Call for Expression of Interest from Libyan Women CSOs
to participate in the Solidarity Peer-to-Peer Network of the Fa’ela: Tapping into Women’s Full Potential in Shaping Libya’s State Building Efforts Project
Fa’ela is an EU and Embassy of Canada funded project from mid-June 2020 until mid-December 2022. Fa’ela aims to enhance women’s role in decision making and effective participation in public life in Libya. Fa’ela supports this through engaging women civil society organisations (CSOs) and women leaders in joint initiatives and fostering an enabler network that seeks to enhance women’s engagement in social, political and economic life.
This is based on Fa’ela’s vision that if women CSOs and women leaders have better technical and organisational capacity, are better connected and coordinating with other CSOs and female decision-makers, and are supported by respected and influential Libyan figures, then these women CSOs and women leaders will engage more in public life and encourage other women to do so. This will contribute to an effective participation of women in public life in Libya.
About Implementing Partners
Democracy Reporting International (DRI) is a non-partisan, independent, not-for-profit organisation and think tank based in Berlin. DRI supports the building of democracies through public debates, participation and accountable policymaking and helps promote democratic governance, especially in moments of significant change. We work at the national level by monitoring and supporting institutional reform and implement projects at the local and regional level to engage people and citizens in the governing of their countries and the shaping of their communities.
We support and engage people who are working to build, preserve and defend democratic and accountable institutions. DRI has been engaged in Libya since 2012, focusing on supporting institutions and strengthening civil society to become constructive actors on topics such as constitutional reform, human rights, local governance and democratic discourse.
Jusoor Center for Studies and Development is an independent Libyan not-for-profit think and do tank registered in 2015. Jusoor’s Headquarters is located in Tripoli, but the organisation has representation throughout the country, with coordinators in Benghazi, Sabha and Yefren. Jusoor is committed to economic and social development through women empowerment and developing innovative policies. Jusoor aims to promote research, critical thinking, open discourse and innovative solutions with a special focus on women’s issues.
As part of Fa’ela and under the leadership of Jusoor Center for Studies and Development, Fa’ela will establish a Peer-to-Peer Network for women CSOs and women leaders of more than 30 peers who meet quarterly at the national level to exchange and discuss challenges and best practices, identify knowledge gaps, develop action plans and review the progress of activities. Additionally, Jusoor will also approach a number of organisations of other Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries to be part of this network to add richness to the experiences available in the network and exchange experience with the Libyan organisations and women leaders about similar projects, and problem-solving mechanisms.
Network Objectives:
The Fa’ela Peer to Peer Network aims to provide support to women CSOs and women leaders through exchanging experiences with local, national, and regional counterparts through discussion of challenges and best practices, identification of knowledge gaps, development of potential action plans… This will help women CSOs and women leaders to enhance the response to their constituencies needs/priorities and effectively implement innovative solutions in addition this will also help organisations to better coordinate, address and overcome challenges and solve problems when needed.
CSOs’ Selection Criteria:
As part of this, the Fa’ela project team will select around 15 Libyan women CSOs to participate in the Solidarity Peer-to-Peer Network based on the following selection criteria:
- being registered with the Civil Society Commission as a not-for-profit organisation, operating inside Libya.
- Organisations working on supporting women empowerment initiatives.
- Organisations that are led by women who have experience in and a track record of supporting and implementing projects/initiatives that are supportive to women.
- knowledge of the local context, existing networks and relations of trust within the communities, track record of good working relationships with women and men of the community and of supporting women empowerment initiatives.
The above criteria of selection will be assessed based on the following:
- Submission of an online application with 120 words explaining the reasons for joining the Network and 120 words on how the Solidarity Network will help the organisation achieve its objectives.
Members Commitment:
By joining the Fa’ela Peer-to-Peer Network, the members will be expected to commit to the following:
- CSOs (members of the Network) will assign a representative from their organisation who will commit to attending all six network meetings (four online, one face-to-face event in Tripoli and another face-to-face event in Tunis).
- All members will be ready to actively participate and share their experience with other organisations.
- All members will commit to the actions that are agreed upon during the network meetings.
- More commitments will be agreed upon in the first network meeting which is planned to be held in June 2021 online.
How to Apply:
Please fill in the application at this link before 15 June 2021.