UN Women plans to engage Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) that have human rights, gender equality, and/or digital policies, tools or solutions set as one of the organization’s goals in Statute.
In order to address all manifestations of gender-based violence, including in digital space, UN Women initiated the project “Combating Violence against Women and Girls in Serbia”, in close cooperation with the Judicial Academy, CSOs, Universities. The project, funded by the US Embassy in Serbia, INL Department, intends to implement a series of educational, analytical (research) activities to capture knowledge and to plan a series of tailor-made trajectories of change to achieve changes in awareness, capacity and legal/regulatory systems, including voluntary self-regulation. Also, this project is to be seen as a meeting point for the right holders, duty bearers, stakeholders and the state, a unique platform where the human rights sector will meet the ICT sector to consider how restorative online technologies can be developed and how effective justice can be reached in a virtual online world. Upholding the rights of women and girls in the digital environment is a shared responsibility that requires a combination of public and private, legal and voluntary measures as well as the participation of women and girls in the development, and this project is fully enforcing this fact in its design.
This project phase, under Output 3.1, aims to support active engagement of CSOs and their activists in advocating for protection against digital violence against women and girls. Civil society organizations will be supported to implement the initiatives regarding combating digital violence with the focus on development of innovative initiatives in this area, raising awareness on digital violence issue and drafting local policies in the area.
Grants will be awarded to most promising projects (grants) that exhibit relevance, are well designed and feasible, promise sustainability and practice result based management, always ensuring that financial interests of the donor are considered as well as of UN Women and providing response to mapped problems in resolving digital dimension of violence against women and girls.
The project builds on the strong links of UN Women with CSOs in the country. CSOs, in particular women’s organizations, play a crucial role in the promotion of gender equality and women’s rights. They are key advocacy stakeholders in terms of moving governments from commitment to implementation in relation to international normative standards. They are also key stakeholders in the provision of services that are essential to the establishment of multi-sectoral and coordinated mechanisms to adequately respond to the needs of victims of violence.
Furthermore, civil society organizations are key stakeholders in ensuring that the perspectives and voices of the most excluded and discriminated-against groups of women are heard by policy makers.
The project aims to target human rights and women CSOs, youth based CSOs as well as CSOs dealing with the development of digital policies, tools and/or solutions and support them to implement context-specific innovative and outreach activities in tackling VAWG in digital dimension.
Funding Information
The budget range for this proposal should be 10,000 – 30,000 USD.
Timeframe
Start date and end date for completion of required services/results
The proposals are expected to cover a period of maximum 24 months (i.e., from June 2024 until maximum June 2026).
Description of required services/results
With a view to achieving the above project aim, it is expected that the selected organization or entity will deliver set of outreach activities aimed at development of innovative activities in preventing and combating VAWG in digital dimension; raising awareness and/or increasing the knowledge of women and girls in Serbia, including those from vulnerable groups facing multiple discrimination, of specialized services provided by CSOs and other relevant stakeholders in combating digital violence as well as drafting local policy/ices in the area of VAWG.
Non-exhaustive list of types of activity which Responsible Party should undertake under this CfP are:
Develop and implement innovative activity/ies contributing to dealing with the issue of digital violence against women and girls. The aim is supporting women and girls in recognizing, protecting and reporting this manifestation of gender-based violence.
Develop and implement awareness raising activities reaching as many women and girls as possible online and/or offline. Awareness can be raised in many different ways including through at least one info session on phenomenon of the digital violence against women and girls and use of available services for protection from VAWG, including services provided by CSOs, media campaign, conference, panel and the like. The info session may be realized in many different ways, such as: panels, conference as well as campaign targeting women and girls, including marginalized women (for example young women, older women, women with disabilities, Roma women, rural women, etc.)
Draft at least one local policy in the area of elimination of violence against women and girls. The selected organization or entity will receive comprehensive mentoring support provided by UN Women in drafting the policy/ices, as well as in improving knowledge and skills in participation in institutional dialogue with public authorities, monitoring of local self-government, review of draft policies and intervention options.
All knowledge products and communications materials that would be produced under this agreement must acknowledge the support of and seek the approval of UN Women.
Competencies
Technical/functional competencies required
Experience in promoting gender equality/women empowerment.
Proven experience in management of projects/programmes/initiatives related to elimination of violence against women and girls or proven experience in developing digitals policies, tools and solutions.
Experience in working/cooperating with international organizations or international companies.
Language: Serbian; knowledge of English.
Other competencies, which while not required, can be an asset for the performance of services ·
Good knowledge of gender equality and women’s rights issues, as well as needs of vulnerable and multi-discriminated groups of women.
Knowledge on Serbian legal, strategic and institutional framework related to gender-based violence.
Expertise on gender-based violence in digital sphere.
