Deadline- 22 April 2013
The U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) is offering funding opportunity to Strengthen Political Leadership & Reducing Economic Barriers for Women in the MENA Region. The mission of this program is to support the women of the Middle East and North Africa to achieve their enormous potential, specifically by strengthening women’s political participation and by supporting advocacy for legislative and regulatory reforms that will reduce economic constraints for women.
Their are 2 priority areas, these are as follows-
- Strengthening Women’s Political Leadership and Effectiveness– This priority area seeks to strengthen women’s political leadership skills, influence, and effectiveness, working with women in one or more of the following categories-
- Elected women officials and policymakers working at the local or national levels
- Women leaders within political parties
- Appointed women officials or other senior government officials
- Women political candidates including at the municipal level
- Women’s advocacy groups lobbying for or raising awareness about women’s increased political participation.
- Advocacy for Legislative Reforms to Reduce Economic Constraints for Women- This priority area aims to increase women’s economic opportunities, inclusion, and prosperity through locally-led advocacy campaigns that support the development and/or implementation of legislative or regulatory reforms to reduce economic barriers for women and/or open up new or improved avenues for women-led commercial activity and growth. Applicants must identify the specific issue(s) that will be addressed by the project, as well as the specific law(s) or regulation(s), by country, that will be targeted for reform or improved implementation. Any proposed multi-country projects focused on a common issue should likewise specify the relevant law(s)/regulation(s) that will be addressed in each country.
Eligibility & Criteria-
- Eligible applicants include registered U.S. or foreign non-profit organizations; for-profit organizations; private institutions of higher education, public or state institutions of higher education; public international organizations; and small businesses with function and regional experience in the MENA region.
- MEPI strongly encourages applications from civil society organizations headquartered in the Middle East and North Africa region. International non-governmental organizations with principal bases of operations outside the Middle East and North Africa are also encouraged to apply, but the percentage of total budget actually spent in the region through local partners will be among the elements of evaluation for this competition.
- All applicants must be legally registered organizations prior to applying to this announcement.
- MEPI welcomes applications irrespective of an applicants’ race, ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. Organization encourages applications from organizations working with undeserved communities, including women, people with disabilities, and youth.
For more information, visit grants.gov and search by funding opportunity number.MEPI-MEPICA-13-011
