Call for Advancing Women’s Leadership and Peacebuilding (South Sudan)

Deadline: 12-Jun-2026

UN Women is inviting grant applications to strengthen women’s leadership, peacebuilding, governance participation, and economic empowerment in Western Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal states. The programme provides funding between USD 50,000 and USD 115,000 for qualified civil society organisations, women-led groups, NGOs, and community-based organisations implementing gender-responsive peacebuilding and resilience initiatives over an 18-month period.

About the Programme

This UN Women grant programme supports initiatives that advance the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda by strengthening women’s participation in peacebuilding, governance, conflict prevention, and community resilience.

The programme focuses on creating inclusive and gender-responsive peace structures, improving social cohesion, strengthening conflict prevention mechanisms, and expanding opportunities for women’s economic empowerment.

Projects will be implemented in Western Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal states and are expected to contribute to sustainable peace, inclusive governance, and stronger community resilience.

Program Objectives

The programme aims to:

• Strengthen women’s leadership and participation in governance processes.
• Advance the Women, Peace and Security agenda.
• Improve women’s involvement in peacebuilding and mediation efforts.
• Strengthen conflict prevention and early warning systems.
• Enhance social cohesion and community resilience.
• Promote women’s economic empowerment.
• Support inclusive and gender-responsive governance structures.
• Strengthen accountability to national and international gender commitments.
• Improve protection outcomes for women and vulnerable populations.

Focus Areas

Projects should address one or more of the following areas:

• Women’s leadership and participation.
• Peacebuilding and social cohesion.
• Mediation and conflict prevention.
• Women’s economic empowerment.
• Community resilience programming.
• Protection initiatives.
• Gender-responsive humanitarian action.
• Advocacy and communication strategies.
• Conflict-sensitive programming.
• Do No Harm approaches.
• Monitoring and evaluation systems.
• Financial management and accountability.
• Stakeholder engagement and partnership development.

Funding Information

• Minimum grant amount: USD 50,000.
• Maximum grant amount: USD 115,000.
• Project duration: 18 months.
• Implementation period: 1 July 2026 to 31 December 2027.

Funding will support programme implementation, community engagement, capacity building, advocacy, monitoring, and partnership activities aligned with programme objectives.

Who Is Eligible?

Eligible applicants include:

• Civil society organisations (CSOs).
• Women-led organisations.
• National NGOs.
• Local NGOs.
• Community-based organisations (CBOs).
• Peacebuilding organisations.
• Governance and human rights organisations.
• Gender equality organisations.

Applicants must demonstrate substantial experience in implementing programmes related to peacebuilding, governance, gender equality, and community resilience.

Required Organisational Experience

Applicants should demonstrate experience in:

• Peacebuilding and conflict transformation.
• Social cohesion initiatives.
• Mediation and conflict prevention.
• Women’s leadership development.
• Women’s participation in peace and political processes.
• Women’s economic empowerment.
• Community resilience programming.
• Gender-responsive humanitarian action.
• Governance and accountability initiatives.
• Advocacy and policy engagement.

Experience supporting implementation of national and international gender commitments is highly desirable.

Stakeholder Engagement Requirements

Applicants should have proven experience working with national and sub-national stakeholders, including:

• National Elections Commission.
• National Constitutional Review Commission.
• Relief and Rehabilitation Commission.
• Relevant government ministries.
• Local government authorities.
• United Nations agencies.
• Regional organisations.
• Civil society coalitions.
• Women-led organisations.
• Youth organisations.
• Community-based organisations.
• Peace committees.
• Traditional leaders.
• Faith-based organisations.

Strong multi-stakeholder engagement capacity is considered essential for programme success.

Advocacy and Communication Requirements

Applicants should demonstrate experience in:

• Community-level advocacy campaigns.
• Public awareness initiatives.
• Strategic communication planning.
• Policy advocacy.
• Linking local priorities to national processes.
• Stakeholder mobilisation.
• Citizen engagement initiatives.

Projects should demonstrate how communication strategies will support programme outcomes and increase community participation.

Technical and Institutional Capacity Requirements

Applicants must demonstrate:

• Strong monitoring and evaluation systems.
• Reliable reporting mechanisms.
• Financial management capacity.
• Internal accountability systems.
• Programme management expertise.
• Experience with donor-funded projects.
• Ability to manage large-scale community interventions.

Experience working with United Nations agencies and implementing UN Results-Based Management (RBM) standards is strongly preferred.

Conflict-Sensitive Programming Requirements

All projects should integrate:

• Gender-responsive approaches.
• Conflict-sensitive methodologies.
• Do No Harm principles.
• Inclusive participation mechanisms.
• Protection-centred programming.
• Human rights-based approaches.

Applicants should explain how these principles will be applied throughout project implementation.

How the Programme Works

• Review programme objectives and eligibility requirements.
• Develop a project concept aligned with Women, Peace and Security priorities.
• Identify target communities and stakeholders.
• Design activities supporting women’s leadership, peacebuilding, and resilience.
• Develop a monitoring and evaluation framework.
• Prepare a budget and implementation plan.
• Submit the grant application.
• Successful applicants receive funding approval.
• Implement activities over the 18-month project period.
• Monitor, evaluate, and report programme results.
• Participate in UN Women reporting and accountability processes.

Expected Project Outcomes

Projects are expected to contribute to:

• Increased participation of women in peace and governance structures.
• Stronger community resilience.
• Improved social cohesion.
• Enhanced conflict prevention mechanisms.
• Greater economic opportunities for women.
• More inclusive governance systems.
• Improved gender-responsive programming.
• Stronger local partnerships and networks.
• Sustainable peacebuilding outcomes.

Selection Criteria

Applications are likely to be assessed based on:

• Organisational experience and expertise.
• Relevance to programme objectives.
• Quality of the technical proposal.
• Strength of stakeholder partnerships.
• Monitoring and reporting capacity.
• Financial management systems.
• Sustainability of project outcomes.
• Gender-responsive and conflict-sensitive approaches.
• Expected impact on women, communities, and governance systems.

Why This Programme Matters

Women play a critical role in peacebuilding, governance, conflict prevention, and community resilience.

This programme helps:

• Increase women’s representation in decision-making processes.
• Strengthen local peacebuilding efforts.
• Improve social cohesion and stability.
• Advance gender equality and women’s rights.
• Support sustainable community development.
• Enhance resilience in conflict-affected communities.
• Promote inclusive governance and accountability.
• Strengthen implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda.

Tips for a Strong Application

• Demonstrate proven experience in peacebuilding and gender programming.
• Present clear and measurable outcomes.
• Include strong stakeholder engagement strategies.
• Explain how women will participate in leadership and decision-making.
• Integrate conflict-sensitive and Do No Harm approaches.
• Develop a realistic implementation plan.
• Show strong monitoring and reporting capacity.
• Highlight previous experience working with UN agencies or international donors.

Common Application Mistakes

• Providing vague programme objectives.
• Weak stakeholder engagement plans.
• Insufficient evidence of organisational capacity.
• Limited experience in gender-responsive programming.
• Inadequate monitoring and evaluation frameworks.
• Poorly defined sustainability strategies.
• Failure to address conflict sensitivity.
• Weak financial management systems.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Who can apply for this grant programme?

Civil society organisations, women-led organisations, NGOs, and community-based organisations with relevant experience in peacebuilding, governance, and gender equality programming.

What is the grant size?

Funding ranges from USD 50,000 to USD 115,000 per project.

How long can projects run?

Projects will be implemented over an 18-month period from 1 July 2026 to 31 December 2027.

What geographic areas are targeted?

The programme focuses on Western Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal states.

What thematic areas are supported?

Women’s leadership, peacebuilding, mediation, conflict prevention, social cohesion, economic empowerment, community resilience, governance, and gender-responsive humanitarian action.

Is previous UN experience required?

While not mandatory, strong experience working with UN agencies and applying UN Results-Based Management standards is highly advantageous.

What organisational systems must applicants demonstrate?

Applicants must demonstrate strong monitoring, reporting, financial management, accountability, and programme management systems.

Conclusion

The UN Women Grant Programme for Women’s Leadership, Peacebuilding and Governance Participation offers a significant opportunity for organisations working in peacebuilding, governance, and gender equality to strengthen women’s leadership and resilience in South Sudan. Through targeted investments in conflict prevention, economic empowerment, social cohesion, and inclusive governance, the programme contributes to long-term peace, stability, and sustainable development in Western Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal states.

For more information, visit UN Women.