Up to USD 1 Million Funding: WPHF Rapid Response Window 2026 for NGOs Advancing Women in Peacebuilding

The United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund invites international and regional NGOs to apply for the 2026 Rapid Response Window. Selected partners will receive up to USD 1 million to support women’s participation in peace processes and peace agreement implementation in conflict-affected regions.

WPHF Rapid Response Window 2026: Strengthening Women’s Leadership in Peacebuilding

Women’s participation in peace processes remains one of the most powerful yet underfunded drivers of sustainable peace. Across conflict-affected regions, women peacebuilders and women’s rights organizations often face urgent funding gaps that limit their ability to respond effectively to evolving political and humanitarian crises. To address this challenge, the United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) has launched a call for international and regional NGO partners under its Rapid Response Window (RRW) for 2026.

This funding opportunity is specifically designed to strengthen the capacity of women-led peace initiatives by enabling experienced international and regional non-governmental organizations (I/RNGOs) to serve as intermediaries. These partners will provide financial and technical support to local women peacebuilders, women’s rights civil society organizations, and young women leaders working at the forefront of peace negotiations and post-conflict recovery.

With a strong focus on urgency, flexibility, and impact, the WPHF Rapid Response Window ensures that women’s voices are not sidelined in critical peace and security discussions. Instead, it places them at the center of conflict resolution and peace agreement implementation.

Who the Opportunity Is For

The call is open to international and regional NGOs with a proven track record in advancing women’s meaningful participation in peace processes. Eligible organizations must demonstrate experience in supporting both Track 1 (formal peace negotiations and high-level political dialogues) and Track 2 (community-based and informal peacebuilding initiatives) processes.

Ideal applicants are organizations that:

Have strong operational presence in conflict-affected or fragile settings
Possess experience managing grant-making mechanisms
Demonstrate commitment to gender equality and women’s leadership
Have safeguarding, accountability, and financial management systems in place
Are capable of providing technical and logistical support to grassroots partners

Through this partnership model, WPHF aims to ensure that funding reaches women-led initiatives swiftly and effectively, even in complex and high-risk environments.

About the WPHF Rapid Response Window

The Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund is a global partnership mechanism that mobilizes resources to support women’s participation and leadership in peace and humanitarian action. The Rapid Response Window is one of its key funding streams, designed to respond quickly to emerging opportunities or urgent gaps in funding for women peacebuilders.

Many local women’s organizations operate with limited resources despite playing crucial roles in mediation, reconciliation, community mobilization, and protection advocacy. The RRW bridges this funding gap by channeling resources through experienced I/RNGO partners who can efficiently disburse grants and provide complementary support services.

This approach strengthens local ownership while ensuring financial accountability and operational effectiveness.

What Selected Partners Will Do

Organizations selected under the RRW will take on a multi-faceted role that combines grant management, capacity building, and advocacy support.

Key responsibilities include:

Managing and disbursing short-term grants of up to USD 100,000 to local women peacebuilders and women’s rights organizations
Providing direct support services of up to USD 30,000 to enhance operational effectiveness
Offering technical assistance in project design, monitoring, reporting, and safeguarding
Providing logistical and administrative support in challenging field environments
Strengthening institutional capacity of grassroots partners
Supporting initiatives that elevate women’s voices in peace negotiations and implementation of peace agreements

Through these interventions, selected I/RNGOs will help create sustainable pathways for women’s participation in decision-making spaces traditionally dominated by male actors.

Funding Size and Duration

Each selected international or regional NGO partner may receive up to USD 1,000,000 over a two-year period. This funding enables organizations to establish and manage responsive grant-making mechanisms that can adapt to evolving conflict dynamics.

Cost structures are clearly defined to ensure transparency and efficiency:

Administrative direct costs are capped at 25%
Indirect costs must not exceed 7%

These guidelines ensure that the majority of funding directly benefits local women-led peace initiatives while maintaining robust operational oversight.

Eligible Regions

The Rapid Response Window focuses on ODA-eligible countries across multiple global regions, including:

Latin America
Arab States
Sub-Saharan Africa
Europe and Central Asia
Asia and the Pacific

This geographic scope reflects WPHF’s commitment to advancing women’s peace leadership in diverse conflict and post-conflict contexts worldwide.

Why This Opportunity Matters

Despite global commitments to the Women, Peace and Security agenda, women continue to be underrepresented in peace negotiations and decision-making platforms. Evidence consistently shows that peace agreements are more durable and inclusive when women participate meaningfully in their design and implementation.

However, women-led organizations often struggle with limited funding access, institutional barriers, and security risks. The WPHF Rapid Response Window directly addresses these constraints by enabling experienced NGOs to provide structured, safe, and rapid support to local actors.

For international and regional NGOs, this call represents an opportunity to:

Contribute to systemic change in peacebuilding architecture
Strengthen partnerships with grassroots women’s organizations
Scale impact across conflict-affected settings
Advance global gender equality and inclusive governance

Through collaborative action, this programme strengthens both immediate peacebuilding responses and long-term institutional transformation.

Application Process and Deadline

Interested organizations are encouraged to submit their applications through the official WPHF application portal.

Application Link: https://lnkd.in/dUEMmtAQ
Deadline: 23 January 2026 at 23:59 CET (Geneva time)

Applicants are advised to prepare documentation demonstrating their experience in women’s peacebuilding, financial and safeguarding systems, and grant management capabilities.

Final Thoughts

The WPHF Rapid Response Window 2026 stands as a critical global funding mechanism dedicated to ensuring women’s voices remain integral to peace processes. By partnering with experienced international and regional NGOs, WPHF is creating a powerful bridge between global funding structures and local women-led peace initiatives.

For organizations committed to gender-responsive peacebuilding, this opportunity offers both significant funding and meaningful global impact. As conflict dynamics evolve and humanitarian needs intensify, investing in women’s leadership is not only a matter of equality—it is a proven strategy for lasting peace.

Organizations ready to advance women’s participation in peace negotiations and implementation spaces are strongly encouraged to apply and become part of this transformative global effort.