monitoring, and Evaluation or related field is preferred. WAEC/NECO school graduation is required as a minimum for team members.
    - Experience in working with civil society and community-based organizations, including project/programme management.
    - Professional experience on women’s empowerment, promoting local/community-owned initiative to advance gender equality and empowerment of women and girls.
    - Experience working in promoting peaceful and resilient communities is desirable.
    - Fluent in English and other dialects as relevant in English and other local languages/dialects in the state of implementation as relevant.

Language

The proposal prepared by the proponent and all correspondence and documents relating to the proposal exchanged between the proponent and UN Women, shall be written in English.

For more information, visit UN Women.