Belgrade, 5 August 2021 –  To improve the protection of women from domestic violence and violence in partner relationships and to contribute to the prevention of violence, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Serbia is launching an open call for provision of grants to civil society organizations (CSOs) for implementation of programs for work with perpetrators of violence, with parallel provision of support to women survivors of partner-relationship violence.

The aim of the open call is to improve programs for work with perpetrators of violence against women, ensure their sustainability and availability throughout Serbia, and thus contribute to an integrated and systematic response to violence against women.  

Programs for work with perpetrators of violence are not an alternative to or a replacement for sanctions for this act. They are aimed at lowering the risk of violence repeating, and their primary focus should be the safety and support of survivors and their human rights.  

On the one side, work with perpetrators of domestic and partner-relationship violence is implemented so that they acquire non-violent models of behaviour. On the other, these programs should be implemented in close cooperation with specialised services for support to women survivors of violence, in order to increase the safety of women and children who are at risk from violence.   

Applications to the call may be made by civil society organizations individually, or as a partnership of two or more organizations whose work is complementary, so that at least one organization implements the programme of work with perpetrators of violence, while the other provides specialized support to women survivors of violence committed by perpetrators participating in the programme.  

The total value of an individual project can be up to 10.000 USD. Projects may last from 3 to 6 months, and should be implemented by March 31st, 2022 the latest.

Detailed rules of the open call, applications forms and guidelines (available in Serbian only) can be downloaded here.

Applications, as well as any questions civil society organizations may have related to the open call, should be sent via e-mail to:grants.vaw@undp.org.

The deadline for applications is August 31st, 2021, at 5 p.m.

This call is launched within the project “Integrated Response to Violence Against Women and Girls in Serbia III", jointly implemented by UNDP, UNICEF, UN Women and UNFPA in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Serbia, led by the Coordination Body for Gender Equality, and supported by the Government of Sweden. This initiative is focused on the development of a social and institutional environment that contributes to zero tolerance to and elimination of violence against women and girls in Serbia.