UN Women, the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, plays a leading role in shaping global standards and policies. It works with governments and civil society to design laws, policies, programs, and services that ensure women and girls are empowered and benefit equally in all spheres of life. UN Women also promotes gender equality by challenging traditional norms and advocating for shared responsibility, including men’s participation in caregiving and support for women’s economic roles. The organization operates globally, with strong roots in local contexts. In the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, it recognizes the significant influence of religious institutions and works to partner with them for transformative change. UN Women’s latest initiative seeks to collaborate with Civil Society Organizations to create lasting gender-transformative impact by engaging faith-based institutions. The initiative places religious teachings and leadership at the heart of reshaping norms around care responsibilities and women’s inclusion in economic life. With a practical, inclusive, and interfaith approach, UN Women ensures that local values align with global commitments to gender justice, particularly through resources, training, and advocacy efforts supported by strategic funding and partnerships.

The Faith-Based Initiative for Gender Equality aims to engage religious institutions across the MENA region to promote gender equality by supporting men’s caregiving roles and women’s economic empowerment. This 12-month program, running from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, provides Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) an opportunity to become an Implementing Partner in leading impactful regional efforts. The selected partner will be responsible for developing a 40-page regional manual in Arabic, English, and French that guides religious leaders—especially Sheikhs and Imams in Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and Jordan—on encouraging shared domestic responsibilities and women’s access to paid work. Other deliverables include organizing an interfaith dialogue and a regional Training of Trainers (ToT) session. Additionally, a public service announcement (PSA) or animated video that highlights religious support for gender equality will be created. The program envisions transforming patriarchal norms and religious messaging to support more inclusive policies like paternity leave. It is supported with a funding range of USD 120,000 to USD 154,000 and aims to spark cultural shifts and policy-level engagement through religious platforms.

The Contrapuntal is an independent non-profit publication committed to delivering rigorously researched, accessible, and factually accurate journalism from a ground-up perspective. Inspired by Edward Said’s concept of contrapuntal reading, the publication examines the intertwined histories of colonizers and colonized, offering a nuanced approach to complex global issues. With a focus on political economy, migration, ecology, and culture, The Contrapuntal prioritizes people-centric stories, emphasizing voices often silenced and unpacking the structures that perpetuate such silencing. The platform rejects “objective truth” storytelling and false balance, instead aiming to critique oversimplified narratives, particularly those affecting the Global South. By uniting researchers, journalists, activists, artists, and critical thinkers, The Contrapuntal strives to provide diverse perspectives on contemporary global issues.

The Bridging Narratives Grant is an intersectional initiative funded by the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) at Erasmus University Rotterdam. It aims to foster collaborative projects between independent journalists and social scientists, blending academic research and journalism to produce critical, people-centered narratives. The selected projects will address key global themes such as migration, political economy, ecology, and culture, highlighting their local implications through in-depth reporting. The goal is to create high-quality, participatory content that is disseminated through The Contrapuntal’s digital magazine. In addition to financial support, successful applicants will attend a workshop focused on journalism-research collaborations, culminating in an edited volume reflecting on the challenges and opportunities of merging the two fields.