Women in Development Technical Assistance Project (WIDTECH) Small Grants Competition

WIDTECH is a women in development technical assistance project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The project supports the efforts of USAID's Office of Women in Development to identify and develop innovative approaches to enhance the effectiveness of development assistance by taking into account women's roles and contributions. WIDTECH activities are represented in all USAID sectoral areas, including democracy and governance, economic growth, human capacity development, population and health, and environment.

The WIDTECH Project announces the availability of competitive small grants for projects that support areas pertinent to USAID's development assistance addressing the theme; gender-based constraints to economic growth policies and programs.

Gender-based constraints such as disparities in access to and control over productive resources and access to employment opportunities affect broad-based economic growth and poverty reduction. They limit women's capacity to respond to economic opportunity. For example, laws barring women from secure property tenure can prevent them from making investments that could result in greater productivity and higher incomes. Yet, while the impact of gender inequalities on economic growth can be documented empirically, it is often difficult to develop effective policy actions to alleviate these constraints. There is a need to engage NGOs in generating changes in economic policy and programs by engaging civil society and policy makers.

The theme to be addressed by this small grants competition concerns gender-based constraints to economic growth policies and programs. The grants will support the work of local NGOs, in developing countries and transition economies, in raising awareness about barriers to equitable access to economic opportunities and efforts to address these barriers. NGOs with work in this area are strongly encouraged to use the small grant mechanism to enhance their ongoing activities and expand their target audiences.

The objective of this call for proposals is to solicit proposals on activities designed to raise awareness among policy makers of gender-based constraints to economic growth. Activities funded under this grant will engage policy makers and civil society in removing locally identified gender-based constraints to economic growth through innovative uses of the media, public fora, and the legislative process. Activities may involve: documenting good practices in removing constraints to women's economic participation; raising awareness about an inequitable law or practice that prevents women from accessing employment or economic resources; holding workshops that raise awareness among women advocates of policies that address gender-based constraints to economic participation; and conducting a media campaign to change a law or practice that may pose a constraint, etc.

Grant Terms

Funds up to a total of $50,000, under the theme gender-based constraints to economic policy and programs, are available for a number of small grants in variable amounts. Individual grants may not exceed the amount of $25,000 each, and may be for a duration of up to twelve months. Funds may be requested to cover salaries, honoraria, consulting fees, travel and per diem, costs associated with data collection, analysis, communication and document preparation, equipment, substantiated overhead or indirect costs, and other costs as may be approved.

Eligibility

• Address the theme defined in the request for proposals and foster the broad objectives of WIDTECH
• Be submitted by a local NGO or other in-country organization (e.g., local chapters of international NGOs or in-country organizations such as university research centers, women's cooperatives, social advocacy organizations, etc)
• No individual applications will be accepted.

Mailed proposals must be postmarked by May 17, 1999. Proposals sent by electronic mail must be received by May 17, 1999.

Proposals must be submitted in English by mailing to:

Meloney Lindberg
Small Grants Coordinator
Women in Development Technical Assistance Project
1717 Massachusetts Avenue NW,Suite 302 Washington, DC 20036
USA
E-Mail: [email protected].

For full text of the grant description, review criteria , application procedures and project outline and the attached questionnaire you may also contact the Press Center of the Horizonti Foundation at the following address: 33 Gogebashvili Street , Tbilisi Georgia, tel: (995 32) 29 29 55, fax: 98 75 04, e-mail [email protected]

Last updated:    April 23, 1999

CCSI Home	Announcements	Eurasia	Opinion/Analysis	Bookstore	Site Map	Search
	Center for Civil Society International Ideas and information for civic action worldwide