UNDP has announced a Call for Proposals for Spotlight Initiative to support civil society in Vanuatu in the prevention and response to Intimate Partner Violence through the provision of accompaniment, case management, outreach and education services.

The European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN) have embarked on a new, global, multi-year initiative focused on eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG) - The Spotlight Initiative. 

The Spotlight Initiative is so named as it brings focused attention to the issue of violence against women and girls, moving it into the spotlight and placing it at the center of efforts to achieve gender equality and women's empowerment, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In the Pacific, the Spotlight Initiative has one Pacific Regional Programme and four Country Programmes (Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Timor-Leste, Vanuatu). The focus of the Spotlight Initiative is Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and Domestic Violence (DV).

The main objective of this grant selection process is to identify CSO/CBOs with operational presence and capacities to engage communities at the national, sub-national and local levels throughout Vanuatu and provide justice, health and economic support services to survivors of intimate partner violence.

CSO/CBOs are requested to submit proposals for support services, innovative solutions or engagement activities that can empower women, particularly those in remote communities who otherwise might not have access to information or services. Each proposal should indicate the area of focus, target locations and demonstrate the specific added value the CSO/CBO can deliver within the scope of the proposal.

Below are some examples of activities, however these are not prescriptive. Creativity is welcomed:

• Work with government institutions (Ministry of Health, Ministry of Justice and Community Services, Department of Women’s Affairs, Police, medical clinics) and provide accompaniment and referral support services for IPV survivors to relevant justice and legal services and health and counseling services
• Provide oversight and case management for IPV survivors
• Provide outreach and education to community members and raise awareness on child abuse, VAW and SGBV, including how to protect and refer victims in line with existing national mechanisms and respond to perpetrators
• Provide training to community members and raise awareness on legal rights, legal services, human rights, women rights, and constitutional/legal issues
• Conduct engagement and/or monitoring and reporting activities for EVAWG, such as EVAWG and sport, EVAWG and art, EVAW and WASH, EVAWG and sexual and reproductive health
• Provide specialized counseling to IPV survivors and those affected by child abuse, including preparation of victim reports and related assessments
• Provide capacity training initiatives for key community leaders i.e. chiefs, church leaders, women and youth leaders)

Funding Information

Proposals eligible for this call are those with budgets ranging from a minimum of VUV 500,000 to a maximum of VUV 5,000,000 to be spent within a twelve-month period.

Who Can Apply?

• Non-profit organizations (CSOs; CBOs; think tanks; educational institutions, including public universities, training institutions; etc.) shall have proven experience in the proposed area of programming for the grant. Experience of managing of projects with comparable budget size within the last two years will be considered as an asset. Organizations should be registered in accordance with the legal requirements of the Government of Vanuatu and must be able to provide organization’s statute along with the debt certificate upon request.
• Although, not mandatory, CSOs are welcome to submit proposals as coalitions. In this case, main applicants must provide support letters from relevant co-applicants specifying the role of the co-applicant. In case of coalition, the main applicant shall have proven experience in the proposed area of programming for the grant.

For more information, visit UNDP.