Opportunity Information: Apply for GABPE 20 AW 001 AF 081720
The Promoting Women in Politics in Botswana grant is a U.S. Embassy Gaborone funding opportunity designed to strengthen womens participation and influence in Botswanas political life. While Botswana is widely viewed as a stable democracy with credible elections and peaceful transfers of power, womens representation in elected office remains extremely low. The opportunity is framed around closing that gap by equipping women with practical campaign and leadership skills, expanding their access to supportive networks and resources, and tackling social and structural barriers that keep women from running for office or staying active in political spaces. The longer-term aim is to increase womens role in political institutions and decision-making, especially as the country approaches future national elections.
The program is motivated by the reality that women hold only a small fraction of elected seats in the National Assembly (about five percent, cited as 3 out of 57), and few women have run for Parliament in recent elections. Similar underrepresentation appears at district council levels. The Embassy notes that women in politics commonly face hurdles such as limited fundraising options, political party dynamics that discourage female candidates, electoral systems that do not adequately support marginalized groups, and persistent sexual harassment, including online harassment. Because political representation affects how priorities are set and how public problems are addressed, the Embassy links womens political empowerment to broader societal issues, including Botswanas ongoing challenges with gender-based violence. The grant therefore encourages projects that not only build candidate capacity, but also confront stigma and harassment that deter women from participating.
Applicants are invited to propose a one-year program that can include a mix of capacity building, public engagement, and support mechanisms. Examples of encouraged activities include public advocacy campaigns that highlight womens contributions to Botswanas political history and directly address sexual harassment and exploitation targeting female candidates. Another major activity area is regional training sessions and workshops for women interested in running for office or working on campaigns, covering topics such as fundraising approaches that do not rely on male relatives, media and communications skills, working effectively with journalists, and building grassroots support networks. The opportunity also emphasizes creating reusable resources, such as videos or training materials that can be posted online and used by other women interested in politics beyond the initial workshops. In addition, the Embassy suggests forming womens political clubs locally or at universities, building peer support and organizing capacity while leveraging existing youth political networks connected to the Independent Electoral Commission. A further option is establishing a hotline or reporting channel that allows women to report harassment anonymously, including online abuse, with a system for documenting claims and referring serious allegations to legal authorities.
The intended audiences include women who are already politically active (including within political parties), prospective women candidates, and university students interested in campaigns and political processes. The program is also expected to engage key influencers around the political ecosystem, including media professionals and political party representatives, including men, recognizing that changes in party culture and public narratives often require broader buy-in. The grantee is responsible for organizing and delivering the program, including event logistics and content delivery. The award is expected to cover all typical costs tied to implementation, such as venues, travel, speakers, media needs, refreshments, and related expenses, and proposals should also explain how activities could shift to virtual formats if in-person engagement is limited, reflecting COVID-19-era contingencies mentioned in the notice.
Funding is provided as a grant, with one anticipated award and a maximum ceiling of $250,000. The performance period is up to 12 months, with an anticipated start date of December 1, 2020, subject to fund availability. Cost sharing is not required, but applicants are encouraged to demonstrate commitment through financial contributions or in-kind support such as labor, supplies, or services. Eligible applicants are individuals or registered NGOs; businesses and government entities are explicitly not eligible. Applicants are expected to show strong financial and administrative controls to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse.
The opportunity also lists clear restrictions on what cannot be funded. Projects cannot involve partisan political activity or promote any political party agenda, even though the overall purpose is to support women engaging in politics. It also excludes a wide range of items and activities, including surveillance equipment, duplicated efforts that mirror existing U.S. Government programs, charitable donations, fundraising campaigns, lobbying for specific legislation, scientific research, projects mainly focused on the applicants own institutional growth, staff salaries or stipends, and various personal or prohibited purchases (such as alcohol, medicines, school fees, or luxury goods). Additional prohibitions include support tied to religious or military activities, law enforcement-related programming (police, prisons, or similar), abortion-related facilities or services, and the purchase of used equipment in most cases. The notice also includes U.S. Government restrictions on certain telecommunications and video surveillance equipment and services, prohibiting the use of grant funds to procure or use covered equipment or services associated with specific companies (including Huawei and ZTE, and certain surveillance manufacturers) or other covered entities identified under U.S. national security guidelines.
For the application process, proposals for the referenced cycle were due by September 18, 2020, and late submissions were not considered. Applications could be submitted by email to Mannings@state.gov and MoreengAR@state.gov, or delivered by mail or hand delivery to the U.S. Embassy in Gaborone (Political-Economic Section). The Embassy notes that it does not provide pre-consultations on questions already addressed in the full Notice of Funding Opportunity, and it does not discuss the competition with applicants after submission until the review process is complete.Apply for GABPE 20 AW 001 AF 081720
- The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Botswana in the employment, labor and training sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Promoting Women in Politics in Botswana" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.700.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 18, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 18, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Promoting Women in Politics in Botswana Grant
What is the Promoting Women in Politics in Botswana grant?
It is a U.S. Embassy Gaborone funding opportunity intended to strengthen women's participation and influence in Botswana's political life by building practical campaign and leadership skills, expanding access to supportive networks and resources, and addressing social and structural barriers that keep women from running for office or staying active in political spaces.
Why is this grant being offered?
The opportunity responds to very low women's representation in elected office in Botswana, cited as about five percent in the National Assembly (3 out of 57). It also notes underrepresentation at district council levels and highlights barriers such as limited fundraising options, discouraging political party dynamics, electoral systems that do not adequately support marginalized groups, and persistent sexual harassment (including online harassment).
What is the long-term goal of the program?
The longer-term aim is to increase women's role in political institutions and decision-making in Botswana, particularly as the country approaches future national elections.
How long is the program period?
Applicants are invited to propose a one-year program. The performance period is up to 12 months.
What is the anticipated start date?
The anticipated start date listed is December 1, 2020, subject to fund availability.
How much funding is available?
Funding is provided as a grant with one anticipated award and a maximum ceiling of $250,000.
Is cost sharing required?
No. Cost sharing is not required. However, applicants are encouraged to demonstrate commitment through financial contributions or in-kind support such as labor, supplies, or services.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants are individuals or registered NGOs. Businesses and government entities are explicitly not eligible.
What types of participants or audiences should projects target?
Intended audiences include women who are already politically active (including within political parties), prospective women candidates, and university students interested in campaigns and political processes.
Are projects expected to engage people beyond women participants?
Yes. The program is also expected to engage key influencers in the political ecosystem, including media professionals and political party representatives, including men, recognizing that change in party culture and public narratives often requires broader buy-in.
What kinds of activities are encouraged under this grant?
The opportunity invites a mix of capacity building, public engagement, and support mechanisms. Examples include public advocacy campaigns that highlight women's contributions to Botswana's political history and directly address sexual harassment and exploitation targeting female candidates, as well as regional training sessions and workshops for women interested in running for office or working on campaigns.
What training topics are specifically mentioned as priorities?
Examples of suggested training topics include fundraising approaches that do not rely on male relatives, media and communications skills, working effectively with journalists, and building grassroots support networks.
Are applicants encouraged to create materials that can be reused after the project ends?
Yes. The notice emphasizes creating reusable resources such as videos or training materials that can be posted online and used by other women interested in politics beyond the initial workshops.
Can a project include forming women's political clubs?
Yes. The opportunity suggests forming women's political clubs locally or at universities to build peer support and organizing capacity, while leveraging existing youth political networks connected to the Independent Electoral Commission.
Can a project include a mechanism to report harassment?
Yes. A proposed option is establishing a hotline or reporting channel that allows women to report harassment anonymously, including online abuse, with a system for documenting claims and referring serious allegations to legal authorities.
What kinds of barriers is the program intended to address?
The program focuses on barriers such as limited fundraising options, political party dynamics that discourage female candidates, electoral systems that do not adequately support marginalized groups, and persistent sexual harassment, including online harassment.
How does the grant connect women's political representation to broader social issues?
The opportunity notes that political representation affects how priorities are set and how public problems are addressed, and it links women's political empowerment to broader societal issues, including Botswana's ongoing challenges with gender-based violence.
Who is responsible for implementing the program?
The grantee is responsible for organizing and delivering the program, including event logistics and content delivery.
What types of costs can the grant cover?
The award is expected to cover typical implementation costs such as venues, travel, speakers, media needs, refreshments, and related expenses tied to delivering the program.
Do proposals need to address virtual delivery options?
Yes. Proposals should explain how activities could shift to virtual formats if in-person engagement is limited, reflecting COVID-19-era contingencies mentioned in the notice.
Are partisan political activities allowed?
No. Projects cannot involve partisan political activity or promote any political party agenda.
Can the grant fund lobbying for specific legislation?
No. Lobbying for specific legislation is listed among the activities that cannot be funded.
Can the grant fund fundraising campaigns or charitable donations?
No. Fundraising campaigns and charitable donations are explicitly excluded.
Can the grant pay staff salaries or stipends?
No. Staff salaries or stipends are listed among prohibited costs.
Can the grant fund scientific research?
No. Scientific research is listed as an excluded use of funds.
Can the grant fund projects mainly focused on the applicant organization's growth?
No. Projects mainly focused on the applicant's own institutional growth are listed as not fundable under this opportunity.
Are there restrictions on equipment purchases?
Yes. The notice excludes surveillance equipment. It also states that the purchase of used equipment is prohibited in most cases.
Are there U.S. Government restrictions related to telecommunications and video surveillance equipment?
Yes. The notice includes restrictions prohibiting the use of grant funds to procure or use covered telecommunications or video surveillance equipment or services associated with certain companies (including Huawei and ZTE and certain surveillance manufacturers) or other covered entities identified under U.S. national security guidelines.
Are alcohol and other personal purchases allowed?
No. The notice lists various personal or prohibited purchases that cannot be funded, including alcohol, medicines, school fees, and luxury goods.
Are religious, military, or law enforcement-related activities eligible for funding?
No. The restrictions include support tied to religious or military activities and exclude law enforcement-related programming (police, prisons, or similar).
Are abortion-related services or facilities eligible for funding?
No. The opportunity lists abortion-related facilities or services among prohibited activities.
Can the project duplicate existing U.S. Government programs?
No. Duplicated efforts that mirror existing U.S. Government programs are excluded.
How many awards does the Embassy expect to make?
The notice states there is one anticipated award.
What financial management expectations apply to applicants?
Applicants are expected to show strong financial and administrative controls to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse.
When were proposals due for the referenced application cycle?
For the referenced cycle, proposals were due by September 18, 2020. Late submissions were not considered.
How could applications be submitted?
Applications could be submitted by email to Mannings@state.gov and MoreengAR@state.gov, or delivered by mail or hand delivery to the U.S. Embassy in Gaborone (Political-Economic Section).
Does the Embassy provide pre-consultations before submission?
The Embassy notes that it does not provide pre-consultations on questions already addressed in the full Notice of Funding Opportunity.
Will the Embassy discuss the competition with applicants after submission?
No. The Embassy notes it does not discuss the competition with applicants after submission until the review process is complete.
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