CALL FOR PROPOSALS: WOMEN AND MULTIPLE
DISCRIMINATION
The Women’s
Program of the Open Society Institute works to promote women’s
human rights and gender equality as central to building open societies.
The Women’s
Program serves as a resource and catalyst on gender issues for
the Open Society Institute/Soros Foundations Network.
Key themes for 2007 are:
o
Defending the Rights of Women Facing Multiple
Discrimination
o
Promoting
o
New Voices and New Visions for 21st Century Women’s
Movements
“The Independent Expert on
Minority Issues of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Gay McDougall,
has stated that new and urgent attention must be given to the rights of women
facing multiple forms of discrimination, exclusion, and violence. Amongst the most disadvantaged and
vulnerable are women from minority communities, who face problems compounded by
their uniquely disadvantaged positions in society. Such women face discrimination both
because they belong to certain minority communities, and also because they are
women.
In a statement marking
International Women’s Day 2006, Gay McDougall called for all actors at the
community, national and international levels to rise to the challenge of
improving the security, opportunities, and life chances of such
women.”
--United Nations Press Release, March 7,
2006
Women’s human rights advocates
and policymakers increasingly recognize that women are not a homogenous group of
rights holders. In order to protect, promote, and advance women’s human
rights, advocates and policymakers must take into account differences among
women with respect to age, socio-economic status, racial/ethnic background,
religion, national origin, citizenship status,
health/HIV status, sexual orientation, and disability, among
others.
The OSI Women’s Program seeks
to increase successful advocacy campaigns, policy initiatives, strategic
litigation, or action research that address different forms of women’s
multiple discrimination.
Global and local civil society,
national governments, regional courts and institutions, and international
institutions increasingly recognize women’s rights through such international
instruments as the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and regional mechanisms like the Maputo
Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa to the African Charter on Human or
Peoples’ Rights or the European Union Gender Equality Directives. Other
mechanisms, such as the Convention to Eliminate Racial Discrimination (CERD),
occasionally address the rights of minority women. However, there are very
few efforts that link these mechanisms to promote the rights of women facing
multiple forms of discrimination.
The Women’s Program is
particularly interested in supporting innovative initiatives that link women’s
rights strategies with other rights strategies, raising awareness about women’s
multiple discrimination. We invite proposals from groups operating at
local, national, regional, continental, or international levels.
The Women’s Program will
support organizations working in any of the following
areas:
Organizations can apply for
the following types of support:
I.
Who can
apply?
Preference is given to:
·
organizations located in
the countries where OSI is active (www.soros.org);
·
local/indigenous,
independent non-governmental organizations, or initiatives that link local and
international organizations' expertise;
·
organizations managed and
led by women, including young women;
·
organizations that forge
partnerships with other civil society groups working on
anti-discrimination;
·
organizations that are
catalysts for women’s rights organizations nationally and/or regionally, playing
a role in mobilizing women’s movements;
·
organizations that have a
5+ year track record and demonstrate sustainability.
II.
Grant amount and funding
period
Organizations can apply for
a 1 year grant ranging from $25,000-$100,000.
III.
How to
apply
Proposals
should be submitted in English by email (preferred), fax, or mail no later than May 15, 2007 to:
Network
Open Society
Institute
Fax:
+1-212-548-4616
Email: women@sorosny.org
We suggest
that organizations contact the
Please
contact staff liaisons for your region:
Marla
Swanson: Middle East and North Africa; Central
and Southeastern Europe,
Heather
Sweeney: Eastern,
Western, and Southern Africa; and
For more
information, please visit the Open Society Institute’s website at www.soros.org/initiatives/women.
IV.
Decision-making
process
Finalists will be notified
of the decision by July 15, 2007, and grant awards will be made approximately
six to eight weeks after the final decision.
Proposal
Guidelines
Title
page:
Requirements
Lobbying
Restrictions
In no
instances are any grants to be used, directly or indirectly, to engage in
partisan political activity such as for the support of or opposition to
political parties or individual candidates for elective office at any level of
government.
The
prohibition against lobbying includes (but may not necessarily be limited to)
communications with legislators or legislative staff that express a view on
pending legislation or specific legislative proposals, and communications with
the general public reflecting a view on specific legislation or a specific
legislative proposal where such communication includes a “call to take action”
by the public.
Public education, analysis
and research on social issues of broad public interest, including issues that
are also the subject of pending legislation, may constitute an exception to the
lobbying prohibition. Similarly, the production of non-partisan studies,
analysis and research providing a full and fair exposition of the facts and
arguments may not constitute lobbying. Responses to written requests for
technical assistance made on behalf of a legislative body, committee or
subcommittee may also not be lobbying even though the problems discussed may be
the subject of pending legislation.
If you have questions
concerning whether your grant proposal includes lobbying, please contact us at
women@sorosny.org.