Deadline: 21-Jul-25
UN Women has launched a call for proposals under the initiative “Ukrainian Women at the Frontlines of Demining and Recovery,” aimed at empowering women in war-affected regions of Ukraine. This opportunity is open to civil society organizations (CSOs) that are legally registered in Ukraine and have demonstrated expertise in gender equality and women’s empowerment.
The initiative focuses on three core areas: governance and leadership with an emphasis on women, peace and security (WPS) and conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV); women’s economic empowerment (WEE); and gender-responsive humanitarian response and coordination. These areas are intended to support women’s leadership and participation in recovery efforts, especially in traditionally male-dominated sectors.
Organizations may submit proposals under one or both of the two interlinked pillars. Pillar 1: Women’s Empowerment, Leadership and Mental Resilience Support aims to enhance the confidence, leadership capabilities, and mental resilience of women in explosive ordnance (EO)-contaminated and conflict-affected areas. This includes regions such as Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Chernihiv, Sumy, and Mykolaiv. The goal is to help women engage meaningfully in emergency response and mine action sectors.
Pillar 2: Training and Employment Opportunities in Humanitarian Mine Action focuses on increasing women’s access to certified technical training and employment in humanitarian mine action. Selected partners will coordinate with mine action service providers and relevant authorities to ensure that training is inclusive, certified, and leads to actual employment outcomes.
The indicative budget for each pillar ranges between USD 500,000 and USD 950,000. The implementation period is up to 17 months, with projects expected to begin by 1 September 2025 and conclude no later than 31 January 2027.
To be eligible, organizations must be legally registered and operating in Ukraine for at least three years. They should also have a minimum of three years of experience implementing programs relevant to the call’s objectives. Additionally, organizations must have completed at least two projects of similar value and complexity within the last two years, and possess proven capacity to engage diverse stakeholders such as government bodies, media, CSOs, and the private sector.
For Pillar 1, applicants must demonstrate an ability to analyze gender-specific barriers in male-dominated sectors, maintain strong local presence, and have experience delivering empowerment and training initiatives to conflict-affected women. They should also have at least five years of experience in women’s empowerment, leadership, human rights, or community mobilization.
For Pillar 2, applicants must hold certification from a Ukrainian authority to deliver IMAS EOD Level 3 training in Ukraine. They must also be capable of coordinating training with international IMAS Level 3+ certified providers if training outside Ukraine is required. A minimum of five years of experience in humanitarian mine action training is essential.
While not mandatory, prior collaboration with UN Women or other UN agencies, and a track record in designing innovative, gender-transformative programs, will be considered an asset. This funding call offers a critical opportunity for capable CSOs to support Ukrainian women’s leadership and employment in national recovery and demining efforts.
For more information, visit UN Women.
