Apply for Women’s Peace & Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) Call for Proposals 2026 – Ethiopia

Application Deadline: 21 April 2026

Applications are now open for the Women’s Peace & Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) Call for Proposals in Ethiopia, inviting local women-led, young women-led, and civil society organizations to apply for funding to strengthen humanitarian response, protection, and institutional capacity in conflict-affected regions. The WPHF aims to support gender-responsive, life-saving interventions and to reinforce the role of women’s rights organizations in advancing peace, security, and inclusive humanitarian action. As a global pooled funding mechanism, WPHF specifically targets local women’s organizations working at the forefront of crisis and conflict, recognizing that these groups are often best positioned to reach the most vulnerable populations but consistently lack adequate financial resources. The Fund operates on the principle that sustainable peace and effective humanitarian response require the full participation and leadership of women. By investing in women-led and women’s rights organizations, WPHF strengthens the entire humanitarian ecosystem, ensuring that responses are not only more inclusive but also more effective and durable.

Funding Streams

The Call for Proposals offers two main types of support:

Programmatic Funding: US $30,000 – US $200,000

This funding stream finances activities that improve access for women and girls to humanitarian services, protection, and rights in crisis and conflict settings. Programmatic projects should focus on:

• Enhancing access of women and girls to local, inclusive, gender-responsive, and life-saving humanitarian response and services
• Strengthening protection of women and girls and upholding their rights in crisis and conflict settings
• Implementing gender-responsive interventions that address the specific needs of women and girls affected by conflict and displacement

Institutional Funding: US $2,500 – US $30,000

This funding stream reinforces the institutional capacity of women’s rights and women-led organizations working on the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Ethiopia. Institutional funding aims to:

• Strengthen organizational sustainability and long-term impact
• Improve governance, financial management, and operational systems
• Enhance monitoring, evaluation, and learning capabilities
• Build the capacity of organizations to deliver on their missions effectively

Important Note: An organization can only apply one time for programmatic funding (for one area only per proposal) and/or one time for institutional funding. Organizations applying for both funding streams must submit two separate application packages based on the requirements and related templates of each stream.

Who Can Apply

Eligible applicants include:

• Women-led and young women-led organizations where the director or head of the organization is a woman or young woman
• Women’s rights and feminist organizations with a demonstrated commitment to advancing gender equality
• National, regional, local, and grassroots civil society organizations with experience supporting women, young women, and girls

Priority for Encouragement:

Organizations led by individuals facing intersecting forms of discrimination are strongly encouraged to apply. This includes:

• Persons with disabilities
• Displaced persons (internally displaced persons, refugees, or asylum seekers)
• Ethnic minorities
• Other marginalized groups facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination

Organizational Requirements:

• Must be legally registered in Ethiopia
• Must have experience working on women’s rights, gender equality, peace and security, or humanitarian response
• Must demonstrate capacity to manage grant funds and implement proposed activities
• Must commit to gender-responsive programming principles

Geographic Focus

Projects must be implemented in Ethiopia, specifically in the following conflict-affected regions:

• Afar
• Amhara
• Gambela
• Oromia
• Somali
• Tigray

These regions have experienced significant conflict, displacement, and humanitarian needs, with women and girls facing particular vulnerabilities including gender-based violence, loss of livelihoods, and limited access to essential services.

Why This Funding Matters

Ethiopia continues to face significant humanitarian challenges, with millions of people displaced by conflict, drought, and other crises. Women and girls bear the brunt of these emergencies, facing increased risks of gender-based violence, loss of access to essential health services, and exclusion from decision-making processes that affect their lives. Despite their critical role in delivering humanitarian assistance and building peace, local women’s organizations remain chronically underfunded. WPHF addresses this gap by providing direct, flexible funding to the organizations best positioned to reach vulnerable women and girls those embedded in their communities and led by women who understand local contexts, languages, and cultural dynamics. By supporting both programmatic activities and institutional capacity, WPHF enables organizations to not only deliver life-saving interventions today but also to build the sustainability and resilience needed to continue their vital work into the future. This dual approach recognizes that strong, stable women’s organizations are essential infrastructure for both humanitarian response and long-term peacebuilding.

Application Process

Applicants should submit proposals online via the official application form and include required documents such as the proposal template and legal registration certificate.

Click here to apply

Required Documents:

• Completed proposal template (specific to the funding stream selected)
• Legal registration certificate for the organization
• Budget and budget narrative
• Organizational capacity statement or profile
• Supporting documents as specified in the application package

Information Session: An information session will be organized for prospective applicants on Tuesday, 31 March 2026 from 11:00 am – 12:30 pm Addis Ababa time. To register, please complete the registration form by 30 March 2026 via the registration link available on the WPHF call for proposals page.

Questions: Questions can be sent to the UN Women Country Office at wpsha-ethiopia@unwomen.org no later than 15 April 2026.

For More Information: Visit the Official Webpage of the WPHF Call for Proposals in Ethiopia