Despite the gains made in addressing the prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS, women continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV in many regions. Today, women constitute more than half of all people living with HIV. Young women (15-24 years), and adolescent girls (10-19 years) in particular, account for a disproportionate number of new HIV infections. In 2016, new infections among young women aged (15-24) were 44% higher than men their age. Young African women aged 15-24 account for 25% of new infections in sub-Saharan Africa – a statistic that shows a need to keep our focus on young women’s lives and rights.
With better treatment and care, women living with HIV are living longer. In addition, older women are also susceptible to HIV infection since they are also sexually active. There is therefore a significant number of older women living with HIV. Statistics available shows that 5.8 million people living with HIV worldwide are aged over 50. However because it is assumed that older women do not have sex, HIV programming has not paid attention to this age group.
Growing old comes with its own challenges and when a woman living with HIV and AIDS grows old she has the double burden of health and social issues to deal with. However, this age group is usually forgotten in HIV and AIDS programming despite their peculiar challenges such as the effect of menopause and the interaction of other old age medical concerns and treatments on their HIV and AIDS medical and wellbeing treatments and needs.
For World AIDS Day 2018, AWDF is awarding grants to African women’s organisations and groups to support activities addressing the impact of HIV and AIDS across women’s life cycles. We encourage applications addressing HIV and AIDS with a focus on young women and or older African women as well as on inter-generational exchange and mobilising.
We encourage innovative projects that will involve young women and older women in their design and lead implementation. We also would prioritise activities that focus on inter-generational exchange and mobilising to address HIV and AIDS issues.
We particularly welcome applications from organisations of women living with HIV and AIDS, organisations led by women living with HIV and AIDS and from young women’s groups.
AWDF encourages innovation- so do send in your creative ideas! Projects may include activities that;
- Address the interrelation between violence and HIV and AIDS across women’s lifecycles
- Build the confidence of young women to negotiate for safer sex
- Increase young women’s knowledge to take preventive measures against HIV and AIDS infection and reinfection
- Sets the agenda for addressing the drivers causing HIV and AIDS infection among young people
- Promote HIV and AIDS programming for older women
- Educate older women living with HIV and AIDS and the community on ageing with HIV and AIDS
- Encourage young women and older women to take leadership in HIV and AIDS issues
- Hold duty bearers accountable for addressing HIV and AIDS issues
- Promote intergenerational dialogues between young and older women living with HIV and AIDS
- Use technology, arts, culture and sports to create awareness around HIV and AIDS issues
The current call is opened from 29 June to 20 July 2018. Applicants are to send in proposals with innovative and effective strategies to address issues around HIV and AIDS with a focus on young women and or older African women as well as on inter-generational exchange and mobilising.
About the World AIDS Day Grants
Every year on 1 December we commemorate World AIDS Day, as an act of solidarity with women living with HIV and AIDS, and an opportunity to remind duty bearers and society at large to keep the focus and momentum on HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.
AWDF instituted the World AIDS Day (WAD) grants programme to support women’s rights organisations to actively participate in the global campaign and keep African women’s priorities around HIV and AIDS on the African and global agenda. The programme seeks to support women’s organisations to raise their voices and support the leadership of women living with HIV and AIDS.
The WAD programme provides a maximum grant of US$2000 to women’s organisations. The activities must promote women’s rights and involve women in planning and leadership of activities.
How to apply
Please follow the application guidelines. Note that the maximum amount of grant allowed is US$2,000. Applicants must fit AWDF’s general grantee guidelines (women-led, African women’s rights organisations).
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 organisational 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 or the local government office
- Must complete the necessary application forms
- Must have an annual budget 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 awdf@awdf.org; shirley@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.
Find the full application guidelines and required forms below
