Call For Application: Womanifesto 2021-2023

Womanifesto: Combat Authoritarianism and Advance Participatory Democracy

Why Womanifesto?

Women’s participation and leadership in decision making at all levels, starting in the domestic sphere and extending to the highest levels of government, is a fundamental prerequisite for a just and equitable world and for participatory, accountable democracies. At present, not only are women under-represented in legislatures across the world, and particularly in Asia and the Pacific region, the socio-economic and cultural barriers make it difficult for women to fully exercise their democratic rights and political power. 

Since the early 2000, Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD) has worked to build women’s capacity to increase women’s representation and transformative leadership in political and policy building processes. In 2018, based on the critical reflection of the state of women’s political participation and leadership, APWLD decided to adopt a new strategy called ‘Womanifesto’.  Womanifesto–women’s agenda for change–has long been used for by women’s movements to ensure elections are fought around policies demanding just, equitable and transformative changes that shift power relations and uphold women’s human rights. In APWLD, the Womanifesto is envisioned as a critical organising tool for women to influence the electoral process, hold elected leaders accountable to their promises in advancing women’s human rights, equality and Development Justice, and advance feminist participatory democracy. 

For details of the Womanifesto, please read the concept note.

Overall Objective

To advance women’s democratic rights and civic engagement in Asia and the Pacific by increasing women’s capacity to author and claim Womanifestos.

Specific Objectives

• Develop the capacity of women, their organisations and communities to elaborate women’s political agenda (or womanifesto) and thereby, engage in broader political processes and policy debates at local and national levels;
• Foster knowledge and resources on women’s human rights, particularly democracy methods and community organising tools;
• Establish electoral advocacy plans to share and support women’s political manifestos;
• Strengthen institutional development of partner organisations through leadership development and solidarity movement building.

Participants

Womanifesto will accommodate 8-10 partners of national and grassroot organisations led by women in all their diversities from marginalised communities, including women with disability, LBTIQ+, ethnic and religious minorities, indigenous communities. Each partner shall identify one grassroot woman organiser and one woman mentor. At least one of them should come from the community/constituent and be committed to community organising and feminist movement building. APWLD will provide the selected organisations with a small grant to employ a young woman community organiser and carry out the research including salary and on-costs with the approximate amount of US$ 13,000.

Deadline and Submission Information

To apply, download the application form, fill it in according to the instructions and send to Madhura at [email protected] by 14 June 2021. For any further queries please reach out to Madhura at the given email address.

Womanifesto Timeline