The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), through its Building River Dialogue and Governance (BRIDGE) program, has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for gender-focused grants. These grants are intended to advance gender equality and empower women’s leadership within the governance of transboundary freshwater basins in Africa, Asia, and South America.
The call addresses the issue that despite women’s vital role in water resources management, they are often underrepresented in decision-making and leadership positions within water institutions. The grants are meant to remove barriers to women’s participation and leverage their knowledge and perspectives for more effective, inclusive, and sustainable water management.
Grant categories and objectives
The total funding for this initiative is CHF 175,000, distributed across two types of grants.
Gender mainstreaming grants
- Maximum award: CHF 15,000.
- Target applicants: River Basin Organizations (RBOs) and other transboundary water institutions.
- Objective: To help institutions embed gender equality into their operations, governance frameworks, and strategic plans.
- Eligible activities:
- Conducting gender assessments, strategies, or action plans.
- Organizing stakeholder engagement activities that specifically target and promote women’s participation.
- Developing and implementing capacity-building initiatives to foster women’s leadership within institutions.
- Funding priority for gender-related actions that fall under existing institutional strategies.
- Expected outcome: Stronger institutions and cooperative agreements that are more inclusive and actively support women in leadership.
Women’s leadership grants
- Maximum award: CHF 10,000.
- Target applicants: Women-led or women-focused initiatives, such as women’s groups, community-based organizations, and NGOs.
- Objective: To directly support women’s leadership in freshwater governance and ecosystem management within transboundary basins.
- Eligible activities: Supporting women’s groups in implementing local solutions for water resources, empowering women leaders through capacity-building, and promoting women-led approaches to conserving freshwater ecosystems.
- Expected outcome: Increased capacity for women to influence and lead actions benefiting shared river basins, improving governance and ecosystem resilience.
Application requirements and timeline
- Applicant eligibility: Legally registered, non-profit RBOs or other transboundary water institutions with the authority to manage grants.
- Geographic scope: Projects must be implemented in specific basins and countries in Africa, Asia, and South America where the BRIDGE program operates.
- Project duration: Maximum nine months.
- Application process: Submit the official proposal template via the provided IUCN link.
- Key dates: The call launched on August 15, 2025. Clarification requests are due by August 28, 2025, and proposals by September 7, 2025. Applicants will be notified by September 30, 2025, and grant agreements are expected to be signed by December 1, 2025.
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