Call for Proposals: Women’s Empowerment in Arab States

UN Women, through the Fund for Gender Equality, Kicks Off New Call for Proposals on Women’s Empowerment in Arab States


High impact political and economic empowerment programmes sought, grantees to be announced in December; other regions to follow 


United Nations, New York — UN Women’s Fund for Gender Equality, a grantmaking fund initiated by Spain and dedicated to advancing women’s rights and gender equality, announced today its second Call for Proposals, inviting women’s organizations and government agencies to apply for grants to support women’s political and economic empowerment. In recognition of the recent developments in the Arab States region, which have created additional opportunities for supporting efforts to improve the life conditions of women and girls, the first phase of the Fund’s 2011–2012 call will immediately focus on proposals that seek to empower women and their communities in this region.

“UN Women supports the participation and rights of women in the Arab States, and the Fund for Gender Equality can bolster women’s empowerment and participation during this time of transition,” said Michelle Bachelet, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women. “We hope that these grants support women in their quest for democracy, equality and political participation.” UN Women administers and oversees the Fund for Gender Equality.

The Fund has set aside USD 16 million for its 2011–2012 grantmaking cycle, with USD 4 million projected for grants in the Arab States and more if contributions during this grantmaking cycle increase. Grants will start at USD 200,000 for initiatives that make tangible improvements in the lives of women and girls. The Fund will accept proposals from Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, the occupied Palestinian territory, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Applicants may download the Call for Proposals and Grant Application athttp://www.unwomen.org/fge/application-guidelines/. The first set of grants will be announced in December 2011.

In 2012, the Fund will complete the second grant cycle by inviting grant proposals from Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

The Fund is one of the leading grantmaking funds on gender equality in the world. Created in 2009 with an initial contribution of USD 65 million (EUR 50 million) from the Government of Spain, it now has expanded with contributions from Norway and Mexico.

To continue to significantly advance gender equality and women’s rights through grantmaking of this scale, UN Women calls on UN Member States, the private sector, and individuals to contribute to this vital source of funding for women and gender equality advocates by contacting the Fund at fund.genderequality[at]unwomen.org.

Media Contact: Oisika Chakrabarti, Media Specialist,

oisika.chakrabarti@unwomen.org, +1 646 781-4522.

For additional information, visit http://www.unwomen.org/fge/.