African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) Call for Funding and Technical Support Proposals

AWDF Call for Proposals

Introduction: The African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) is a grant making foundation that supports local, national and regional organizations working towards the empowerment of African women and the achievement of gender equality on the continent.  

The vision of AWDF is for women to live in a world where there is social justice, equality and respect for women’s human rights. To this end, our mission is to mobilize and disburse financial, human and material resources to support positive transformation in Africa. We believe that If women are empowered with skills, information, sustainable livelihoods, opportunities to fulfil their potential, plus the capacity and space to make transformative choices, then we will have vibrant, healthy and inclusive communities.
To achieve its vision and mission, the African Women’s Development Fund provides grant and technical support to women’s groups and organizations in Africa working on issues in line with the following themes:
Women’s Human Rights (WHR)Economic Empowerment and Livelihoods (EEL)Health and Reproductive Rights (HRR)Governance Peace and Security (GPS)Arts Culture and Sports (ACS) andHIV/AIDSThe current call is opened from 18th June to 31st July 2014.   Applicants are to send in proposals with innovative but effective strategies to address issues relating to the specified focus areas under the various listed themes: The areas of focus are as follows:

Women’s Human Rights (WHR)

In the area of promoting Women’s Human Rights, priority will be given to projects that enhance

Women and girls access to justice especially around land and property rightsPolicy engagements on women’s rightsAddressing violence against womenSupported projects will target key populations such as indigenous women, rural women, commercial sex workers, women of different sexual identities and orientations, women with disabilities, women living with HIV/AIDS; female migrant workers; women working in quarries, mining areas, cocoa growing areas and other socially disadvantaged groups.

Governance, Peace & Security (GPS)

To enhance women’s participation in decision making and peace building, projects that will be supported would focus on

Enabling women’s voices to be heard and their interest represented at all levels of decision makingBuilding women’s leadership capacitiesFacilitating women’s participation in the democratic processesEconomic Empowerment & Livelihood (EE&L)

To increase income earning opportunities for women, projects to be supported should seek to

Work with smallholder women farmersWork on climate change and food security issuesBuild micro enterprises and strengthen cooperativesHealth & Reproductive Rights (HRR)         

In the area of HRR the proposal will seek to minimize maternal and infant mortality rates and to address some urgent health issues affecting women and girls. 

Projects to be supported will target;Improvement in maternal and child healthPrevention of breast and cervical cancerStrengthening women’s voices to advocate for the implementation of National health policiesTraining and equipping traditional birth attendantsImprove access to family planning information and servicesPromote the reproductive health and rights of womenArts, Sports & Culture (AS&C)

Projects to be supported under this theme will use arts, sports and culture to help address the negative images of women, by building women’s talents and skills as well as to build their capacities to lead the advocacy for the promotion of the rights of women. 

The use of arts and popular culture to disseminate information on women’s rights and other key issues affecting women, to new and hard to reach audiencesRaise the voices and profiles of women in all sectors of leadership on the continent using media such as music, films, documentaries, TV and radio productions, and national and regional film festivals.HIV/AIDS

Projects that will be supported under this theme will be centered on:

Fighting stigma and discrimination against women living with HIV/AIDSPromoting the rights of women living with HIV/AIDSBuilding the capacities of women living with HIV/AIDS to take leadership positions and to lead the advocacy for the promotion of the rights of women living with HIV/AIDSTo facilitate the inclusion and participation of women living with HIV in decision making forums at the community, national and international levelsInnovative HIV prevention activities and programmesApplicant Organisation must have been in existence for at least 3 yearsThe organization must be duly registered, at least with its local government structureThe organization must be led by a womanThe organization must have the needed organizational structuresThe organization must have an appreciable financial management systemThe organization must be capable of reporting back on the outcomes of the projectThe organization must be highly recommended by a donor agency, a grantee or partner of AWDF or the local government officeThe applying organization must complete the necessary application formsGrant Size: Eligible projects should have a budget ranging from $10,000 to $20.000.

Grant Period: The grant period will be for one year from the date of award.

Expectation

The grantee is expected to send in 2 reports. An interim report and a final comprehensive report detailing the various activities, lessons learnt and clearly defined achievements at the end of the project. 

The organisation must be capable of measuring the results of the project and must be able to document stories and lessons learnt for sharing with AWDF

How to Apply

Interested organisations should send in their proposals to the AWDF secretariat in Accra, Ghana, using the required grant applications guidelines which include a financial management assessment form.

For more information, please visit the following links:

AWDF Grant Application Guideline

Financial Management Assessment Questionnaire

Framework for Measuring Outcomes

The African Women’s Development Fund
Office: Plot 78 Ambassadorial Enclave, East Legon
Post:   P.M.B CT 89 Cantonments, Accra, Ghana

Email: awdf@awdf.org;   grants@awdf.org

Website: www.awdf.org

Tel : + 233 289669666

Note: Please note that this is a very competitive process and it is only organizations with innovative but effective strategies who will be supported. Again, organizations must clearly demonstrate their ability to communicate their achievements.