Strengthening Women-Mediated Peace Processes in Tillaberi Region | NIGER STATE WPS 2024 002

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this grant opportunity?

This is a U.S. Embassy Niamey (U.S. Department of State) funding opportunity to support a program that increases the direct involvement of women as mediators in community peace processes in Niger, specifically in the Tillaberi Region.

What type of award is being offered?

The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement. This matters because a cooperative agreement typically involves closer coordination and ongoing engagement with the funder than a standard grant.

What is the program trying to achieve by 2026?

By 2026, women leaders are expected to (1) increase their participation as mediators in northern Tillaberi peace processes and (2) institutionalize their leadership in partnership with national and local authorities.

Where will the project take place?

The primary focus is northern Tillaberi in Niger. The opportunity references communities and localities connected to recent mediation and peace accords, including Bani Bangou, Ouallam, and Gourol.

Why is the program focused on women as mediators?

The opportunity describes a persistent gap in local peace processes: women have often been treated as sources of information rather than decision-makers. Women have been consulted through focus groups for conflict analysis, but were not positioned as mediators at the negotiation table and were sometimes limited to ceremonial roles. The program aims to shift women from occasional consultation into sustained leadership in mediation and follow-through.

What context does the opportunity mention about conflict dynamics in Tillaberi?

The notice is grounded in recent local peace accords in northern Tillaberi that helped stop cycles of intercommunal massacres. It references violence and recruitment linked to the Islamic State of the Greater Sahara (IS-GS), and notes that communities have faced severe violence and displacement. It also notes that since Niger's July 2023 coup, the CNSP has continued to back additional mediation efforts in hard-hit localities such as Gourol.

What is the main strategic shift the Embassy wants to see in peace processes?

The program is designed to move from a model where women are consulted informally to a model where women are recognized as legitimate mediation leaders who actively shape negotiations and implementation, in coordination with public authorities.

Is the program supposed to create entirely new mediation structures?

No. The opportunity emphasizes building on what already exists, protecting and strengthening progress created by existing community accords, and changing how ongoing peace processes are organized so women are integrated into real structures rather than being added symbolically.

Are applicants expected to run basic mediation trainings for women?

Not as a primary approach. Applicants are strongly encouraged to work with women leaders who have already been trained through earlier peacebuilding and gender inclusion efforts, and to focus resources on practical steps that integrate these women into active, ongoing peace process structures.

Who are the primary participants or beneficiaries?

The primary participants are women leaders in northern Tillaberi who have already been trained and can help co-design and co-implement gender inclusion activities. The broader target audience also includes community leaders, national and local authorities, and women's leadership structures that influence local mediation.

What kinds of activities does the opportunity suggest?

The notice suggests activity areas such as: (1) a rapid gender inclusion assessment of how peace processes currently work in northern Tillaberi, (2) development of a concrete gender inclusion strategy for local mediation efforts, (3) advocacy meetings to support adoption and implementation of that strategy, (4) support for gender-inclusive peace monitoring, and (5) public sensitization to increase community acceptance of women as mediators.

Does the opportunity require coordination with Nigerien authorities?

Yes. Close collaboration with Nigerien authorities is described as essential rather than optional. The Embassy specifically points to working with entities such as the Ministry of Interior's Stabilization Unit and the High Authority for the Consolidation of Peace (HACP), as well as other organizations already supporting peace processes in northern Tillaberi.

What is the project advisory group, and is it required?

Applicants are expected to budget for quarterly meetings of a project advisory group. The purpose is to keep coordination consistent and align the project with government actors and with other women, peace, and security partners operating in the same space.

Is this intended to be a standalone civil society project?

No. The opportunity frames the work as a coordinated effort that changes how local peace processes are organized and who is recognized as legitimate leadership within them, in partnership with public authorities.

What does the Embassy want to see in an implementer?

The Embassy signals that it is looking for applicants with demonstrated experience advancing gender inclusion in local peacebuilding and prior collaboration with Nigerien authorities. The implementer is expected to manage a coalition across women leaders, community leaders, and national/local authorities, leveraging existing relationships rather than starting from scratch.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants include not-for-profit organizations such as civil society groups, NGOs, and think tanks.

Are any applicants given priority?

Yes. Priority is given to Nigerien not-for-profits, especially those led by women. The notice also states a preference for organizations based in Diffa Region.

How much funding is available?

The opportunity anticipates one award with a maximum award ceiling of $100,000.

How many awards does the Embassy expect to make?

The opportunity indicates one expected award.

What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The opportunity is listed under CFDA 19.222.

What is the opportunity number or identifier?

The opportunity is identified as NIGER STATE WPS 2024 002 under the U.S. Mission to Niger.

What was the application closing date listed in the notice?

The original application closing date listed was June 3, 2024.

What geographic area is emphasized, and why?

The geographic emphasis is northern Tillaberi, tied to recent local peace accords (including those in Bani Bangou and Ouallam) and ongoing mediation efforts in other hard-hit localities (such as Gourol). The program seeks to protect and strengthen the gains from these accords while addressing the exclusion of women from formal mediation roles.

What problem does the opportunity identify with past peace negotiations?

The opportunity states that older men still dominate mediation spaces and that patriarchal power structures have largely remained intact. Women have often contributed to conflict analysis through focus groups but were not positioned as formal mediators with decision-making authority.

What does "institutionalize their leadership" mean in this opportunity?

Based on the notice, it refers to women leaders having recognized, sustained roles in peace processes that are embedded in how mediation is organized, and carried out in partnership with national and local authorities (not limited to ad hoc invitations or ceremonial participation).

What does the opportunity imply about how projects should remove barriers to women's participation?

Applicants are expected to bring a strong strategic approach and practical procedures for removing barriers that keep women out of mediation roles, with an emphasis on concrete integration into existing peace process structures rather than general or introductory training.