Commission on the Status of Women 70 (CSW70)
On 9 – 14 March, the APRRN Co-Secretary General joined the delegation of our partner organisation, Settlement Service International and attended the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), convened at United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York. At CSW70, APRRN highlighted the urgent need to include women from the most marginalised communities in global conversations on access to justice. We were honoured to help bring these perspectives into the room, including through the testimony of a Rohingya woman from Cox’s Bazar and by highlighting support for Afghan women lawyers no longer allowed to practise under the Taliban. APRRN remains committed to creating more space for women with lived experience to lead and shape the decisions that affect their lives.

On 14- March, Hafsar also joined a panel hosted by the Azadi project, “Crisis to Capacity Building: Displaced Women's Voices Mental Health & Hope” during the week of CSW70, highlighting the importance of women leadership from impacted communities and enabling those leaders through capacity building and investment.

 

Australia's multiculturalism and refugee protection dialogue
Hafsar also attended an important conversation on multiculturalism, refugee protection, and Australia’s legacy of resettling more than one million refugees since World War II. While recognising this milestone, APRRN welcomed the opportunity to raise important questions about Australia’s regional leadership, responses to people seeking asylum, and the impact of processes such as the Bali Process. We thank the Refugee Communities Association of Australia for creating space for this timely and important dialogue.

 

On 20 March, Hafsar contributed to the Podcast produced by Voice of Aroha, New Zealand, on the topic of “Mental and healing journey of refugees, migrants and displaced population in New Zealand and Asia Pacific”. Stay tuned. 

 

On 26 March, our Co-Secretary General, Klaus Dik Nielsen took part in the 55th Anniversary of the Independence and National Day of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in Bangkok. Invited by one of APRRN’s many external partners and allies, the Ambassador to Thailand, Faiyaz Murshid Kazi, Klaus and Midnight Poonkasetwattana, Executive Director of APCOM, and a new APRRN member, had exchanges with other diplomatic missions, representatives from UN agencies and Thai parliamentarians and policy-makers, including on Thailand’s recent positive steps to provide work rights for thousands of refugees and the possibility of adapting the model in other countries in our region.

 

On 27 March, APRRN's Co-Secretary General, Klaus Dik Nielsen, participated in the opening of the Asia Pacific Launch of the GCENR Legal Atlas on Gender Discriminatory Nationality Laws, which was co-hosted by Subin Mulmi, Executive Director of Nationality for All, and the new Deputy Chair of APRRN’s South Asia Working Group and also on our International Board.

This innovative online tool maps and analyses gender-discriminatory nationality laws globally and highlights their impacts on women, children, and families. While significant progress has been made worldwide, some countries in Asia and the Pacific continue to maintain gender-discriminatory nationality provisions. Several UN agencies, regional academics and APRRN member and former APRRN SG, Chris Eades from Church World Service (CWS), took part. On 27 March, APRRN's Co-Secretary General, Klaus Dik Nielsen, participated in the opening of the Asia Pacific Launch of the GCENR Legal Atlas on Gender Discriminatory Nationality Laws, which was co-hosted by Subin Mulmi, Executive Director of Nationality for All, and the new Deputy Chair of APRRN’s South Asia Working Group and also on our International Board.

This innovative online tool maps and analyses gender-discriminatory nationality laws globally and highlights their impacts on women, children, and families. While significant progress has been made worldwide, some countries in Asia and the Pacific continue to maintain gender-discriminatory nationality provisions. Several UN agencies, regional academics and APRRN member and former APRRN SG, Chris Eades from Church World Service (CWS), took part. 

https://legal-atlas.equalnationalityrights.org/ 

 

Members Spotlight! 

 The Sisterhood, together with OSSTT, recently developed a series of videos that may be useful in your work or communities.

The series includes:

• two short videos introducing trauma and how it affects the body and mind, 
• two simple, guided exercises (breathing and grounding) that can help people feel a little calmer and more present in difficult moments.

Available in English, Arabic, Dari, and Somali. They are designed to be accessible and easy to follow. 

We know many of you are already doing important work to support wellbeing, and we hope these might be a helpful addition. Please feel free to share if you find them to be useful. 

Find the videos on Sisterhood's website or YouTube channel: @powerofsisterhood 

REPORT SUMMARY: THE SEIGE OF ARAKAN LOOKING INSIDE ARAKAN ARMY’S GENOCIDE TACTICS AGAINST ROHINGYAS. The Rohingya Human Rights Initiative (ROHRIngya) has produced a comprehensive 111-page research report documenting widespread and systematic human rights violations committed against the Rohingya community in Rakhine State (Arakan State), Myanmar. The report presents evidence that the Arakan Army (AA) and the United League of Arakan (ULA), while engaged in armed conflict with the Myanmar military junta, have simultaneously carried out acts that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity targeting the Rohingya population, which has predominantly resided in Rakhine State (Arakan State), Myanmar, for centuries.

 

Article by Shafiur Rahman: The Myth of Rohingya Aid Dependency. 

The Rohingya are not “fully dependent” on anyone. They are dependent only to the extent that they have been made dependent -- by design, by policy, and by a system that manages dependency rather than ending it.

 

Join Lead Counsel representing The Gambia in the ICJ genocide case against Myanmar, Arsalan Suleman, and a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, Christopher Sidoti, as they discuss the current state of the Rohingya crisis. APRRN’s Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Working Group Chair and the Refugee Council of Australia's Advocacy Coordinator, Dr Graham Thom, moderates a panel session following the keynote speakers, where you will hear from expert speakers, including:

• Gareth Evans, former Australian Foreign Minister 
• Philip Ruddock, former Australian Minister for Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, and former Australian Attorney-General  
• Razia Sultana, a prominent Rohingya feminist activist and founder of Rights for Women Welfare Society
• Regina Paulose, International Criminal Law Attorney
• Dr Hla Myint, President of the Rohingya Intellectual Group Australia 

 

News from the region

Afghanistan: 

Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed on the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr to a temporary ceasefire in their ongoing conflict. The announcement came two days after a strike by Pakistan on a 2,000-bed rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, in which the UN confirmed 143 people were killed, and 124 rocket attacks that displaced about 7,500 families in the border areas of Afghanistan. More than 115,000 people have been displaced by the conflict since late February, according to the UN.

 

Closing the Afghan embassy in Canberra would put many vulnerable Afghans at significant risk.  Since the Taliban took control of Kabul in August 2021, Afghanistan’s ambassador to Australia, Wahidullah Waissi, and his staff have continued to represent the people of Afghanistan under the most trying circumstances.

 

A 41-year-old Afghan immigrant who reportedly served alongside US forces in Afghanistan died in a hospital while in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Texas.

 

More than 1,100 Afghans evacuated by the US to Qatar in 2021 remain stranded in a camp on a former US airbase in Doha, where they are now at risk from Iranian missile strikes targeting US bases in the region. Members of the group said they feel betrayed by the US government after their promised US resettlement was withdrawn by the Trump administration.

 

Australia: 

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced a six-month block stopping more than 7,000 Iranians already granted visas from entering the country. The snap Arrival Control Determination came into effect on Thursday. Advocates urged the government to offer asylum to more than 3500 Iranian students enrolled in Australian universities due to the war in their home country; the Department of Home Affairs suggested they apply for skilled or family visas instead. In the wake of the Iranian women footballers’ high-profile asylum cases, frustration mounted among other Iranians living in Australia for years without resolution of their refugee status.

• Iranian visa holders are temporarily barred from travelling to Australia.
• Government's temporary ban on Iranian visitors begins, includes visas already granted.
• Federal government's ban on Iranian tourists to block 7,000 visa holders from Australia.
• ‘Massive betrayal’: Iranian nationals with valid tourist visas blocked from entering Australia for six months.
• Warnings about possible unintended consequences of the Iran visitor ban.
• Australian Iranians hit back over 'racist' decision to block 7,000 tourist visa holders.
• The government urged to grant asylum to 3500 Iranian students in Australia.
• The selective safety net: Australia rescues Iranian stars while closing the door on thousands.
• After 14 years in visa limbo, Ferdos felt conflicted as Iran’s soccer team gained asylum.
• Iranian asylum seekers renew appeal for the Government to end visa limbo.
• Australia refuses to say how many Chinese nationals are arriving by boat, saying it may damage bilateral relations.

 

Resilience, success and endurance': How to improve the refugee experience in Australia. A national refugee conference met in Adelaide to discuss how Australia could better support refugees, with speakers including Iranian Kurdish writer Behrouz Boochani and former UNHCR official Gillian Triggs.

 

‘I lost hope in humanity, but I now call myself human’: what refugees told us about settling in regional Australia.

 

Iranian soccer players got asylum overnight. These refugees reveal a very different story.

 

"What about me?" The other refugees have been living in limbo for years. Why can some people be granted humanitarian protection in a day, while for others it can take more than a decade?

 

Political tug of war over Iranian women’s soccer team prompts criticism in Australia.

 

Australia’s High Court ruled that measures allowing the monitoring of people released from indefinite immigration detention are incompatible with the constitution. News outlets reported that the ruling will require that ankle bracelets be removed and curfews end for 43 former immigration detainees who have already served prison sentences. The government highlighted its recently legislated powers to remove non-citizen former offenders to Nauru.

• Federal government suffers High Court loss over legality of curfews and ankle bracelets.
• Australia’s high court orders ankle bracelets be removed, and curfews end for 43 former immigration detainees.
• High Court strikes down Labor’s ankle-monitoring regime for a second time.

 

Turning Gratitude into Guidance: How Ali Jafari is supporting refugees and creating belonging in Australia. Former refugee Ali Jafari was named Young Community Citizen of the Year in his local community. He helps people from Afghanistan with translating, with government, medical, housing and day-to-day needs, and he helped to register the Mount Barker Hazara Community. 

 

Bangladesh: 

The UN World Food Programme said it will restructure its food aid program for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh from April, introducing a tiered approach designed to meet a minimum food security threshold for all refugees while providing greater support for those in most need. Refugee leaders in the camps in Bangladesh expressed concerns about the new system, under which only the most vulnerable will continue to receive the current level of aid of US$12 per month, and allowances will be reduced to US$7 per month for those deemed as low risk and US$10 per month for those in medium categories.

 

153 Rohingya Rescued as Bangladesh Coast Guard Foils Malaysia Trafficking Bid. The Bangladesh Coast Guard intercepted a Malaysia-bound trawler under "Operation Samudra Prohora," rescuing 153 Rohingya and detaining 15 suspected traffickers.

 

Australia contributes AUD 16.5 million to support Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh. The Government of Australia and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) today reaffirmed their partnership to support Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh through a new AUD 16.5 million multi-year funding agreement for 2026–2028. The new agreement will help sustain critical sexual and reproductive health services, gender-based violence prevention and response, and adolescent and youth services for some of the most vulnerable women, girls and families in Cox’s Bazar.

 

UNHCR: Rohingya population in Cox’s Bazar surges by 179,000 in a year. The number of Rohingya refugees sheltered in Cox’s Bazar has increased by nearly 179,000 over the past year, driven by both fresh influxes from Myanmar and newborns within the camps, according to the latest data from the UN refugee agency.

 

UN looks to boost food security for Rohingya in Bangladesh. The World Food Programme said its new needs-based, tiered approach aimed to ensure the minimum food needs of all refugees were met.

 

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh worry ahead of food aid cuts. Funding will be cut nearly in half for all but the neediest of the 1.2 million Rohingya forced to flee their homes in Myanmar.

 

Repatriation only solution to the Rohingya crisis: Bangladesh reaffirmed that repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmar is the only viable solution to the crisis.

 

Iran:  

Iran RRP- Flash Refugee Response Plan

 

As the war in Iran continued to escalate, experts warned of the potential for a mass exodus of refugees into neighbouring countries. Türkiye’s Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, said the conflict in the Middle East crisis could create a ‘permanent refugee crisis’. UNHCR said most of the estimated 3.2 million people displaced in Iran remain within the country but called on bordering countries to provide access to asylum if refugees begin arriving. 

 

Treatment of Iranian asylum seekers reeks of contradictions. We may never know whether Donald Trump’s social media post about the Iranian women’s soccer team had anything to do with how the Australian government responded. That post certainly doesn’t reflect his approach to Iranian asylum seekers more generally.

 

India:

India Intensifies Deportation Drive Against Undocumented Bangladeshis And Rohingyas In Bihar. State authorities are directed to identify and process undocumented residents following the Union Home Ministry order. 

 

Indonesia:

Harnessing Islamic philanthropy to save lives in the Andaman Sea. Islamic charitable networks raised US$2.8 billion in Indonesia last year, offering a chance to fund the search and rescue of Rohingya refugees at sea.

 

Malaysia:

Rohingya Refugees Held Indefinitely in Inhumane and Degrading Conditions. The new refugee registration scheme must end the indefinite detention of refugees.

 

Myanmar:  

Beyond humanitarian aid: Rethinking Australia’s Myanmar policy. Five years after the coup, Myanmar’s instability is bleeding across borders. Canberra’s policy hasn’t kept up.

 

Burma Campaign UK today called on the British government to impose sanctions on the Arakha Army in response to the numerous human rights abuses, including violations of international law, which they are committing.

 

The ICJ Rohingya case reshapes human rights litigation. The ICJ proceedings in The Gambia v. Myanmar, brought by The Gambia in 2019 under the Genocide Convention over Myanmar’s alleged persecution of the Rohingya, have reshaped international human rights litigation. The case has clarified that all state parties share an obligation to enforce the Genocide Convention, expanded opportunities for rights-based legal action and strengthened the Court’s use of provisional measures, influencing subsequent disputes, including South Africa v. Israel and Ukraine v. Russia. A decision on the merits of the case, to be delivered likely later in 2026, would provide recognition and reparation for the Rohingya, although enforcement within Myanmar will be difficult.

 

Repatriation in Limbo: Bangladesh and the Future of the Rohingya. Shifting realities along the Bangladesh–Myanmar border are reshaping the prospects of Rohingya repatriation, increasingly tying outcomes to engagement with de facto authorities in Rakhine. 

 

Other news:

Escalation in the Middle East and Beyond: The Humanitarian Response. The humanitarian fallout from the escalating hostilities in the Middle East and beyond is increasing by the day, with civilians bearing the brunt across the region. Civilians and civilian infrastructure have come under attack; millions have been put in danger; hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee their homes; and access to basic services and life-saving assistance has been cut off or disrupted for civilians, including internally displaced people, refugees and migrants, in the areas that have been hardest-hit.

 

Canada passed a new immigration act known as Bill C-12, which significantly expands the government’s powers to manage immigration applications and asylum claims and tightens eligibility rules for asylum claims. The new law introduces new grounds for ineligibility of asylum claims where the claimant has been in Canada for more than a year before lodging a claim, or entered Canada by crossing the US border outside a port of entry. A coalition of human rights groups signed a statement warning the law ‘will put thousands of individuals at risk of persecution, violence and precarity’.

 

The European Parliament passed immigration reforms that enable the establishment of ‘return hubs’ outside the EU, with an alliance of conservative, right-wing and far-right parties voting in favour of the proposals. The new law allows member states to detain people with no right to stay in the EU for up to two years if they are considered a security risk or likely to abscond, or if they are deemed to be hindering the process of their removal.

 

First-time asylum applications to the EU fell by 27% last year, according to Eurostat, with 669,400 applicants last year, compared to 912,400 in 2024.

 

France’s National Court of Asylum (CNDA) announced it has suspended asylum appeals from Iranian and Lebanese nationals, saying it is seeking to avoid the risk of rejecting applications in the context of escalating conflict and insecurity in the Middle East.

 

The Swedish government introduced a new bill to parliament that would enable authorities to revoke residence permits for migrants not demonstrating ‘honest living’. Migration Minister Johan Forssell gave examples of behaviours that could result in loss of residency status, including defaulting on debts, non-compliance with decisions by Swedish authorities, and making fraudulent benefits or residency claims. Human rights groups said the proposals could undermine democratic principles, legal equality and freedom of expression.

 

Reports & Publications

APRRN recommendations mentioned in the Australian Senate Paper on Human Rights and Democracy in Myanmar. Read the Report Here

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) published a new report, ‘World report on promoting the health of refugees and migrants: monitoring progress on the WHO global action plan’, and highlighted ‘encouraging progress’, with more than two-thirds of the 93 member countries surveyed now including refugees and migrants in their national health policies and laws.

 

What happened to the children Australia detained? Reckoning with the legacies of immigration policy. In the decade since the Australian Human Rights Commission’s landmark report was released, evidence continues to mount about the harm immigration detention does to detained children — and their suffering continues to ripple across the community.
 

Mohamed Jimalem, ‘Dadaab voices: What’s behind the rise in refugee suicides?. “My son survived everything in Somalia, but he could not survive the hopelessness in this camp.”
 

Why the world is managing crises, not solving them. Refugee populations become semi-permanent, often living for decades without rights, opportunities or a clear future.

 

Israel has crushed UNRWA in Gaza – and the rest of the world has done nothing.

 

How the Trump administration is undermining legal immigrants. The US has been targeting not only people who have violated the law, but also many who are in the country legally.

 

Displaced but uncounted: The people aid is leaving behind in Lebanon’s war “The humanitarian system isn’t built to respond to everyone equally. It’s built to respond to the people it already knows how to count.”

 

Migration is good for the Pacific. The debate over whether migration is a positive or negative for the Pacific is a long-standing one. Bernard Poirine’s 1995 paper “Should we love or hate MIRAB” set out both sides of the argument and why he thought both migration and foreign aid were positives for the Pacific.
 

Opportunistic asylum: How Australia exploited the Iranian women’s football team. 

 

Asia and the Pacific: Regional Humanitarian Snapshot: Asia and the Pacific is the world’s most disaster-prone region. The increasing impacts of climate change and natural hazards continue to be the main drivers of humanitarian needs, exacerbated by the increasing number of complex and protracted conflicts, and economic, political and social crises. Protracted humanitarian situations in countries such as Afghanistan and Myanmar are affecting millions of people who need humanitarian assistance and protection. OCHA’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) and country offices work to support and strengthen humanitarian coordination and response preparedness in the region.

 

Australia Awards Fellowships aim to build networks of influence and leadership by strengthening partnerships between Australian organisations and partner organisations in the region. Australian organisations can apply for funding (up to AUD $34,500 per Fellow) to host and support a range of professional development activities, including: work attachment; supervised research; a management or leadership course; a study tour; program meetings and visits, or a combination of these.

 

2026 International Grant Program

The grant program focuses on deepening mutual understanding and knowledge-sharing among people on the ground in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia who are finding solutions to shared issues. Through promoting direct interaction among key players, the grant program aims to survey and analyse situations in target countries, obtain new perspectives, and expand the potential of future generations.

Proposal Submission Period: From April 1 to May 30, 2026, 11:59 p.m. Japan Standard Time

 

CFPs: Women's Scholarship for International Students 2026

Grant Size: $1000 to $10,000

Countries/Regions: All Countries

Area: Students, Women and Girls, Women & Gender

Applicants are now invited to submit applications for the Women's Scholarship to award female students at all higher study levels.

Deadline: Aug 28, 2026

 

Funding opportunities

Small Grants Program, Mérieux Foundation. 

The Mérieux Foundation’s Small Grants Program supports local, community-rooted initiatives combating infectious diseases in vulnerable populations, especially mothers and children. Grants fund implementation-ready projects that are aligned with local priorities, integrated with existing health efforts, and led by organisations embedded in the target communities. Applicants must demonstrate a long-term commitment to public health and adhere to the ethical principles outlined in the Foundation’s charter.

• Geographies: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Tajikistan, Vietnam, Iraq, Iran, 
• Who can apply: Local nonprofit organisations registered for ≥3 years; student groups and international NGOs are not eligible.
• Funding amount: Up to EUR €5,000 per project; overall project budget may not exceed €50,000.
• Targeted Sectors / SDGs: Health; Focus areas: maternal & child health, community-based infectious disease response, gender equity.
• Deadline: Two rounds yearly, March 1, 2026, and August 1, 2026.
• Learn more and apply here.

 

Submissions open for Australia Awards (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) to support the next generation of local, national, and global leaders. Deadline: Apr 30, 2026

• Thailand
• Philippines
• Bangladesh

 

Submit Applications for Australia-Korea Foundation Grant Program

Grant Size: $100,000 to $500,000

Countries/Regions: Australia, South Korea

Area: Agriculture Food & Nutrition, Arts & Culture, Business & Industry, Community Development, Literacy, Energy, Cyber Security, Information Technology, Sports & Recreation, Youth & Adolescents

The Australia-Korea Foundation (AKF) 2026–27 Grant Round invites applications for projects that strengthen bilateral cooperation and deepen engagement between Australia and the Republic of Korea.

Deadline: May 13, 2026

 

Entries open for the Geneva Challenge

Grant Size: $10,000 to $100,000

Countries/Regions: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Burma(Myanmar), Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, East Timor (Timor-Leste), Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam

Area: Employment & Labor, Climate Change, Students, Innovation, Marketing, Technology, Sustainable Development, Youth & Adolescents

Applications are now open for the Geneva Challenge to develop innovative, interdisciplinary and practical solutions to the pressing challenges shaping the future of work.

Deadline: Apr 24, 2026

  

Call for Proposals: Promoting Freedom of Expression and Media Freedom (Pakistan)

Grant Size: $500,000 to $1 million

Countries/Regions: Pakistan

Area: Civil Society Development, Media

The European Commission (EC) has announced a call for proposals to support civil society initiatives that promote and protect freedom of expression and media freedom in Pakistan.

Deadline: Apr 21, 2026

 

In July 2026, Lululemon Gives Community Wellbeing Grant will open a call for funding to community-led organisations around the globe that are advancing wellbeing through movement and mindfulness. Interested organisations can apply for up to $50,000 USD, which should not exceed 40% of their most recently completed fiscal year’s operating budget.

 

The AVPN opportunity - Asia-based Philanthropy:

The Fund aims to strengthen partnerships across the philanthropic, private, public and people sectors to collaborate, share and mobilise resources to strengthen the Harmony in Diversity ecosystem. It will empower community-based organisations driving harmony initiatives to foster and sustain long-term positive change. Funding amount: between USD 50,000 to USD 200,000 over a funding period of approximately 2 years till September 2028. 

 

Crisis Response Fund – Queer Forced Displacement Initiative – Rainbow Railroad 

Middle East & North Africa + Asia LGBTQI+ rights / forced displacement / crisis response / organizational capacity Up to CAD $15,000 (one-time micro-funding) N/A (Round 6 deadline not yet published, verify before applying) EN 

Open to small and medium grassroots organizations (registered or unregistered) and individuals supporting LGBTQI+ people facing or at risk of displacement. Three streams: emergency response services, crisis capacity building, and crisis advocacy. Operational costs capped at 20%.     

 

Call for Proposals: Displaced Livelihoods Initiative (Round V)

Grant Size: $100,000 to $500,000

Countries/Regions: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, East Timor (Timor-Leste), Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam

Area: Entrepreneurship, Community Development, Employment & Labor, Livelihood, Refugee & Asylum Seekers

The Displaced Livelihoods Initiative (DLI) has launched its fifth and final competitive funding round to support rigorous research and evidence use aimed at improving sustainable livelihoods for displaced populations and host communities.

Deadline: May 15, 2026

 

Nominations Open: Cartier Women’s Initiative Regional Awards

Grant Size: $10,000 to $100,000

Countries/Regions: All Countries

Area: Business & Industry, Entrepreneurship, Individuals, Women & Gender

The Cartier Women’s Initiative Regional Awards support women-led impact businesses worldwide with funding, training, and global exposure to scale solutions addressing social and environmental challenges.

Deadline: Jun 16, 2026

 

Taiwan Foundation for Democracy's Domestic Grants

Grant Size: $1000 to $10,000

Countries/Regions: Taiwan

Area: Community Development, Democracy & Good Governance, Education, Human Rights, Research

The Taiwan Foundation for Democracy offers domestic grants to support initiatives that advance democracy and human rights through research, education, and international engagement.

Deadline: Jun 25, 2026

 

Call for Local Implementing Partners in Humanitarian and Development Sectors (Afghanistan)

Countries/Regions: Afghanistan

Area: Children, Education, Health, Emergency and Crisis, Humanitarian Relief, Livelihood, Women & Gender, Youth & Adolescents

The War Child Canada is offering to support partnerships with qualified national and local organizations in Afghanistan to strengthen humanitarian response and locally led programming.

Deadline: May 05, 2026

 

Localising VAW Prevention Initiatives (Bangladesh)

Grant Size: $100,000 to $500,000

Countries/Regions: Bangladesh

Area: Civil Society Development, Education, Employment & Labor, Women & Gender

The UN Women Bangladesh, with funding from the European Union, invites proposals from qualified civil society organisations to implement initiatives aimed at localising violence against women prevention through government and civil society collaboration.

Deadline: May 03, 2026

 

Entries open for the Pankaj Award to End Conflict

Grant Size: $10,000 to $100,000

Countries/Regions: All Countries

Area: Leaders, Leadership, Peace & Conflict Resolution, Youth & Adolescents

The Pankaj Award recognises and funds young leaders who are actively creating unity in a world marked by increasing conflict and division.

Deadline: Jun 15, 2026

 

Climate Change Reporting Workshop for Journalists (Bangladesh)

Countries/Regions: Bangladesh

Area: Climate Change, Environment, Journalists, Journalism, Women & Gender

The Earth Journalism Network invites journalists in Bangladesh to join a three-day media workshop about how to improve reporting on Non-Economic Loss and Damage (NELD) due to climate change.

Deadline: Apr 30, 2026

 

Digital Action Lab – Cohort 3 – CIVICUS Global Alliance 

Global South Digital democracy / civic space / digital tools for advocacy and civic participation USD $10,000–$20,000 (+ technical coaching and 9-month accompaniment) April 30, 2026 

9-month cohort program for civil society organisations (formal or informal) operating in restricted civic spaces. Up to 10 organisations selected to design, test, and scale digital solutions for democratic participation. Includes peer learning, technical support, and access to CIVICUS global networks.

 

International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD) – 2026 Call – UNESCO 

Global South  Cultural and creative industries (film, performing arts, visual arts, music, design, publishing)  Up to USD $100,000 (12–24 months)  May 6, 2026  

Open call for NGOs and public institutions in developing countries to fund projects that strengthen cultural and creative industries through policy development or institutional capacity building. INGOs registered in countries party to the 2005 Convention are also eligible.

 

Solidarity Fund

Grant Size: $10,000 to $100,000

Countries/Regions: All Countries

Area: Human Rights, Individuals, Leadership, Women & Gender

The Mama Cash is seeking applications for its Solidarity Fund to support women’s funds working to advance the rights of women, girls, trans and intersex people through feminist and self-led approaches.

Deadline: Apr 30, 2026