CFAs: Regional Digital Challenge Small Shifts

The Regional Digital Challenge “Small Shifts – Big Impact” invites civil society organisations, grassroots initiatives, youth groups and activists from Central Asia to create digital stories that promote gender equality and challenge harmful gender stereotypes. The four-week online challenge provides capacity-building sessions in storytelling, photography, community mobilisation and advocacy, with outstanding participants receiving awards, certificates and opportunities for regional visibility.

What Is the Regional Digital Challenge “Small Shifts – Big Impact”?

The Regional Digital Challenge “Small Shifts – Big Impact” is a digital storytelling initiative launched under the CHANGE programme and linked to the annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign.

The challenge aims to highlight real examples of positive social change across Central Asia. It encourages participants to use creative digital content to challenge harmful gender norms, promote women’s participation and demonstrate how small changes can contribute to more gender-equal families, workplaces and communities.

What Is the Main Objective of the Challenge?

The challenge focuses on using digital storytelling for gender equality and gender-based violence prevention.

Participants are encouraged to:

Challenge harmful gender stereotypes.
Promote positive gender norms.
Highlight women’s leadership and decision-making.
Recognise and redistribute unpaid care work.
Share stories of positive change.
Mobilise communities around gender equality.
Strengthen digital advocacy and communication.

The emphasis is on authentic, practical stories that demonstrate how attitudes, behaviours or social practices can change.

How Does the Four-Week Challenge Work?

The programme is organised as a four-week online sprint, with each week addressing a specific gender equality theme.

Week 1: Unpaid Care Work

Participants explore how unpaid household and caregiving responsibilities are distributed.

Stories can highlight:

Sharing household responsibilities.
Equal participation in caregiving.
Recognition of unpaid care work.
Changes in family roles and expectations.

Week 2: Inclusive Communication and Gender Stereotypes

This theme focuses on challenging harmful stereotypes through communication.

Participants can explore how language, media and everyday communication can reinforce or challenge gender norms.

Week 3: Women’s Leadership and Decision-Making

The third theme highlights women’s participation in leadership and decision-making.

Potential stories could showcase:

Women community leaders.
Women’s participation in local decision-making.
Female entrepreneurs or activists.
Changes in workplace leadership.
Women’s involvement in civic initiatives.

Week 4: Vision for Gender-Equal Communities

The final week encourages participants to imagine and communicate a collective vision for more gender-equal communities.

Stories can focus on:

Community-level solutions.
Inclusive social systems.
Future generations.
Equal opportunities.
Collective action for gender equality.

What Content Can Participants Submit?

The challenge welcomes different forms of creative digital storytelling.

Possible formats include:

Short videos.
Photo stories.
Social media carousels.
Written narratives.
Collaborative creative projects.
Other original digital storytelling formats.

Participants should ensure that their content communicates a clear story of change rather than simply presenting general information about gender equality.

Who Can Participate?

The challenge is designed for participants working on gender equality, community development, advocacy or related issues across Central Asia.

Potential participants include:

Civil society organisations.
Grassroots initiatives.
Youth groups.
Activists.
Community-based initiatives.
Other individuals or groups involved in gender equality advocacy.

Participants should be prepared to create original digital content connected to the weekly themes.

What Capacity-Building Support Is Available?

Registered participants will have access to weekly online capacity-building sessions.

Training areas include:

Digital storytelling.
Social photography.
Community mobilisation.
Advocacy.
Digital communication.
Audience engagement.
Developing stronger advocacy narratives.

These sessions are designed to help participants improve both the quality and reach of their digital campaigns.

What Recognition Can Participants Receive?

Outstanding entries from each thematic week will receive:

Commemorative awards.
Certificates.
Recognition for their contribution to the challenge.

Selected stories may also be featured through UN Women communication platforms, with full attribution to the authors.

Winners will additionally be invited to participate in the Central Asian Alliance to End Gender-Based Violence Regional Forum, scheduled to take place in Bishkek in late October 2026.

Why Does This Challenge Matter?

Digital media can help transform conversations about gender equality by making positive examples visible and relatable.

The challenge provides a platform for local storytellers to demonstrate that gender equality can begin with practical changes in everyday life.

Its approach connects:

Storytelling with advocacy.
Creative media with social change.
Local experiences with regional conversations.
Youth participation with gender equality.
Community action with long-term behaviour change.

This makes the initiative particularly relevant for grassroots organisations and activists that already use social media or other digital platforms for community engagement.

How to Create a Strong Entry

Step 1: Select a Real Story

Choose a genuine example of change from a family, workplace or community.

Step 2: Connect It to the Weekly Theme

Make sure the story clearly relates to the theme being addressed that week.

Step 3: Identify the Change

Explain what was different before, what changed and why that change matters.

Step 4: Choose an Effective Format

Select the format that best communicates the story. A short video may work well for personal testimony, while a photo story or carousel may be better for documenting a community initiative.

Step 5: Focus on People and Impact

Show how the change affected people’s lives, relationships, opportunities or participation.

Step 6: Use Inclusive Storytelling

Avoid reinforcing the stereotypes the challenge seeks to address. Present people with dignity and ensure that their experiences and perspectives are represented responsibly.

Step 7: Participate in Capacity-Building Sessions

Use the weekly online sessions to improve storytelling, photography, mobilisation and advocacy techniques.

Tips for a Strong Digital Story

Start with a specific real-life experience.
Keep the message simple and easy to understand.
Show a clear problem → change → impact sequence.
Use authentic voices wherever possible.
Avoid overly general statements about gender equality.
Make visuals and captions work together.
Focus on positive, achievable changes.
Consider how the story could motivate others to act.
Respect privacy, consent and dignity when sharing personal experiences.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Participants should avoid:

Submitting content unrelated to the weekly theme.
Using generic awareness messages without a concrete story.
Presenting stereotypes without critically challenging them.
Using images or stories without appropriate permission.
Making the content overly complicated.
Focusing only on the problem without showing possible change.
Ignoring the learning opportunities provided during the challenge.
Failing to clearly communicate the social impact of the featured change.

Key Details at a Glance

Challenge: Regional Digital Challenge “Small Shifts – Big Impact”
Programme: CHANGE programme
Focus: Gender equality and challenging harmful gender stereotypes
Region: Central Asia
Format: Four-week online sprint
Participants: Civil society organisations, grassroots initiatives, youth groups and activists
Content formats: Videos, photo stories, social media carousels, written narratives and collaborative creative projects
Training: Storytelling, social photography, community mobilisation and advocacy
Recognition: Awards and certificates
Additional opportunity: Selected stories may appear on UN Women communication platforms
Regional event: Central Asian Alliance to End Gender-Based Violence Regional Forum
Forum location: Bishkek
Forum timing: Late October 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the “Small Shifts – Big Impact” challenge?

It is a four-week regional digital storytelling challenge that encourages participants in Central Asia to share real stories demonstrating positive change related to gender equality and harmful gender stereotypes.

Who can participate?

Civil society organisations, grassroots initiatives, youth groups and activists working in Central Asia can participate.

What are the four weekly themes?

The themes focus on unpaid care work, challenging harmful stereotypes through inclusive communication, women’s leadership and decision-making, and creating a vision for gender-equal communities.

What types of content can be submitted?

Participants can create short videos, photo stories, social media carousels, written narratives and collaborative creative projects.

Is training provided?

Yes. Registered participants can participate in weekly online capacity-building sessions covering digital storytelling, social photography, community mobilisation and advocacy.

What recognition do outstanding participants receive?

Outstanding entries can receive commemorative awards and certificates. Selected stories may also be featured on UN Women communication platforms with author attribution.

Will winners receive an opportunity to participate in a regional event?

Yes. Winners will be invited to participate in the Central Asian Alliance to End Gender-Based Violence Regional Forum, planned for Bishkek in late October 2026.

Conclusion

The Regional Digital Challenge “Small Shifts – Big Impact” provides Central Asian activists, youth groups and civil society organisations with a platform to use creative storytelling to advance gender equality, challenge harmful stereotypes and promote positive social change. Beyond recognition, the initiative offers practical digital advocacy training and opportunities for selected stories to reach wider regional audiences through UN Women platforms and the Central Asian regional forum.