Rolling deadline

Open Society Institute (OSI) and the International Women's Program (IWP) invite grant proposals for efforts to promote and protect the rights of women and girls in priority areas around the globe where the principles of good governance and respect for the rule of law are absent or destroyed because of conflict. IWP seeks to promote the advancement of women's rights and gender equality in law and practice and the empowerment of women to ensure participation in democratic processes.

IWP invites proposals focusing on one or more of the following objectives:

1) Reducing discrimination and violence against women

• Strengthening legal frameworks and enforcement mechanisms that focus on women’s rights
• Strengthening civil society’s capacity to hold governments accountable to implement laws
• Increasing women’s capacity to understand and claim rights

2) Strengthening women's access to justice

• Legal aid, counsel, and assistance are available and resourced.
• Judges, lawyers, and prosecutors understand and apply gender justice.
• Transitional justice mechanisms are equitable and inclusive of women.

3) Increasing women's role as decisionmakers and leaders

• Peace and reconciliation processes
• Electoral and legislative processes
• Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration (DDR), Security Sector Reform (SSR), and Reconstruction programmes

Organisations can apply for 1 - 3 year grants ranging from US$25,000 to US$200,000 per year, as a general support grant or support for a specific project. Preference is given to:

• Organisations managed and led by women
• Organisations that have a five-year-plus track record and demonstrate sustainability
• Organisations that forge partnerships with other civil society groups working on similar issues
• Local/indigenous independent non-governmental organisations or initiatives that link local and international organisations

Click here for more information and for application guidelines in English or French in MS Word format.

Click here to download the complete call for proposals in MS Word format with proposal templates. The IWP requests that applicants write '(Month-Year) call, country, and organisation name' in the subject line of emailed proposals when sending attachments to the address in the contact information below. If an organisation does not have email access, please fax or mail the application to the contact information below.

Email from Lisa Sangoi to The Communication Initiative on December 2 2009.