CFPs: Supporting the empowerment of Marginalized Women and reduction of GBV in Botswana

Deadline: 21-Jun-24

The French Embassy in Botswana has announced the FEF-OSC (Innovative projects from civil societies and coalition of actors) small-grant programme designed for supporting the empowerment of marginalized women and reduction of gender-based violence (GBV) in Botswana.

FEF-OSC aims at funding small-scale projects and development initiatives which contribute to strengthening Botswana’s civil society and promoting social, economic and cultural rights in the country. Its main objectives are to support local initiatives, foster networking and synergies between stakeholders on the field and strengthen capacities of beneficiaries and civil society organizations.

Priorities

• For this 2024 call for proposal, the French Embassy will give priority to local CSOs working towards the reduction of GBV in Botswana, through the socio-economic empowerment of marginalized women and girls (i.e. from rural areas, low-skilled, youth, LGBTQIA+ etc.), as well as through field research studies and education projects.
• Therefore, project proposals should fall under one or more of the following priorities:
  • Preventing vulnerability to violence: 
    • Socio-economic empowerment of marginalized women (workshops, trainings, etc.)
    • Field research studies to increase knowledge of the challenges they face and providing informed actionable recommendations, in particular regarding issues of social reintegration (e.g. affecting ex-prisoners, GBV survivors)
  • Preventing violence: 
    • Education/awareness raising projects involving the youth (e.g. deconstruction of gender stereotypes via interactive activities such as podcasts, games, educational workshops, etc.).
  • The project must have a capacity-building (or for field research studies, knowledge-building) component.

Eligible Projects

• The underlying principle of FEF-OSC is to encourage innovative projects carried out by motivated and ambitious small and medium-sized Botswana CSOs. FEF-OSC will support primarily emerging CSOs showing a potential for growth, striving to implement new ideas and committed to make a measurable difference in their community.
• The project proposals should:
  • Enhance the use of innovative methods and techniques or original development dynamics;
  • Respond to a need already identified by the community, directly benefiting to it in an inclusive way and beyond the initial circle of the project holders;
  • Emphasize “learning by doing” in its capacity-building components;
  • Achieve tangible realizations or improvements that are sustainable when external funding comes to an end;
  • Anticipate the necessary running and maintenance costs.
• Examples of projects that cannot be supported by FEF-OSC:
  • Prestige operations without well-defined economic or social objectives;
  • Projects limited to construction work;
  • Proposals with high running costs and overhead expenditures.

Eligibility Criteria

• Officially registered Botswana civil society organizations (associations, NGOs, CBOs, association networks, self-help organizations, etc.)
• They encourage applications from organizations with inclusive socio-geographic reach, youth-led or youth-focused, as well as attuned to themes of climate change, biodiversity protection, and antidesertification.
• Profit-based organizations and international NGOs are not eligible.
• Requirements:
  • Funded projects cannot include religious or political activities of any type, nor favour any community on the basis of religious, political, or ethnic criteria.
  • The duration of the project is expected to range around 22 months. It should not go beyond 31st May 2026.
  • The FEF-OSC maximum contribution should not exceed 150,000-200,000 pulas;
  • The beneficiaries are expected to contribute at least to 10% of the total cost of the project. This participation can take the form of financial contribution and/or provision of human resources, land, premises, equipment or materials in kind.
  • Projects may be co-funded by other donors, but this extra contribution may not replace the mandatory contribution of the applicant.

For more information, visit French Embassy in Botswana.