U.S. Department of State Grant: Strengthening Civil-Military Collaboration and Women’s Leadership in Diffa Region

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The U.S. Embassy Niamey of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a program to fortify relations between communities, women civil society leaders, and civilian security forces in Diffa Region.  Please follow all instructions below.

Priority Region: Diffa Region

Program Description and Objectives:

In 2021, the Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Partnership-funded Nallewaro Project created both women-only and mixed-gender civilian-law enforcement networks that successfully integrated women into local conflict management processes. Following the Nallewaro Project closure in 2021, these networks continued to apply rapid-response mediation to intercommunal conflicts that threatened to destabilize violent extremist organization (VEO)-impacted localities in Diffa. As VEO attacks escalate in Diffa Region following the coup d’etat in July 2023, the Nallewaro women and mixed-gender security networks have continued to facilitate strong collaboration between communities and security forces. The post-coup d’etat change in regional government leadership, however, has stalled women’s integration into government security decision-making structures that would further institutionalize the Nallewaro women and mixed-gender security networks. 

Prospective projects should respond to the following goal:

Women leaders in Diffa Region will increase their participation and institutionalize their leadership in regional and departmental peace and security decision-making by 2026.

Prospective projects should reflect a strong strategic vision tailored to new security and political challenges in Diffa Region following the coup d’etat in July 2023. Prospective projects should build on previous Nallewaro Network activities and work to establish the network’s sustainability. Applicants are strongly encouraged against holding new trainings or duplicate activities from previous projects unless there is a newly identified need. Applicants are advised to focus on strategic activities that institutionalize the women’s and mixed gender Nallewaro Networks. Possible project activities include:

–       Rapid assessment of community-civilian security force collaboration and gender inclusion in Diffa Region post-July 2023

–       Women-led community security monitoring

–       Community-civilian security stakeholder dialogues

–       Public gender inclusion sensitization activities

Close collaboration with Nigerien authorities like the Ministry of Interior’s Stabilization Unit and the High Authority for the Consolidation of Peace (HACP) as well as other community policing partners in Diffa Region is essential for successful project implementation. The successful applicant will demonstrate a successful track record of gender inclusion in local peacebuilding and will have collaborated previously with national or local Nigerien authorities. Applicants should budget for quarterly meetings of a project advisory group that will ensure coordination with Nigerien authorities and other women, peace, and security implementing partners.

Participants and Audiences:

The successful applicant will work with the Nallewaro Network in Diffa Region, which has been trained by previous peacebuilding and gender inclusion programs to co-design and implement gender inclusion activities. The successful applicant will build on pre-existing relationships with local and national Nigerien authorities, community leaders, and women’s leaders in Diffa Region to manage a broad coalition of partners critical to successful gender inclusion.