The African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) - Call for Proposals 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence

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AWDF will focus on ‘women’s mental health and wellness’ during the 2020 Sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence. Women groups and organisations will be supported during the activism period to intensify education and awareness on preventing violence against women and girls (VAWG) as well as promoting women’s access to comprehensive mental health and wellness services.

THEME:
Ending Violence, Improving Mental Health and Wellness of Women

Across Africa, women and girls continue to face violence at home, work, school, in public spaces and online simply for being women. These experiences can affect women’s mental health and wellness in multiple ways. The trauma women suffer as a result of violence compounds the pressure and stress confronting women daily as a result of the multiple stressors of economic political and social marginalisation and the multiple roles that society places on them. African feminists are increasingly mobilising around the need for self-care individually and collectively, and the need to enable women overcome the daily pressures and demands of their economic and reproductive roles which mostly do not receive the needed recognition and value. It is important that even as women give off themselves to their family and society, they also make time and channel some energy to themselves,
centring and prioritising themselves in the process of trying to make the world a better place. Women should not be afraid or shy to prioritise their health and wellness individually and collectively. Making comprehensive and gender-sensitive mental health and wellness services accessible can allow women and survivors of violence to take back control of their bodies, sexuality, and lives. In light of the above, AWDF will focus on ‘women’s mental health and wellness’ during the 2020 Sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence. Women groups and organisations will be supported during the activism period to intensify education and awareness on preventing violence against women and girls (VAWG) as well as promoting women’s access to comprehensive mental health and wellness services. AWDF since its inception has supported women’s rights organisations in Africa to help address violence against women and girls through a variety of activities including advocating for the enactment of policies that promote women’s right and its implementation, change social norms to create an environment for respecting women’s right, create individual awareness and strengthen women’s capacity to lead their own agenda. Projects supported have mobilised and organised women and their allies to raise their voices and demand for the rights of women to enjoy their human rights. In recent times AWDF through its Flourish retreat for African Feminist activists has been exploring a new model for women activists’ wellness. 
AWDF will therefore, support women’s rights organisations and groups employing innovative approaches, methodologies, tools and resources that show positive results through awareness creation and advocacy to promote women’s mental health and wellness. AWDF encourages creativity- so send in your exciting ideas for events, public campaigns and other activities towards preventing violence and promoting women’s mental health and wellness!

Projects may include

• The use of arts, culture and sports to create awareness around Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and promote women’s mental health and wellness
• Creation of a platform for collective care and to discuss and encourage women, including survivors of violence, to prioritise their mental health and wellness
• The use of media including social media to discuss and promote women’s mental health and wellness
• Organising young women to mobilise around the elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls and promoting women’s mental health
• Creation of a movement to encourage and promote African/local practices that promote mental health and wellness
• Sensitise organisations providing GBV services (legal aid, psychosocial support, counselling, medical care, economic support, etc.) to strengthen the provision of emotional healing and wellness in their various activities.

Eligibility Criteria
Applicant Organisation:

• Must have been in existence for at least 3 years
• Must be duly registered, at least with the local government structure
• Must be led by a woman and have a focus on Women’s Rights
• Must have the needed organisational structures for effective implementation of the project
• Must have an appreciable financial management system to properly account for funds received
• Must be capable of reporting back on the outcomes of the project
• Must be highly recommended by a donor agency, a grantee or partner of AWDF or a well-known national women’s rights organisation
• Must complete the necessary application forms
• Must have an annual budget not more than $100,000

Grant Size & Period
The grant size is US$2,000. Therefore, eligible projects should have a budget of not more than US$2,000 to be supported by AWDF funds. The grant period will be for 4 months from the date of award.

Guiding Notes
AWDF is interested to hear your great ideas for the 2020, 16 Days campaign focused on African women’s rights to bodily integrity, mental health and wellness. In keeping with AWDF’s mandate, we accept applications from African women’s organisations, and particularly encourage young women led organisations, organisations led by women living with disability, LBTQ women and other marginalised women led organisations to apply. Let us know how you plan to use $2000 to run an innovative event, campaign or series of activities to address violence against women and girls and promote women’s mental health and wellness.

Please follow the application guidelines below. Note that the maximum amount of grant allowed is US$2,000. Applicants must fit AWDF’s general grantee guidelines (women-led, African women’s rights organisations).

How to Apply
Interested small sized women’s rights organisations should send in their proposals using the required application guidelines to the AWDF secretariat via email to proposals@awdf.org; awdf@awdf.org; The applicant must also complete and include a financial management assessment form and an outcome form
NOTE: Please note that this is a very competitive process. Only successful applicants will be contacted

APPLICATION GUIDELINES
This is a call for application for grant to organise activities in commemoration of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender based Violence. In order to consider your request for the 16 Days of Activism against Gender based Violence activities, please use the template below to apply. Please be informed that the maximum amount of grant allowed is $2,000 and you will be expected to send in a report of your activities and expected outcome. The current call is opened from 11th June, 2020 to the 13th of July, 2020

Read More about this Call Here  https://awdf.org/wp-content/uploads/16-DAYS-Call-Final.pdf

Staff Writer

This article was written and edited by a staff writer.