2. "While women’s participation in politics is one side of the coin, the other side is
economic empowerment. When women have an income, they have more inde-
pendence, and this makes other rights possible. We need to urgently open up
economic opportunities for women.
With the right policies, change can happen quickly"
Michelle Bachelet
Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women
Women make up more than half the world’s population, but the majority of them
live in poverty.
For their lives to change, they need access to and control of economic resources
and political power: to speak out, run for offi ce, and support themselves and their
communities.
UN Women’s Fund for Gender Equality is dedicated to supporting pioneering
national and regional initiatives that help women determine their own lives,
influence others and lay the foundations for a brighter future.
The Fund commenced in 2009. In only three years since its inception, the Fund has
invested USD $43 million in support of 55 grantee partners in 40 countries and
catalized significant grantee results: from securing decent employment for 7,000
Dalit women in India, to supporting women’s organizations and parliamentarians
in El Salvador to create a gender equality law that was passed in 2011, to
mainstreaming gender in agricultural policies in Uganda and Zimbabwe.
With generous contributions from Spain (USD $65 Million), Norway (USD $3.5
Million), Mexico (USD $800,0000) and the Netherlands (USD $1.2 Million) as well as
individual donations, the Fund’s total corpus is USD $71 million and constitutes one
of the world’s largest grantmaking funds dedicated to advancing the cause of
women’s equality globally.
3. TYPES OF GRANTS
Women’s Political Empowerment Grants aim at increasing women’s political participation, representation, leadership, and
influence in all spheres of women’s lives, including through trainings and education, and focusing on young women leaders.
Women’s Economic Empowerment Grants aim at increasing women’s access to and control over resources and assets
– including land, water, technology, and viable employment – while also addressing the disproportionate burden of unpaid care
work on women and girls, with particular emphasis on holistic and environmentally sustainable development approaches.
Women’s Political and Economic
Empowerment Grants 2009 -2011*
(in Millions of $)
*Includes 2011 Grant Awards from FGE October 2011
Call for Proposals in the Arab States Region
4. HOW WE WORK
We provide high-impact multi-year grants of up to US$1 Million with tailored technical assistance to local, national and regional organizations as
well as government partners to advance gender equality with concrete changes for millions of women and communities.
The Fund is designed for results. Grants are provided on a competitive basis directly to government agencies and civil society organizations from
around the world. With low operating expenses and a high delivery, the Fund is a powerful engine to support the mandate of UN Women in two
priority areas: Women’s Economic and Political Empowerment.
Managed by a Secretariat located in NY, every two years during the month of March and in commemoration of International Women’s Day, the Fund
launches a Call for Proposals, manages a world-wide competitive review process, awards grants, aggregates grantee results, facilitates and shares
knowledge among grantees, conducts monitoring and evaluation activities, and raises visibility and resources for grantees.
The Fund’s multi-lingual and transparent online application process is structured to attract wide-ranging high quality proposals. A high calibre
independent Technical Committee composed of leading national, regional and thematic experts, review each proposal.
Once grants are awarded, the Fund relies on UN Women’s Political, Economic and Geographic Advisors as well as Regional Monitoring Specialists
and Country Offi cersto provide strategic support for programme implementation, position the grantees at UN Country teams, play a bridging role
between government and civil society, provide technical capacities on Results Based Management, and facilitate complementarily with UN Women
Country Offi ces.
A Steering Committee comprised of donor and programme countries, multilateral agencies, and civil society representatives ratifies grant
recommendations and dictates policies for the Fund.
5. GRANTEES’ RESULTS
(2009-2011)
“We are convinced that women will one day achieve full equality”
Fund for Gender Equality 1st Grantee Forum in Colombia, 2011
We support grantee programmes that deliver women’s political and
economic empowerment with tangible and significant impact in the
lives of women and girls.
Together grantees are advancing gender equality goals enshrined in
National Gender Equality Laws and Policies as well as Regional and
International agreements (Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),
the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
(CEDAW), the Beijing Platform of Action, and the Belem do Pará,
among others.)
PHOTO LAURA WATERBURY
6. WOMEN’S POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT GRANTEE RESULTS 2009-2011
Engaging in Electoral Processes
Only 19 women are currently serving as elected Heads of State or Government and women are outnumbered four to one in legislatures.
By the end of 2014, grantees supported by the Fund for Gender Equality working on electoral processes will have in aggregate introduced
over 1,700 women into electoral politics
Grantees’ Key results of date (2009-2011):
Constitutional Court Act, the Judiciary Law, the Law of Autonomy and Decentralization and the Demarcation Law. (Grantee Coordina-
dora de la Mujer & grassroots organizations, US$2.4 Million for 3 years)
electoral lists. Large scale local and national media campaigns and a petition with 36,000 signatures boosted the women candidates’
visibility and support. (Grantee Women and Media Collective, US$ $496,977 for 2 years)
SUMA programme aiming at increasing women’s political participation in 10 states of Mexico is yielding impressive results.
So far, the first 20122 election in Michoacán saw an increase in the number of women mayors from 5 to 12 percent. Women’s
representation in Congress increased from 12.5 to 37.5 percent. (Grantee Equidad de Género with Inmujeres’ support, US$3.1 Million
for 3 years)
-
ments to pass a proposal for gender parity in electoral processes at local, state and federal levels (Grantee SOS CORPO &
Secretariat for Women’s Policies, US$3 Million for 3 years)
A new grant in Egypt has been awarded (2011-2012) to women’s organizations to train and support 1,000 women in Egypt who aspire to play
a central leadership role in national political processes (Grantee Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights, US$545,000)
A new grant in the Occupied Palestinian Territories has been awarded (2011-2012) to empower 10,000 women to engage in constitution
writing (Grantees Palestinian Centre for Peace and Democracy & the Jerusalem Centre for Women, US$200,000)
7. Expanding and Strengthening Women’s Leadership
Laws, policies and institutions around the world often lack gender and women’s rights perspectives. Women remain underrepresented in the decision-
making bodies that impact their lives: from farmers’ cooperatives to local governments to social movements. Support in expanding and strengthening their
leadership skills so as to influence policies in a meaningful way is much needed.
By the end of 2014, Fund for Gender Equality grantees will have helped over 13.6 million women and other beneficiaries strengthen their
leadership skills and capacities to influence different decision making bodies and effectively engender policies and frameworks.
Grantees’ Key results of date (2009-2011):
• In aggregate, grantees have catalized over 24 legislative and policy changes in support of gender equality in 12 countries between 2009 and 2011
• In El Salvador, a massive public campaign on the creation of a gender equality law was launched. Strategic work with Parliamentarians was under-
taken. The law passed in March 2011. (Grantees Las Dignas & Las Mélidas of the Concertación Prudencia Ayala, US$ 500,000 for 2 years)
• Seven Small Island Pacific States(Cook Islands, Kiribati, Niue, Nauru, Republic of Marshall Islands and Tuvalu) endorsed the Small Islands State Sub-
Regional Action Plan on Supporting Women’s Participation in Decision Making Processes 2010-2015 in the last year (Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat,
PIFS, US$200,000 for 2 years)
• In Bosnia and Herzegovina, 180 young women leaders have engendered the implementation of municipal youth strategies and, using social media
tools and technology, have mobilized over 6,000 people to support national and municipal youth policies with a gender perspective. Other
municipalities are now replicating this programme. (Grantees KULT Association, BH Experts Association & Kosnica, US$462,770 for 2 years)
• In Nepal, so far 34 innovative episodes of weekly radio programme on gender equality were broadcasted across 75 districts through 205 community
radio stations reaching over 12 million people. (Grantee Association of Community Radio Broadcasters, US$ 394,000 for 2 years)
• Globally, Indigenous women have successfully increased Indigenous women’s representation in key decision-making positions within Indigenous
Peoples’ movements (such as in the Presidency of the United Nations Permanent Forum of Indigenous Issues) and are influencing Rio+20 and MDG
Summit+10 processes including commitments that outline respect for the fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples based on equality, non-
discrimination, and diversity. (Grantee International Forum of Indigenous Women, FIMI US$300,000 for 2 years)
• In the Dominican Republic, a gender perspective has been mainstreamed in the National Strategy of the Information Society e-Dominicana and first
draft of the new e-Dominicana has been created increasing women’s access to ICTs. (Grantee Centro de Investigación para la Acción Femenina,
US$500,000 for 2 years)
8. WOMEN’S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT GRANTEE RESULTS 2009-2011
Supporting Rural Women
Poverty remains a predominantly rural phenomenon. In some parts of the world, women represent 70 percent of the agricultural workforce. Yet they face
discrimination and unequal access to productive resources and opportunities. Furthermore, women still only own one percent of the world’s titled land and
continue to carry the disproportionate burden of unpaid care work.
By the end of 2014, grantees supported by the Fund will have helped over 8,470 rural women to gain access to their economic rights and productive
resources and managing those taking into account rural and indigenous women’s perspectives to achieve sustainable development.
Grantees’ Results to date (2009-2011):
the ECOWAS’ Policy Document of July 2010 (Grantees ABANTU & Ghana Gender and Climate Change Coalition, US$500,000 for 2 years)
(Grantee Forum for Women in
Democracy, FOWODE, US$205,000 for 2 years)
can enjoy their rights as enshrined in the Rwandan constitution. Working with both local costumary and formal courts, so far, 1,034 claims are been
processed by this network and by lawyers. (Grantees RCN Justice et Democratie & HAGURUKA, US$2 Million for 3 years)
the Annual Assembly Board of one of the largest agricultural associations which congregates over 60,000 small and average
agricultural producers in the country. (Grantee National Association of Agricultural and Commercial Producers, US$495,00 for 2 years)
-
istries such as the Ministries of Health, Water Resources and Energy. The goverment has increased an allocation from USD$2,000,000 to USD $3,000,000
to the Women’s Development Fund (WDF) to support rural women. (Grantee Zimbabwe Women's Resource Centre and Network, US$1.6 Million for 4
years)
A new grant in Morocco has been awarded to support rural agricultural cooperatives for women in the high Eastern Atlas Mountains of Morocco, where
environmental destruction has eroded traditional grazing economies (Grantee Akhiam Association, US$260,000)
9. Ensuring Decent Work
Some 600 million women struggle to earn a living in insecure jobs, without decent wages and basic social protections and services. Women are
often paid less than men for their work, with an average wage gap of 17 percent. Women domestic workers, informal sector workers, and rural
women workers in particular face persistent discrimination and are denied the practical skills and capital necessary for a decent livelihood.
Further, the disproportional burden of unpaid care and agricultural work on women limits their opportunities to engage in paid work, diversify
their incomes and expand their wage employment which would contribute to increased power and autonomy and a more sustainable economy.
By the end of 2014, Fund for Gender Equality grants in aggregate will have helped over 163,741 women secure decent work, over 114,433 women
gains skills and resources, and over 4 million women gain protection and security for themselves and their families.
Grantees’ Results to date (2009-2011):
• In the Philippines, a Magna Carta for Workers in the Informal Economy Bill was approved by the House Committee on Labor and
Employment on 2nd March 2011 (Grantee HomeNet South East Asia, US$100,000 for 2 years)
• In Brazil, the Government has committed to drafting a law for women domestic workers, in alignment with the recently approved ILO
Convention 189 and ensuring decent work and social protections. (Grantee SOS CORPO & Secretariat for Women’s Policies, US $3 Million for
3 years)
• In Egypt, the government has actively promoted the private sectors’ adoption of the Gender Equity Seal to increase training and
recruitment of women, particularly young and low-income women, establishing measures to reduce sexual harassment in the workplace
and advancing women’s careers. (Grantee Ministry of Manpower & Social Research Center, US$2.4 Million for 4 years)
• In India, more than 7,000 Dalit women obtained decent employment and several thousand now have bank accounts. (Grantees Gender at
Work and DSS project of the Mitra Service Society, US$492,400 for 2 years)
10. Generating Sustainable Income and Assets
Grantees’ Results to date (2009-2011):
micro-enterprise grants, have started their own savings facilities, and have
demanded and obtained improved health care services. (Grantees Cambodia
Health Education Media Services &
US $1.1 Milion for 2 years)
sustainable income-generating markets and eight newly constructed markets
now have access to safe water and sanitation, storage facilities, electricity,
spaces for daycare facilities for children as well as for training and health
facilities
A new grant in Algeria has been awarded to a partnership between the mayor’s
offices and women’s NGOS in two Algerian cities to help 500 women become
economically independent through local agriculture and small manufacturing
(Grantee Association of Solidarity and Fight against Poverty and Exclusion, EL
GHAITH, US$200,000)
12. WOMEN’S POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT GRANTS 2009-2011
Africa Nigeria BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights &Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND) $480.000
Lebanon Palestinian Human Rights Organization – PHRO $437.140
Occupied Palestinian Territory* Dalia Association $200.000
Occupied Palestinian Territory* Palestinian Center for Peace and Democracy & Jerusalem Center for Women $200.000
Arab States
Egypt* Women and Memory Forum $200.000
Egypt, Libya, Yemen* Karama $565.000
Occupied Palestinian Territory* Association of Women Committees for Social Work $450.000
Egypt, Jordan, Occupied Palestinian Territory and Yemen* Stars of Hope Society $265.000
Egypt* Egyptian Center for Women's Rights $545.000
Iraq* Women's Empowerment Organization $215.000
Asia & the Pacific
Occupied Palestinian Territory* Anabta Women Welfare Society $200.000
India Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN) with Jagori women's org $2.549.974
China All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) $2.456.934
Pacific Islands Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat $200.000
Sri Lanka Women and Media Collective $496.977
Nepal Association of Community Radio Broadcasters Nepal $394.000
Serbia Women's Space $120.625
Central Asia
Ukraine All Ukrainian Network of P $499.921
Europe &
Bosnia and Herzegovina KULT Young Women Org & BH Experts Association & Kosnica $462.770
Bosnia and Herzegovina Gender Center of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzego Offi c
e $1.472.340
Kyrgyzstan Women Support Center (WSC) & Women-Entrepreneurs Support Association (WESA) $1.290.991
Dominican Republic Centro de Investigación para la Acción Femenina -CIPAF- $500.000
Latin America and the Caribbean
Ecuador FUNDACION WAAPONI $489.657
Colombia Corporacion Sisma Mujer $163.361
Asociación de Mujeres por la Dignidad y la ida LAS DIGNAS & Asociación Movimiento de Mujeres Mélida Anaya Montes
El Salvador $500.000
LAS MÉLIDAS
"Global" International Indigenous Women's F Foro Internacional de Mujeres Indígenas (FIMI) $300.000
Mexico SUM Equidad de Género: Ciudadanía, Trabajo y Familia [Gender Equality: Citizenship, Work and Family] $3.048.086
Bolivia Asociación Coordinadora de la Mujer [Women's Coordination Offi c with several other grassroots women's NGOs
e] $2.474.134
Jamaica Bureau of Women's A te Resolution Foundation $1.729.537
Secretaría Especial de Políticas para las Mujeres - SPM [Special Secretariat for Women’s Policies] & SOS Corpo, REDE and
Brazil $3.000.000
Geledes
TOTAL WOMEN'S POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT GRANTS 2009-2011 $25.906.447
*Indicates New Arab States Grantee, 2011-2012 Grant Cycle, Grants disbursed in March 2012
13. WOMEN’S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT GRANTS 2009-2011
Mozambique MUGEDE - Mulher, Genero e Desenvolvimento (Women, Gender and Development) $438.550
Uganda Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE) $205.000
Senegal Alliance Nationale Contre le Sida (ANCS) & SWAA SENEGAL $200.000
Cameroon Horizons Femmes $368.750
Africa
Ghana ABANTU for Development & Ghana Gender and Climate Change Coalition $500.000
Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Market Women's Fund (SMWF/US & LIBERIA) $3.000.000
Rwanda RCN Justice & Democratie & HAGURUKA $2.000.000
Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Women's Resource Centre and Network (ZWRCN) $1.680.939
Egypt Al-Shehab Organization for Comprehensive Development & Egyptian Society for Economic and Social Rights $354.490
Occupied Palestinian Territory Bisan Center for Research and Development $450.000
Morocco Agence du Sud $460.000
Arab States
Egypt Ministry of Manpower and Emigration & Social Research Center $2.400.000
Morocco* National Institution for Solidarity with Women, INSAF $545.000
Morocco* Akhiam Association $260.000
Algeria* Associaction of Solidarity and Fight Against Poverty and Exclusion, El Ghaith $200.000
Lebanon* Amel Association $325.000
Lebanon* Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon $280.000
Egypt* Ministry of Social Solidarity and Justice $400.000
Cambodia Cambodia Health Education Media Services (CHEMS) & Cambodian HIV/AIDS Education and Care (CHEC) $1.171.745
Asia & the
Philippines Homenet Southeast Asia $100.000
Pacific
India Rajasthan Network for People Living with HIV/AIDS IMPACT Partners in Social Development $255.182
Afghanistan Women and Children Legal Research Foundation $161.920
India Gender at Work & DSS project of the Mitra Service Society $492.400
Europe &
Central Russia/Tajikistan Regional Public Organization Center for Migration Studies & Fund Tajikistan, Information and Legal Center $420.000
Asia
Latin México Asociación Nacional de Empresas Comercializadoras de Productores del Campo, A.C. $495.000
America
TOTAL WOMEN'S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT GRANTS 2009-2011 $17.163.976
*Indicates New Arab States Grantee, 2011-2012 Grant Cycle, Grants disbursed in March 2012
14. UN WOMEN’S FUND FOR GENDER EQUALITY
Economic and Political Empowerment Grant Investments:
US$43 Million in 40 Countries (2009-2011)
Egypt Lebanon Occupied Palestinian Territory
ECO: $3,154,490 (3 grants) ECO: $605,000 (2 grants) ECO: $450,000
Ukraine
POL: $745,000 (2 grants) POL: $437,140 POL: $1,050,000 (4 grants)
POL: $499,921
Russia
Serbia ECO: $420,000
Iraq
POL: $120,625 POL: $215,000
Kyrgyzstan
Dominican Republic POL: $1,290,991
POL: $500,000 Bosnia & Herzegovina
POL: $1,935,110 (2 grants)
Afghanistan
Jamaica
ECO: $161,920
POL: $1,729,537
Libya/Regional
Mexico POL: $565,000
POL: $2,295,000
ECO: $495,000
China
Algeria POL: $2,456,934
ECO: $200,000
Morocco
ECO: $1,265,000 (3 grants)
Nepal
El Salvador
POL: $394,000
POL: $500,000
Senegal
Colombia ECO: $200,000 Cambodia
POL: $163,361 ECO: $1,171,745
Philippines
Yemen/Regional ECO: $100,000
POL: $265,000
Liberia
Ecuador ECO: $3,000,000
POL: $489,657 India
ECO: $747,582 (2 grants)
POL: $2,549,974
Peru/Global
POL: $300,000 Uganda
ECO: $205,000
Sri Lanka Pacific Islands/Regional (Cook Islands,
Ghana POL: $496,977 Kiribati, Niue, Nauru, Republic of
ECO: $500,000 Marshall Islands and Tuvalu)
Bolivia POL: $200,000
POL: $2,474,134
Rwanda
Zimbabwe ECO: $2,000,000
Nigeria ECO: $1,680,939
Brazil
POL: $480,000
K Economic Empowerment FGE Grants
ECO/POL: $3,000,000 E
Y Poli cal Empowerment FGE Grants
Cameroon Mozambique
ECO: $368,750 ECO: $438,550
Both Poli/Eco FGE Grants
15. Get Involved, Make A Change, Donate:
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people
can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
Margaret Mead
The Fund for Gender Equality has only begun, but already, it is supporting
millions of women to secure their rights and improve their lives. In less
than two years, the grants have sparked change. There’s more to come
and so much to do.
When the Fund began in 2009, 1,239 applicants from 127 countries
submitted proposals, representing more than USD$3 billion in requests.
Of those, the Fund could support only 1.2%, yet over 50% of applicants
had viable and strong proposals that could have been funded.
This figure is a snap shot of the great need for support towards this cause,
but it is also a testament of the potential to be unleashed.
The time is now. Join us by contributing to UN Women’s Fund for Gender
Equality.
To donate, please contact: fund.genderequality@unwomen.org
Secretariat:
Ana Maria Enriquez, Chief
866 UN Plaza Suite 540
New York, NY 10017
USA
E-mail: fund.genderequality@unwomen.org
Tels: 917.484.8091; Fax: 212.906.1921
16. Fund for Gender Equality Steering Committee
Design and Layout - icono.base@yahoo.com
Ms. Michelle Bachelet
Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women (Co-Chair)
Representative of the Government of Spain
(Government Contributor) (Co-Chair)
Mr. Fredrik Arthur
Ambassador for Gender and Equality, Norway (Government Contributor)
Ms. Irma van Dueren
Head, Gender Equality Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands
(Government Contributor)
Ms. Vabah Gayflor
Minister of Gender, Liberia (Government)
Ms. Nilofar Bakhtiar
Former Member of Parliament and Special Advisor to the Secretary General of UNWTO on
Women in Tourism, Pakistan (Government)
HRH Princess Basma Bint Talal
UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and Member of the Royal Family, Jordan (Government)
Ms. Helen Clark
Administrator, UNDP (Multilateral Agency)
Ms. Jeni Klugman
Director for Gender and Development, Poverty Reduction and Economic Management,
World Bank (Multilateral Agency)
Ms. Otilia Lux de Cotí
President, International Forum of Indigenous Women,
Guatemala (Civil Society)
Ms. Mary Rusimbi
Founder Gender Networking Program, Tanzania (Civil Society)
Ms. Lucy Garrido
Member of Cotidiano Mujer, Uruguay (Civil Society)
