Deadline: 2 July 24

AmplifyChange is inviting applications to support civil society advocacy and activist groups working on the most neglected and challenging SRHR issues around the world.

Network grants contribute to the development of stronger and more inclusive movements that defend sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). They ensure that a movement receives resources and contribute to the equitable and effective allocation of resources within a movement.

The aim of this network grant competition is to fund organisations civil society with the capacity to provide support and resources to the SRHR movement and experience of working with or supporting networks, coalitions, partners or civil society organisations on SRHR.

Priorities

• Violence
  • Eliminating gender-based violence
    • Gender-based violence includes sexual violence, intimate partner violence, child marriage and female genital mutilation/excision (FGM/C). Gender-based violence is a widespread violation of human rights, rooted in traditional ideas about gender, which causes physical, psychological and emotional harm.
  • What do they finance?
    • They receive more applications on gender-based violence than on any other topic. The investment strategy is led by their ideas and initiatives. Grantee partners work on a wide range of GBV issues, including banning child marriage, monitoring GBV and hate crimes against LGBTIQ people, promoting community solutions to end FGM/C, supporting survivors of sexual violence to rediscover sexual pleasure and preventing boys from adapting to toxic masculinity. The beneficiary partners are leaders in the movement for a world free of violence.
• Abortion
  • Safe abortion options
    • Governments and society have a duty to take steps towards dignified service provision - with privacy, comfort and the widest possible choice of methods. Change often happens incrementally and technology has made it possible to reduce the health and welfare risks of undergoing an abortion in restrictive environments.
  • What do they finance?
    • They are one of the biggest investors in the defence of safe abortion in low- and middle-income countries. They support local organisations tackling stigma in challenging contexts. Grantee partners campaign to remove legal and political barriers to safe abortion, support the expansion of post-abortion care and increase access to information on the safe use of medical abortion methods. They are changing the debate and fighting social norms, demonstrating that locally-led activism can change laws, strengthen health systems and make abortion safe, dignified and available to all.
• Stigma
  • Challenging Stigma and Discrimination
    • Around the world, perceptions of immorality or deviation from sexual norms contribute to isolation, stereotyping and discrimination against individuals or groups based on their sexuality or gender identity. This stigma can often encompass the whole of society and be institutionalised through criminalisation or policies and culture within the police, health system, education and state institutions. Stigma is increasingly cultivated online.
    • The stigmas that restrict sexual and reproductive health and rights are diverse, covering AmplifyChange's priority themes. They fund the empowerment of stigmatised sectors of civil society - especially lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) individuals. They also support activism by and for sex workers.
  • What do they finance?
    • They are one of the main sources of funding for LGBTIQ rights activism. Grants have contributed to important legal reforms that have improved the lives of millions of people, such as the decriminalisation of same-sex relationships in India. Grantee partners have worked with legislators and authorities, as well as health professionals and teachers, to combat homophobia and transphobia and improve access to resources for sex workers.
    • They take steps to ensure that a large proportion of grants support organisations led by members of the LGBTIQ and sex worker communities.
• Youth
  • Better sexual health for young people
    • The rapid biological and psychological changes that occur during adolescence affect all areas of life, including sexual and reproductive health. Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) and Life Skills education aim to ensure that young people are equipped with the knowledge, skills and values to make responsible choices about their sexual and social relationships.
  • What do they finance?
    • They are an extensive funder of advocacy for quality CSE and life skills education. They support civil society to hold government to account on commitments to expand and improve the quality of ESA, notably through the integration of pleasure-based sexual health and inclusion. As digital access rapidly increases, online strategies have become an increasingly important complement to face-to-face education. They also support initiatives to hold health authorities accountable for providing adequate services to young people.
    • They fund projects that promote awareness, education and positive changes in social policies and attitudes to support and improve the well-being of people who menstruate. This includes challenging stigma, addressing misconceptions and advocating for greater access to menstrual products, adequate facilities and comprehensive menstrual healthcare. They also fund work on pain management, menstrual disorders and the menopause.
• Access
  • Access to SRHR services for vulnerable and marginalised groups
    • Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have high levels of unmet need for quality sexual and reproductive health services. Access to sexual and reproductive health services depends on the accessibility, physical affordability and acceptability of services - not just the availability and quality of care and products. People who are marginalised by society or the economy, such as people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, rural populations, poor urban communities and refugees, are often denied equal access to sexual and reproductive health and therefore cannot exercise their human rights.
  • What do they finance?
    • They are a major investor in campaigns to improve the sexual and reproductive health and rights of people living with disabilities. They seek to strengthen civil society efforts to ensure that sexual and reproductive health rights are fulfilled through local Universal Health Coverage initiatives. They provide extensive support in countries affected by high levels of conflict, poverty and climate change, where migration levels are high.
• Other topics
  • Within the priority themes, AmplifyChange supports cross-cutting themes that impact on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and well-being and respond to the challenges that defenders identify as their priorities for action.
    • Climate Justice
      • Climate change has far-reaching implications that go beyond environmental concerns, affecting various aspects of human life, including SRHR, especially for the most marginalised communities. Limited access to health care Displacement caused by environmental disasters, including family planning services, can be exacerbated by environmental pollution and resource scarcity. Displacement caused by environmental disasters increases the risk of violence and sexual exploitation. Resource scarcity and changing agricultural patterns can lead to instability economic This affects access to education and increases the risk of child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM/C).
      • AmplifyChange recognises the importance of climate justice and strives to support organisations seeking to address the consequences of climate change on SRHR outcomes in their communities.
    • Pleasure-Based Sexual Health
      • Pleasure is a fundamental aspect of ensuring that all individuals can have full access to their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), prioritising joy, safety and consent. Pleasure is recognised as a central component of sexual health and wellbeing, and evidence shows that adopting positive, pleasure-based approaches to sex contributes to positive outcomes for SRHR services and programmes.
      • AmplifyChange is committed to championing pleasure-based sexual health and sex positivity within SRHR by supporting civil society. They are endorsers of the Pleasure Principles, which have taken evidence and best practice from pleasure-based sexual health interventions and created a set of principles to follow for effective implementation. More information and resources on pleasure-based sexual health can be found on The Pleasure Project website.
    • Mental health
      • SRHR and mental health are interlinked. Mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, trauma and stress can affect an individual's sexual experiences and desire. They can also influence decision-making related to reproductive choices and engaging in safe and consensual sexual practices. Issues such as unwanted pregnancies, gender-based violence and discrimination can contribute to negative mental health outcomes. Stigma around sexual and reproductive health choices and experiences can exacerbate mental health problems and create barriers to seeking the support and care needed.
      • AmplifyChange welcomes advocacy efforts to address the challenges arising from mental health and SRHR, recognising that addressing this intersection is vital to promoting comprehensive, person-centred health and fostering a society that values and respects the diverse aspects of individual health and autonomy.

Information on financing

• The duration of a Network Grant is 2 to 3 years for applications between 225,000 GBP and 600,000 GBP.

Main approaches

• AmplifyChange finances defence. They are focused on achieving long-term sustainable change and recognise that collective action is the best way to achieve change. Understanding how you connect to the wider movement and demonstrating how you are working towards the same change is key.
• They are particularly interested in financing projects that:
  • are developed together with the members of the network. Proposal development, budget participation and network governance should reflect the participation and involvement of the entire network.
  • propose an effective approach to ongoing monitoring and relationship building with civil society organisations. This could include:
    • Inclusive leadership, as successful advocacy, benefits most from a combination of SRHR expertise and diverse connections. They seek to support efforts to coordinate campaigns across multiple organisations and their base of public supporters.
    • Liaising and community building, including (but not limited to) physical meetings, mentoring or facilitating exchanges as part of establishing a stronger community of professional advocates and emerging SRHR leaders.
    • Connect and learn to support stronger learning in SRHR advocacy communities. They will support learning activities such as sharing best practice and producing evidence on the impact and effectiveness of advocacy.

Election criteria

• All applicants must fulfil the general eligibility criteria, as well as the criteria detailed below. The eligibility criteria refer only to the lead applicant organisation.
  • The applicant organisation must be registered and implement a project in one of AmplifyChange's eligible countries. You must have a registration status that allows you to receive funds from foreign sources.
  • The applicant organisation must have a bank account.
  • The applicant organisation must have transparent governance structures and must submit, as part of its full application, its (i) organisational strategic plan and governance structure; (ii) a framework of results and expected outcomes (linked to AmplifyChange's Theory of Change); (iii) audited annual accounts for the last three years.
  • The annual value of the Network Grant cannot exceed 50% of your organisation's average annual expenditure over the last three years. For example, if you apply for 300,000 GBP over 3 years, the annual value of the grant will be 100,000 GBP. Therefore, the applicant organisation's average annual expenditure over the last three years must be 200,000 GBP or more. They strongly advise you to download the calculator to check whether you are financially eligible to apply for this grant: Network Grant Calculator
  • Applicant organisations can only submit an application as a leader; however, you can be a downstream partner in other applications.

For more information, visit AmplifyChange .