Deadline: 23-Jan-2026
The UN Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) Rapid Response Window provides urgent funding to support women peacebuilders and women’s rights organizations in conflict-affected and fragile settings. The program enables rapid, strategic initiatives that strengthen women’s participation in Track 1 and Track 2 peace processes and the implementation of peace agreements. Grants up to $1,000,000 USD are available for eligible international or regional NGOs to disburse resources and provide technical support to local women-led initiatives.
Overview
The WPHF Rapid Response Window addresses critical funding gaps for women peacebuilders and women’s rights organizations operating in conflict-affected regions. Its main objective is to enhance women’s meaningful participation in peace processes and the implementation of peace agreements. The initiative ensures that short-term, high-impact interventions can be delivered rapidly and effectively.
Key Objectives
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Support Women Peacebuilders: Fund initiatives led by women or directly benefiting women in peacebuilding roles.
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Strengthen Peace Processes: Enable local actors to influence Track 1 (formal) and Track 2 (informal) negotiations.
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Provide Rapid Funding: Address urgent financial needs to capitalize on emerging opportunities in conflict-affected settings.
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Build Local Capacity: Offer strategic, technical, and logistical support to women-led civil society organizations.
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Promote Gender-Equal Peace Outcomes: Ensure women’s voices and priorities are integrated into peace agreements and processes.
Funding and Scope
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Grant Amount: Up to $1,000,000 USD over two years; $500,000 for one year.
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Focus Areas:
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Rapid, strategic initiatives supporting women peacebuilders.
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Strengthening women’s engagement in Track 1 and Track 2 peace negotiations.
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Implementation of peace agreements with gender-responsive strategies.
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Budget Allocation:
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Majority allocated to short-term grants and support for local women-led initiatives.
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Administrative and management costs are capped to ensure maximum impact.
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Duration: One or two-year projects depending on the proposal and funding request.
Who is Eligible?
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Eligible Applicants: Legally registered international or regional NGOs with the capacity to operate in at least one eligible region.
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Eligible Regions: Latin America, Arab States, Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe and Central Asia, Asia and the Pacific.
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Requirements:
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Demonstrated expertise in peacebuilding, gender equality, and humanitarian work.
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Proven capacity to operate in conflict-affected and fragile contexts.
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Ability to manage grants and provide technical, strategic, and logistical support to local actors.
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How It Works
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Proposal Submission: International or regional NGOs submit proposals detailing planned interventions, budget, and target regions.
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Assessment and Selection: WPHF evaluates applications based on impact potential, feasibility, and alignment with gender equality and peacebuilding objectives.
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Grant Management: Selected NGOs manage disbursement to local women-led civil society organizations and informal women’s groups.
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Technical Support: NGOs provide capacity-building, strategic advice, and logistical support to help local actors participate effectively in peace processes.
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Monitoring and Reporting: Organizations track outcomes, report on grant utilization, and share lessons learned to enhance program effectiveness.
Why It Matters
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Empowers Women in Peacebuilding: Ensures women are not only represented but actively participating in peace negotiations.
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Responds to Urgent Needs: Rapid funding allows timely interventions in volatile and fragile contexts.
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Promotes Inclusive Peace: Integrates gender equality into peace agreements and conflict resolution processes.
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Strengthens Local Organizations: Builds capacity of women-led civil society groups to sustain long-term peacebuilding initiatives.
Common Tips for Applicants
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Clearly demonstrate experience in conflict-affected regions and women’s rights advocacy.
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Outline specific mechanisms for supporting women-led civil society organizations.
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Provide detailed budgets showing the majority of funds allocated directly to local initiatives.
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Highlight rapid response capacity and strategies for responding to emerging opportunities.
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Align proposals with WPHF’s gender-responsive peacebuilding objectives.
FAQ
1. Who can apply for the Rapid Response Window?
Legally registered international or regional NGOs operating in eligible regions with experience in peacebuilding and gender equality.
2. What types of activities are funded?
Short-term, strategic initiatives that strengthen women’s participation in Track 1 and Track 2 peace processes and support the implementation of peace agreements.
3. What is the maximum funding available?
Up to $1,000,000 USD over two years, or $500,000 for one-year projects.
4. How are funds allocated?
Most funding goes directly to short-term grants for local women-led organizations; administrative costs are capped.
5. Can NGOs manage multiple local grantees?
Yes, selected NGOs are responsible for managing grants and providing technical, strategic, and logistical support to multiple local actors.
6. Which regions are eligible?
Latin America, Arab States, Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe and Central Asia, Asia and the Pacific.
7. How does WPHF ensure impact?
Through monitoring, reporting, capacity building, and supporting strategic participation in peace processes.
Conclusion
The WPHF Rapid Response Window is a critical funding opportunity for international and regional NGOs to support women peacebuilders in conflict-affected contexts. By providing timely financial support, technical assistance, and strategic guidance, the initiative ensures that women’s voices are central to peace negotiations and implementation, promoting more inclusive, sustainable, and gender-equal peace outcomes worldwide.
For more information, visit Women’s Peace & Humanitarian Fund.