[women-rights] Call for proposals: women and multiple discrimination

Dear Colleagues: 

We are pleased to share with you the attached call for proposals in the
area of "Women's Rights and Multiple Discrimination." Please distribute it
to your networks and feel free to recommend groups who can make
outstanding contributions to cutting edge thinking and action in this
realm.

We would also be very pleased to collaborate, so do contact us with ideas.

Thank you, 

Warm regards, 

Marla 
Open Society Institute Network Women's Program 
http://www.soros.org/women 



--------------------------------------------------------------------

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 Women's Rights in Transitional Justice Contexts and
Institutions 

o New Voices and New Visions for 21st Century Women's Movements 

Women and Multiple Discrimination 

"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: 

* fostering partnerships between women's rights organizations and
other civil society groups working on anti-discrimination; 
* educating advocates, policymakers, lawyers, and judges about
multiple discrimination; 
* providing training or targeted opportunities for women experiencing
multiple discrimination to get involved in policy processes. 
* investigating, documenting and exposing human rights abuses of
women vulnerable to multiple forms of discrimination; 
* monitoring government institutions to ensure state compliance with,
adherence to, and respect for international human rights law; 
* initiating pilot advocacy models that seek to expand human rights
norms to encompass and better recognize multiple discrimination; 
* creating cutting-edge campaigns to influence public policy agendas
and debates among stakeholders, including media campaigns; 
* shaping anti-discrimination and equal opportunity policies and
promoting legal reform; 
* generating innovative advocacy strategies to ensure implementation,
enforcement, and linkage of relevant international instruments (such
as CEDAW, CERD, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,
etc.), regional instruments (such as the Maputo Protocol, the EU Race
Directive, etc.), or relevant national instruments in addressing
women's multiple discrimination; 
* litigating landmark civil or criminal cases to prosecute violations
of women's human rights to bring offenders to justice, and that would
have resounding, high-profile impact regionally or globally; 

Organizations can apply for the following types of support: 

* Think Tank Fund - for initiatives led by organizations that expose
rights abuse, monitor government institutions, generate innovative or
pilot advocacy strategies to inform public policy and shape legal
reform, strategically engage and educate relevant stakeholders, and
amplify the voices of women facing multiple forms of discrimination.
The Women's Program will only fund academic research that is: a)
policy-relevant or action-oriented research, and b) is through an
institution or NGO. The Women's Program cannot fund individuals. 
* South - South / East - East Exchange - for building the capacity of
women's rights organizations defending the rights of women facing
multiple discrimination via human rights training or exchange
programs. 
* Strategic Litigation Fund - for fostering legal action to litigate
landmark civil or criminal cases to prosecute violations of women's
human rights that would have resounding, high-profile impact
regionally or globally, and which would expand upon existing
jurisprudence. 


I. Who can apply? 

Preference is given to: 

* organizations located in the countries where OSI is active (
http://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 Women's Program 
Open Society Institute 
400 West 59th Street 
New York, NY 10019 USA 
Fax: +1-212-548-4616 
Email: women@sorosny.org

We suggest that organizations contact the Women's Program staff prior
to submitting a proposal if you have questions regarding our grant
making guidelines or deadlines. 

Please contact staff liaisons for your region: 

Emilie Neumann: Latin America and Multi-Regional:

Phoebe Schreiner: Asia, Central Asia, the Caucuses, Turkey:

Marla Swanson: Middle East and North Africa; Central and Southeastern
Europe, Western NIS, and the Baltics: 

Heather Sweeney: Eastern, Western, and Southern Africa; and Western 
Europe: 

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: 

1. Organization name 
2. Project title 
3. Amount requested 
4. Contact information (mailing address, street address, telephone,
fax, email, website) 
5. Contact person(s), including the executive director and the
proposal contact 

Requirements 

1. A description of the organization and its capacity to carry out
the proposed project. 
2. Bios or CVs of the organization's executive director and key 
staff members working on the project and a list of the Board of
Directors or other managing body, if applicable. 
3. Statement of need for the project, its relevance to the mission
and mandate of the OSI Women's Program, and the type of funding
requested (Think Tank Fund, Strategic Litigation Fund, or
South-South/East-East Exchange). 
4. Detailed explanation of project objectives, a timeline,
methodology and how outcomes/impact will be measured. 
5. A project budget, as well as an organizational budget, noting
additional sources of funding received or anticipated. 
6. Requested amount for the grant, including the dates of the grant
period. 

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. 

United States law not only prohibits the Open Society Institute from
funding any electioneering, including the support for or opposition
to political candidates or parties in the United States or abroad,
but also prohibits the earmarking of grant funds for lobbying
activities. 
Lobbying is defined as an attempt to influence federal, state, local
or non-US legislative bodies, or the outcome of referenda and ballot
initiatives. This proscription includes attempts to influence treaty
ratification by legislative bodies.

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.