Rapid Response Call 2: Gender & COVID-19 (South Africa)

Deadline: 15-Feb-21

South African Women’s Rights organizations are invited to apply for funding under the Government of Canada- funded Women Voice and Leadership-South Africa Fund (WVL SA) with a strong focus in this round on equal access to, public education and awareness on COVID-19 vaccines.

The initiative arises from Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) addressing six main elements:

Promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls;
Human dignity;
Growth that works for everyone;
Environment and climate action;
Inclusive governance;
Peace and security.

Focus Areas

Areas that can be considered for funding under the Rapid Response window include but are not restricted to:

Initiatives to ensure prioritization and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines; prevent any form of corruption and address the gendered impact of the pandemic.
Public education and awareness on Covid-19 vaccines, in particular any myths that might prevent women from accessing vaccinations.
Ensuring that women working in the health sector and on the frontline of the pandemic have priority access to vaccines.
Gender aware monitoring and tracking vaccine distribution and ensuring that it reaches priority target groups in the most marginal rural areas.
Strengthening the leadership and meaningful participation of women and girls in all decision-making processes in addressing the COVID-19 outbreak and vaccination roll out.
Ensuring that women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights needs are met. These include maternal health, contraceptives, safe abortion and LGBTIQ needs and rights.
Supporting women who have been most economically affected by the crisis to find systemic solutions.
Institutional support to eligible organizations, to ensure they are able to sustain themselves through the crisis.

Funding Information

The maximum amount available for Rapid Response Grants to the grantees is R50,000.
The grants are available for a period of up to four months’ maximum.

Eligible Activities

Include, but are not limited to WROs working to promote women’s and girl empowerment in the following areas Constitutional and Legal Rights, Governance, Education, Economic Justice, GBV, SRHR, Health, HIV and AIDS, Media and Climate Change.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible WROs will be:
- Based on feminist principles and must explicitly include gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in their mandate and programming.
- Demonstrate capacity/ability to collaborate with other WROs to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.
- Have an Executive Director/Head and 80% of the people in all decision-making levels (management and governing board, if one exists) who are women. At least 60% of the staff must be women.
- Applications will be accepted from networks of WROs, which may include feminist, women-led groups that are not registered, do not have three years of experience and/or are less experienced in terms of financial management and technical capacity but are willing to take steps to strengthen these areas of their work.
The following types of entities, subject to having legal standing for operating in South Africa, and to having reasonable and relevant experience, are eligible to apply for WVL Grants;
- Women’s movement-networks/coalitions/alliances at both national and local levels.
- Women’s organizations at both national and local levels.
- Women’s groups based in local communities (Community-Based Organizations).
- Community leaders (activists and organizers) at both national and local levels with reasonable experience and a proven track record.