Empowering Women to Use the Internet Safely Through Prevention of Tech Facilitated Gender Based Violence (TFGBV) | DFOP0014384

Opportunity Information: Apply for DFOP0014384

The grant opportunity titled "Empowering Women to Use the Internet Safely Through Prevention of Tech Facilitated Gender Based Violence (TFGBV)" (Funding Opportunity Number DFOP0014384) is a discretionary grant from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs. It focuses on practical, prevention-oriented efforts that help women and other affected groups navigate the internet more safely by reducing technology-enabled abuse and harassment. The program sits within the "Law, Justice and Legal Services" activity area (CFDA 19.108), signaling a strong emphasis on systems, policy, accountability, and coordinated responses rather than one-off awareness campaigns.

At its core, the opportunity is looking for proposals that directly engage government actors at multiple levels, including local, state, and national institutions, to prevent TFGBV, strengthen protections, and support concrete action against perpetrators and enabling systems. Competitive proposals are expected to show how the project will work with government stakeholders in a sustained way, not just through courtesy meetings, but through structured collaboration that results in better prevention tools, improved practices, and more coordinated responses. This can include helping relevant agencies understand TFGBV risks, integrate survivor-centered approaches into procedures, and create or strengthen mechanisms that reduce harm before it happens.

A central expectation is meaningful collaboration with civil society organizations (CSOs) alongside government partners. The program is designed around multi-sectoral engagement, meaning applicants should demonstrate how they will bring together different stakeholders who influence the TFGBV landscape, such as policymakers, law enforcement, digital safety experts, legal aid providers, victim support services, educators, community leaders, and possibly technology platforms or telecom stakeholders depending on the local context. The intent is to build collaborative approaches that are more durable and effective than isolated interventions, with clear roles across sectors and shared commitments to prevention and protection.

Another key requirement is the meaningful inclusion of TFGBV survivors in the design and implementation of preventive tools. This goes beyond collecting stories or using survivors as symbolic representatives. The funding notice implies that applicants should show how survivor perspectives will shape the project, for example through advisory groups, co-creation workshops, feedback loops on training materials, or survivor-led components where safe and appropriate. This survivor-centered framing also suggests attention to ethics, privacy, informed consent, safety planning, and avoidance of retraumatization, especially when dealing with technology-enabled harms that can escalate quickly if information is exposed.

In terms of activities, the opportunity explicitly calls out training, advocacy, outreach, and collaboration as expected components. Training could target government officials, frontline service providers, CSOs, and community stakeholders on recognizing TFGBV patterns, responding appropriately, and using prevention-focused digital safety practices. Advocacy may include policy dialogue, supporting implementation of existing laws, or encouraging improved protocols and coordination across agencies. Outreach can involve community education and resource dissemination that helps potential targets of TFGBV understand risk reduction, reporting pathways, and support services. Collaboration is not treated as a side element; it is a primary deliverable, with proposals expected to explain how partnerships will be built, maintained, and translated into real-world preventive outcomes.

The notice also stresses that solutions and methodologies must align with local social and cultural norms. That means applicants should tailor program design to how technology is used in the target communities, the forms TFGBV commonly takes there (for example, non-consensual image sharing, doxxing, impersonation, stalking, online threats, coercive control via devices, or harassment tied to caste, religion, ethnicity, or political activity), and the realities of local institutions. Strong proposals would typically show local consultation, culturally competent messaging, language accessibility, and an understanding of barriers such as stigma, fear of retaliation, limited digital literacy, or lack of trust in reporting mechanisms.

Geographic scope is a firm requirement: the project must be implemented in at least two of these four countries: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Bhutan. Applicants should therefore plan for cross-country implementation, coordination, and learning, while still adapting activities to each national and subnational context. This multi-country requirement suggests the grantor is interested in models that can be compared, adapted, or scaled across the region, while remaining grounded in local conditions.

Eligibility is limited to nonprofit organizations with U.S. IRS 501(c)(3) status, excluding institutions of higher education. The agency anticipates making a single award, with an award ceiling of $986,000, meaning the maximum available funding for the selected project is just under one million dollars. The original closing date listed is July 15, 2024, and the opportunity was created on May 14, 2024. Overall, the program is positioned for one lead implementer to run a robust, multi-country initiative that mobilizes governments and CSOs, centers survivor input, and delivers practical, culturally appropriate prevention tools and coordinated actions to reduce tech-facilitated gender-based violence.

• The Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Empowering Women to Use the Internet Safely Through Prevention of Tech Facilitated Gender Based Violence (TFGBV)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.108.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-05-14.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-07-15. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $986,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for DFOP0014384

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