African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) World AIDS Day Grants 2020 (US$2,000 grant)

Application Deadline: July 13th 2020

AWDF invite applications for the award of grants to African women’s rights organisations and groups to support activities that promote the wellbeing of women. Every year, AWDF supports innovative women’s rights groups and organisations under the small grants initiative, to coordinate activities around World AIDS Day and 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based violence.

This year, under this initiative, AWDF will focus on education and awareness on preventing violence against women and girls (VAWG) as well as promoting women’s access to comprehensive mental health and wellness services.

For World AIDS Day 2020, AWDF is awarding grants to African women’s rights organisations and groups to support activities that support mental health and emotional wellbeing for women living with HIV and AIDS. AWDF encourage innovative projects that will involve women living with HIV and AIDS in their leadership, design and implementation, and work. AWDF also prioritise activities that focus on women living in hard to reach areas and difficult circumstances.

AWDF particularly welcome applications from organisations of women living with HIV and AIDS, women’s organisations working on improving the mental health of women, and from young women’s groups. AWDF encourages innovation- so do send in your creative ideas! Projects may include activities that;

• Use technology, arts, culture and sports to create awareness and elevate voices of African women around HIV and AIDS and women’s mental health and emotional wellbeing
• Create collective spaces for care that affirm and build the confidence of women living with HIV and AIDS to speak out about their mental and emotional health
• Increase the knowledge of women and young women living with HIV and AIDS to take positive measures to support emotional wellbeing and mental health
• Set the agenda for addressing the drivers causing mental health illnesses in women living with HIV and AIDS
• Educate key stakeholders and the community on the challenges faced by women living with HIV and AIDS in relation to their mental and emotional health
• Hold duty bearers accountable for addressing HIV and AIDS and mental health and emotional wellbeing issues
• Raise awareness of programme implementers and policymakers about the barriers in accessing mental health services by women and young women living with HIV and AIDS and other women managing mental health conditions

Eligibility Criteria
Applicant Organisation:
• Must have been in existence for at least 3 years
• Must be duly registered, at least with its local government structure
• Must be led by a woman and have a focus on Women’s Rights
• Must have the needed organizational structures for effective implementation of the project
• Must have an appreciable financial management system to properly account for funds received
• Must be capable of reporting back on the outcomes of the project
• Must be highly recommended by a donor agency, a grantee or partner of AWDF, a well-known women’s rights organisation or the local government office
• Must complete the necessary application forms
• Must have an annual budget of not more than $100,000

Grant Size & Period

– The grant size is a US$2,000. Therefore, eligible projects should have a budget of not more than US$2,000 to be supported by AWDF funds. The grant period will be for 4 months from the date of award.

How to Apply

– Interested small sized women’s rights organisations should send in their proposals using the required application guidelines to the AWDF secretariat via email to proposals@awdf.org; awdf@awdf.org; The applicant must also complete and include a financial management assessment form and an outcome form

NOTE: Please note that this is a very competitive process. Only successful applicants will be contacted.

Download the Application Guidelines and budget templates here

World AIDS Day 2020 Guidelines English

16 DAYS of Activism Guidelines English

Budget Template 2020

Financial Management Assessment Form-2020

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) World AIDS Day Grants 2020