Deadline: 3-May-23
The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) announces an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for projects that promote women’s entrepreneurship and financial and digital inclusion, including through trade and investment, in Central and Eastern Europe.
The project should also contribute to the dismantling of systemic gender barriers and promoting economic competitiveness through well-paying, quality jobs for women, in all their diversity, or other persons subject to gender-based discrimination in the economic sphere. This project will support the National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality, the U.S. Strategy on Global Women’s Economic Security, the Gender Equity and Equality Action Fund, and the Global Partnership for Action on Online Abuse and Harassment.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an outsized and lingering impact on women and marginalized populations, including increasing rates of gender-based violence (GBV), while also having significant impacts on women-owned enterprises. The pandemic has also accelerated digital transformation processes already underway for women in business. While the increased access and use of technology has fostered women’s economic empowerment, it has also made women in business vulnerable to online and technology-facilitated GBV and sexual harassment or online abuse and harassment.
Technology-facilitated GBV manifests as stalking, bullying, sexual harassment, threats of sexual and physical abuse and violence, impersonation, hacking, image-based abuse, doxing, disinformation and defamation, hate speech, exploitation, and other forms. It poses a grave threat to the freedom of expression and the well-being of women and girls around the world, as well as their participation in public life. Rapid expansion and integration of technology can be exploited by anti-democratic forces and authoritarian influences to disempower key sectors of society, particularly women with intersectional identities in other marginalized communities. Furthermore, technology-facilitated GBV may cross into the offline world as well, with survivors experiencing a combination of online and in-person physical, sexual, and psychological abuse.
Objectives
- In addition to the objectives, project activities should facilitate cross-country learning, resource sharing, and advocacy strategies for use across the region. Illustrative activities may include, but are not limited to:
- Promote women’s access to the digital economy and support digital inclusion of women in business, entrepreneurs, and MSMEs with attention to digital literacy, digital security, and a safer digital business environment;
- Raise awareness of online and workplace GBV and sexual harassment, including for members of marginalized communities;
- Research, document, and expose the particular risks faced by women in business online and highlight needs to combat online abuse and harassment;
- Identify gaps in available tools and resources – to include methodologies and tools that serve particular industries – as well as other communities with intersectional or multiple-marginalized identities, such as LGBTQI+ persons; immigrants; persons with disabilities; and racial, ethnic, and religious minorities; among others – and provide recommendations for closing such gaps;
- Promote private-sector protections and identify existing, or develop new, practical tools, trainings and accountability mechanisms that private-sector companies, chambers of commerce, and women’s business associations and networks can use to support women and members of marginalized communities countering technology-facilitated GBV;
- Identify policy reform priorities to combat technology-facilitated GBV and harassment at the national and regional levels, including improved workplace and social protections for women in business to counter online abuse, and promote public-private dialogue, evidence-based advocacy campaigns, and outreach to raise awareness on the impact of and tools for addressing online abuse; and
- Promote democratic digital governance, labor, and/or workplace reforms, company/national resources, and reporting procedures that offer better protections for women in business, especially when dealing with online abuse.
Funding Information
- Total Funding Floor: $1,975,308
- Total Funding Ceiling: $1,975,308
- Period of Performance: 36-48 months
Eligibility Criteria
- DRL welcomes applications from U.S.-based and foreign-based non-profit organizations/nongovernmental organizations (NGO) and public international organizations; private, public, or state institutions of higher education; and for-profit organizations or businesses. DRL’s preference is to work with non-profit entities; however, there may be some occasions when a for-profit entity is best suited.
- Applications submitted by for-profit entities may be subject to additional review following the panel selection process. Additionally, the Department of State prohibits profit to for-profit or commercial organizations under its assistance awards. Profit is defined as any amount in excess of allowable direct and indirect costs. The allowability of costs incurred by commercial organizations is determined in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) at 48 CFR 30, Cost Accounting Standards Administration, and 48 CFR 31 Contract Cost Principles and Procedures.
For more information, visit DRL.