CFPs: Incorporating Local Perspectives into the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda

Deadline: 19-May-25

The GIZ in collaboration with the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) is implementing the “Incorporating local perspectives into the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda in the Great Lakes Region (iWPS)”.

The project objective is to have “Civil society and governmental stakeholders incorporate local perspectives into the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda” in ICGLR space. Through this project, GIZ is envisaging funding 20 projects, selected through a Call for proposals submitted by grassroots organisations, in the form of local contributions.

Pillars of Women, Peace and Security (WPS)

• The resolution has four main pillars:
  • Participation: Ensuring women’s active and meaningful participation in peace negotiations, peacebuilding, and decision-making processes at all levels.
  • Protection: Protecting women and girls from gender-based violence, including sexual violence, in conflict and post-conflict settings.
  • Prevention: Preventing violence against women through the promotion of women’s rights, accountability, and law enforcement.
  • Relief and Recovery: Ensuring that women’s specific needs are addressed in relief and recovery efforts, including access to justice and services.

Cross-cutting Priorities and Specific Objectives

• Cross cutting priorities:
  • The WPS 2025 Call for Proposals will revolve around the below cross-cutting priorities: Each application must address at least one of the following cross-cutting priorities:
    • Youth Engagement: Increasing youth participation in civic activities, leadership, decision-making processes, peacebuilding and gender equality initiatives to foster a sense of ownership and active involvement in the WPS agenda.
    • Inclusion of Marginalized Groups: Ensuring the active participation and empowerment of marginalized groups, including internally displaced persons (IDPs), rural populations, and people with disabilities, in the implementation of the WPS agenda.
    • Climate Change and Environmental Resilience: Addressing the impact of climate change on peace, security, and gender dynamics. Promoting sustainable resource management and resilience-building for communities affected by conflict and displacement.
    • Economic Empowerment and Sustainable Livelihoods: Enhancing access to economic opportunities, vocational training, and sustainable income-generating activities, particularly for women, marginalized groups, and conflict-affected populations. Supporting community-led initiatives that promote financial independence, resilience, and long-term development.
• In addition, each proposal should address at least one of the following specific objectives:
  • Community Engagement – Projects should strengthen local engagement in the implementation of the WPS agenda by fostering collaboration between CSOs, women’s groups, youth networks, and marginalized communities.
  • Capacity Building – Projects should enhance the ability of CSOs to advocate for gender-sensitive peacebuilding, implement WPS policies effectively, and support women’s leadership in conflict resolution.
  • Sustainability & Resilience – Projects should promote long-term, locally driven solutions that enhance economic empowerment, environmental resilience, and the inclusion of vulnerable groups in peace and security efforts

Funding Information

• The maximum budget available under this call is 800.000 Euros.
• Categories
  • Category A – Standard projects: 20,000 EUR
  • Category B – Collaboration and Coalition Building projects: 30,000 EUR
  • Category C – Scaling-up Projects: 40,000 EUR
  • Category D – Great Lakes Level Partnerships: 50,000 EUR
  • Category E – Local projects Support: 15,000 EUR

Activities and results

• This Call intends to support a broad range of activities that align with the identified cross-cutting priorities and specific objectives. Projects submitted are encouraged to incorporate diverse approaches. The following is a non-exhaustive list of potential activities for inspiration. Other types of activities are also eligible.
• Specific results and corresponding activities
  • Strengthened Community Engagement
    • Awareness campaigns and community dialogues to promote the WPS agenda at the grassroots level.
    • Storytelling and advocacy initiatives featuring women peacebuilders, youth leaders, and marginalized groups.
    • Public events, performances, and exhibitions to showcase the impact of women and youth in peace and security.
  • Enhanced Capacity Building for CSOs and Local Actors
    • Training of trainers on gender-sensitive peacebuilding, advocacy, and community mobilization.
    • Development of toolkits and training materials to enhance CSO knowledge on WPS implementation.
    • Workshops and peer-to-peer exchanges for knowledge sharing on best practices in WPS advocacy and implementation.
  • Sustainable and Resilient Solutions for Peace and Security
    • Economic empowerment initiatives such as vocational training, entrepreneurship support, and financial literacy programs for women and marginalized groups.
    • Community-driven environmental resilience projects to mitigate climate-related risks and conflicts.
    • Integration programs for displaced populations focusing on social inclusion, skills development, and access to essential services
• Cross cutting priorities and corresponding activities
  • Youth Engagement
    • Youth Peace Ambassadors Program – Training and mentoring young leaders to advocate for the WPS agenda in their communities.
    • Youth-Led Dialogues & Debates – Organizing intergenerational discussions on peacebuilding, gender equality, and leadership.
    • Creative Storytelling & Arts for Peace – Youth-led theater, spoken word, or multimedia
    • Peacebuilding Competitions & Hackathons – Encouraging young people to propose innovative solutions to local peace and security challenges.
  • Inclusion of Marginalized Groups
    • Community-Based Dialogues & Forums – Engaging displaced persons, rural populations, and people with disabilities in local decision-making.
    • Accessibility Audits & Inclusion Training – Supporting CSOs to make peacebuilding spaces more inclusive (e.g., sign language interpreters, accessible venues).
  • Climate Change and Environmental Resilience
    • Women-Led Climate Resilience Initiatives – Supporting projects where women and girls lead reforestation, water conservation, and climate adaptation efforts.
    • Climate & Peace Forums – Facilitating discussions on how climate change fuels conflict and displacement, with a focus on gender-responsive solutions.
    • Community-Based Natural Resource Management – Engaging local populations, including displaced communities, in sustainable resource governance.
  • Economic Empowerment and Sustainable Livelihoods
    • Vocational & Entrepreneurship Training for Women – Providing practical skills development in fields such as agribusiness, crafts, and digital literacy.
    • Financial Literacy & Cooperative Models – Training women and marginalized groups in savings, microfinance, and cooperative business models.
    • Women-Led Business Incubators – Establishing mentorship and support programs for female entrepreneurs in post-conflict settings.
    • Income-Generating Community Projects – Supporting CSOs to launch cooperative businesses that promote peace and stability.

Eligibility Criteria

• The organization must be legally registered according to national laws and rules. It should be recognized at any level by the government and have a clean record (no history of legal or ethical violations).
• Public benefit nature of the project
• Financial Capacity: The organization must have a record of bookkeeping and be able to manage finances.
• The organization must be led by women, meaning that women hold key leadership positions and are actively involved in decision-making processes.
• The organization’s activities must align with at least one of the four pillars of the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda
• The organization should be located in DRC, or Rwanda, or Uganda, or CAR , or Burundi.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Ineligible activities:
  • Commercial Activities: Activities that are primarily commercial in nature, aimed at generating profit for the organization rather than achieving social or community goals.
  • Personal Benefit: Activities that provide direct personal benefit to individuals, such as scholarships or personal loans, rather than benefiting the community or target population.
  • Non-Compliant Activities: Activities that do not comply with local laws, regulations, or the specific guidelines set forth in the CfP.
  • Duplicate Funding: Activities that are already funded by another source or that duplicate efforts funded by other grants or programs.
  • One-Time Events: One-time events or activities that do not have a sustainable impact or long-term benefit for the community.
  • Non-Transparent Activities: Activities that lack transparency, accountability, or clear reporting mechanisms.
• Ineligible projects:
  • Projects and activities concerned with profit making and having a direct or indirect commercial character
  • Scholarships: The project does not fund degree programs
  • Activities and projects already funded by another donor
  • Projects that are an exact duplicate of another GIZ/EU or other donor funded project.

For more information, visit ICGLR.