Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund in Iraq: Increasing Meaningful Participation and Decision-Making of Women and Girls

The Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) is excited to announce its latest Call for Proposals in Iraq to increase meaningful participation and decision-making of women and girls in conflict prevention processes and response.

The overall goal of the WPHF’s theory of change is to contribute to peaceful and gender equal societies. Achievement of this goal will require that women are empowered to participate in, contribute to, and benefit from conflict prevention, crisis response, peacebuilding, and recovery.

The focus of this WPHF call for proposals will be on increasing meaningful participation and decision-making of women and girls in conflict prevention processes and response. Special attention will be provided to applications supporting women and girls multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, such as those marginalized and excluded due to poverty, ethnicity, disability, age, geography, migratory status, HIV status, among others, which is in clear alignment with the 2030 Agenda and the principle of leaving no one behind.

Projects can be implemented in any location within Iraq.

Objectives

WPHF seeks to fund qualifying local organizations and projects led by and working with women and girls in Iraq that are high impact, innovative, and contribute directly to the following objectives:

Reinforce the institutional capacity of civil society organizations working on conflict prevention and response;
Increase meaningful participation and decision-making of women in conflict prevention processes and response.

Impact Areas

The proposal submitted must be aligned to the impact statements of the respective WPHF funding stream that the organization chooses to apply to:

Institutional funding stream (WPHF impact area 1): to reinforce the institutional capacity of civil society organizations working on conflict prevention and response.
Programmatic funding stream (WPHF impact area 2): to increase meaningful participation and decision-making of women in conflict prevention processes and response.

Funding Information

All civil society organizations can apply for a maximum of 1-year grants.
The WPHF will grant around 1.1 million USD over 1 year to Iraq. The Call for proposals aims at responding to the needs of local women’s organizations in fragile settings, with two (2) funding streams:
- Funding stream 1: Institutional funding: from 5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
  - This funding stream will provide institutional funding to local civil society organizations working on gender specific issues in peace and security and humanitarian contexts, to ensure they are able to sustain themselves and to improve their impact. Prospective applicants will need to demonstrate how the current context affects their institutional and financial capacities and how the funding would support them as an organization. It will aim at financing a limited range of activities to support the development or strengthening of a CSO’s institutional capacity. The purpose of this funding stream IS NOT to finance the delivery of a programmatic activity.
- Funding stream 2: Programmatic funding: from 80,000 USD to 100,000 USD
  - This funding stream will finance projects which aim specifically to fund programmatic activities aligned with the WPHF Impact Area 2.

Eligibility Criteria

International, national and local women- led, women’s rights, feminist, or civil society organizations with a proven track record working with women and girls, are eligible to apply. Grassroots and local community-based organizations are particularly encouraged to apply. Joint projects are allowed and encouraged.
To be considered a “Women’s Rights or Feminist Organization,” the organization’s official mission/vision statement must reflect its commitment to addressing multiple/intersecting forms of discrimination and advancing gender equality and women’s rights. The organization must aim to address the underlying drivers/systems/structures, including patriarchy and gendered power dynamics, and work to transform these.
“Women-led organization” must be headed by a woman as director/head of organization.
To be considered “Youth rights”, the organization’s official mission/vision must reflect its commitment to addressing multiple/intersecting forms of discrimination and advancing the rights of youth.
“Youth-led organization” must be headed by a youth as defined by the country/organization
Other CSOs must demonstrate experience in addressing violence against women and girls, gender inequalities and/or women’s rights.