☰
Applications are open for the 2025 Webs of Safety and Care Grant. This opportunity is open to cis-women, trans women, trans men, and non-binary human rights activists-led organisations, communities, and networks in Asia and the Pacific.
Opportunity Details
UAF A&P recognises that respite, well-being, and connection are essential for human rights defenders navigating multiple crises, risks, and challenges on a daily basis. Yet, there are very few spaces and opportunities in Asia and Pacific where defenders can seek respite, learn from each other, share wisdom grounded in their own experiences and traditions, and reflect on how to protect and care for themselves and their communities. Further, there are insufficient resources for local communities to build sustainable and effective responses to their unique needs.
The Webs of Safety and Care (WSC) Grant, under UAF A&P’s Enabling Defenders Programme, intends to support women, trans, and non-binary activists’ organisations and networks to create community-based structures and resources through which they are able to build and strengthen their collective safety and care needs, and sustain their lives and activism for the the long run.
A WSC grant can be used to:
Assess — Grantees can conduct a holistic assessment of the risk and threats they face as an individual or as part of a collective or movement. They can also assess existing systems and practices that can support them in times of crisis. UAF A&P can provide assessment tools that can be adapted as required to analyse activists’ needs and help design optimal solutions.
Create – Grantees can create new systems and care practices that help human rights defenders and their communities prioritise rest and rejuvenation, build resilience, and provide holistic well-being and care. This could mean creating sustainable safe spaces for women, trans, and non-binary human rights defenders to seek refuge during crises or while facing threats, but also for rest and respite from their day to day activism whenever needed.
Build – Grantees can expand or deepen existing initiatives that cater to the safety and well-being of women, trans, and non-binary human rights defenders, their organizations, and networks. This can include skills training for defenders to address risks and threats (such as digital security training), skilled peer psycho-social counselling, or building a network of pro-bono lawyers.
Connect – Grantees can share their learnings, ideas, and experiences within their own community or across movements to promote practices of well-being and collective care for greater resilience. Based on the needs identified, organisations and networks can use this grant for workshops and convenings to create spaces for brave conversations on care and well-being, reflections, and strengthening connections.
Importance
The “Webs of Safety and Care” framework looks at safety and care of activists and defenders in a holistic way. This means the framework looks at women, trans, and non-binary defenders not only as activists and defenders, but also recognises any other roles or identities they hold. The “Webs of Safety and Care” framework has four specific lenses under which the overall risks and threats faced by defenders may be categorised. These are: 1) health and well-being, 2) legal and political protection, 3) economic viability and sustainable livelihood, and 4) social and cultural support.
The different lenses allow activists and defenders to reflect on their lives beyond their identity activists and defenders, especially on how their other identities also impact on their safety, care and well-being.
1) up to USD 5000 per grant is provided to applicants proposing to conduct a complete safety and care assessment of their organisation, network, or community.
2) up to USD 10,000 per grant is provided to applicants who have conducted a complete safety and care assessment to carry out initiatives that address the safety and care needs identified in this assessment.
You MUST already have conducted an assessment in order to be eligible for this grant.
Cis-women, trans women, trans men, and non-binary human rights activists-led organisations, communities, and networks in Asia and Pacific are eligible to apply for the Webs of Safety and Care grant. Please note:
This is a one-year grant.
Additional criteria and pro-tips for applicants:
If you have previously conducted safety and care needs assessment on your own, you can apply for this grant right away. Just make sure to include a copy of your needs assessment report in your application — we assure you that it will remain confidential and shared with anyone outside UAF A&P.
Your proposal must clearly describe how the proposed initiative will address the safety and care needs identified in the needs assessment.
Your proposal must contain a clear implementation strategy and the expected outcomes of the proposed initiative.
The proposed initiative must be led/implemented by organisations, collectives, and networks led by women, trans, and non-binary human rights defenders.
Processing of application will include a verification process by UAF A&P’s Country Advisors and trusted partners. Their recommendations will be taken into consideration. For a strong application, you must be recognised and supported by human rights, women’s rights, and other related networks and organisations at the local, national, and/or regional levels.
If you meet the above criteria and would like to apply for a WSC grant, please create a profile here using a ProtonMail account.
Fill out all relevant details in the application form and click ‘submit.’
If you are unable to apply online, you can download the application form and email it to [email protected]
While the application form is only available in English at the moment, you can submit your application in any language you are comfortable with.
Apply for Webs of Safety and Care Grant