Open Call for CSOs to expand Women’s Leadership and Political Participation

Deadline: 11-Nov-2024

The Women’s Leadership Initiative is a collaborative global effort aimed at advancing women’s full and effective political participation and decision-making at all levels, especially those most often left furthest behind.

As a multi-stakeholder initiative, funded by the European Union, UN Women will support the implementation of the Generation Equality Action Coalition on Feminist Movement’s and Leadership commitments, through directly supporting civil society and women’s rights organizations, including young women’s organizations.

The programme will leverage collective action, partnerships, coordination, knowledge, and resources at global and regional levels, and specifically through:

• Advocacy & Networking: Support women’s leadership through coordinated advocacy, intergenerational networking and access to knowledge and resources.
• Global Knowledge Sharing: Increase and share global knowledge on women’s political participation for use by policy makers and to inform capacity building initiatives.
• Social Norms Change: Promote transformative gender social norms through evidence-based advocacy and capacity building.

Priorities

• Thematic expertise
  • Expertise in implementing projects to promote women’s political participation.
  • Track record and proven experience in transforming social norms to advance women’s participation; including results achieved in transforming social norms through work with men, boys, the media and community members.
  • Experience in implementing projects working with women’s networks or women’s and feminist movements and, ideally, as networks together with other AC6 CSO members.
  • Proven organizational experience in coalition-building of relevant civil society organizations, including key local stakeholders such as local and national government agencies.
  • Champion diverse leaders including women leaders living with disabilities, Indigenous women leaders, LGBTQI+ women leaders, women leaders from the lowest income groups, among others.
  • Experience in building the leadership and political capital of women leaders and/or training and capacitating young women on political leadership.
• Organizations
  • The Call for Proposals will prioritize the following:
    • Prioritize women’s rights organizations: An organization must demonstrate its core work is dedicated to women’s rights and the leadership and promotion of gender equality. This can be evidenced through the organization’s mission statement or vision statement.
    • Prioritize organizations led by young women and/or dedicated to the advancement of young women’s leadership: A young women’s led organization would be defined as at least 51 per cent of leadership positions being held by young women, including directors and board members (young women to be defined between the age of 18-35).
    • Prioritize applications from either lead organizations or applications featuring sub-partners led by or for marginalized/underserved populations, specifically organizations led by women living with disabilities: An organization for instance led by and for the advancement of LGBTQI+ women leaders, organizations led by and for persons living with disabilities and Indigenous led organizations are examples.
    • The lead organization should sub-partner with implementing partner organizations towards capacity building: To encourage building women’s movements, lead organizations should work to build the capacity of organizations through partnership on delivery of the programme.

Funding Information and Duration

• Funding is available for a period between 12 to 24 months for a budget between minimum $45,000 – $150,000.

Expected Results

• This funding will enable UN Women to support the implementation of the AC6 commitments, through directly supporting civil society and women’s rights organizations, including young women’s organizations. Civil society organizations and women’s rights organizations are on the forefront of shifting and redefining social norms to promote gender equality.
• Based on expertise in their specific context, applications may focus on strategies including the following:
  • Building women’s political leadership capacity: CSOs/WROs may choose to build women’s leadership skills through enhancing their capacity such as through the creation of training materials or methodologies. In addition, organizations focusing on building the leadership capacities of underserved women and girls including women living with disabilities, Indigenous and representing the LGBTQI+ community, as non-exhaustive examples, should be prioritized to meet the goals of advancing inclusive feminist movements.
  • Mentorship for emerging leaders: CSOs/WROs may connect existing networks or feminist movements with youth-led or other emerging leaders with experienced activists to build their ability to make collective change. For instance, women’s and especially young women’s organizations may benefit from networking with organizations who have long histories of advocacy and impact in feminist movements. Activities can include funding programmes which equip feminist leaders with skills to mobilize communities towards shifting social norms through advocacy and coalition building.
  • Leverage convening powers for social norms change: CSOs/WROs partners will  engage men and boys and key stakeholders, like the media, as agents of change, and as strategic partners in eliminating all forms of discrimination against women and girls, by understanding and addressing unequal power relations, gender stereotypes and practices that perpetuate discrimination, combating gendered disinformation and supporting the design and implementation of policies and programmes that address the roles and responsibilities of men and boys in transforming negative social norms and attitudes. Further, as an illustrative example, organizations may work to prevent and address violence against women in public life through transforming social norms at all levels of society.
  • Bolster feminist movement building: Through building the capacity of AC6 members as a consortium, lead organizations should ensure they are engaging in direct sub-partnering with additional civil society partners to best deliver the intended results. Further, lead and sub-partner organizations from constituency-led organizations are encouraged to apply to ensure representative perspectives in project implementation.
  • Increasing women’s political leadership: Organizations should consider implementation strategies which aim to increase the opportunities for women leaders to engage in consultations around new policies and legislations.

Eligibility Criteria

• The lead organization must by a legally registered non-governmental organization with a proven track record in promoting women’s political participation, transforming social norms and leadership, enhancing in advocacy and movement building, or similar criteria.
• The lead organization must have certified annual financial statements for the previous three years.
• The lead organization must have at least 3 years of experience in work related to women’s political participation, leadership, human rights and/or movement building or related themes.
• The proposal must be for an initiative in one country (applications must be single country proposals only).
• The country of implementation must be located in a country eligible to receive Official Development Assistance.
• The lead organization must be a member and commitment maker of UN Women’s Generation Equality Action Coalition on Feminist Movements and Leadership.
• UN Women is soliciting proposals from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). Women’s organizations or entities are highly encouraged to apply.

For more information, visit UN Women.