Asociación Mujeres por la Equidad de Género y la Autonomía – MEGA
Protecting Women’s Rights by Addressing Violence Against Women
$52,000
To empower women victims of violence, women’s groups, and public officials to use new legal avenues to protect women’s rights. The organization will promote the creation of unified criteria for extending protective measures to victims of gender-based violence. It will provide training to relevant public officials and women’s rights defenders to ensure proper application of the law. It will also encourage women and women’s rights groups to demand their rights and monitor the application of the law through a series of training workshops.
Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)
Buttressing the Private Sector against Democratic Decay
$289,450
To enhance the private sector’s capacity to drive Ecuador’s democracy towards consolidation and prevent authoritarian backsliding. The Center will improve the Quito Chamber of Commerce’s organizational capabilities to lead the private sector more effectively; amplify the private sector’s voice in drafting legislation and advocating for public policies; and aid the private sector in shaping Ecuador’s transition to a digital economy. This project will be the third phase of a multi-phase project focused on supporting private sector advocacy in Ecuador.
Centro de Apoyo Ecuatoriano-CAJE
Promoting a New Generation of Civic Leaders
$68,310
To improve the leadership capacity of youth leaders and cultivate a commitment to principles of accountability, transparency, and democracy. The organization will train emerging youth leaders from grassroots and civil society groups on topics such as leadership, advocacy campaigns, communications, and models of economic development. Following training, participants will design and implement advocacy projects with their local organizations with the support and guidance of the organization’s project coordinators.
Corporación Participación Ciudadana Ecuador
Strengthening New Democratic Actors
$65,161
To improve the leadership capacity of youth and women leaders and cultivate a commitment to democratic institutions and principles. The organization will train emerging youth leaders of community and student organizations on principles of transparency, inclusion, and human rights. It will also work with women politicians to improve their understanding of international standards of gender equity, social media activism, and political participation.
Fundación Libre Razón – LIRA
Strengthening Youth Participation in Politics
$72,599
To strengthen the capacity of youth to participate in political parties and formal leadership roles. The organization will provide training to young leaders and political hopefuls on democratic values, political parties, and how to run a successful political campaign. The organization will then follow participants as they strengthen their role in political parties and movements in the lead up to subnational elections in four cities.
Fundación Pachamama
Strengthening the Capacity and Defending the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
$120,000
To improve the ability of indigenous groups to exercise and defend their territorial and human rights and inject indigenous human rights into domestic and international discussions of environmental protection and climate change. The grantee will conduct a series of trainings for members of multiple indigenous groups aimed at improving individuals’ leadership, advocacy, and communications skills. It will also conduct strategic litigation and international advocacy campaigns to raise awareness about violations of indigenous and environmental activists’ rights.
Fundacion Periodistas Sin Cadenas
Fostering Transparency through Investigative Journalism
$118,790
To increase transparency and provide independent information through investigative journalism. The organization will train journalists in outlying provinces in investigative journalism techniques, expand an existing network of investigative journalists, and support the dissemination of their reports. The network will focus its work primarily on peripheral areas of Ecuador, including border provinces, where residents lack access to independent information and there is little transparency in local government. The network will also report on issues of access to information in these areas.
Fundación Redes con Rostros, Investigación Participativa y Comunidades Sostenibles
Countering Discrimination and Xenophobia against Migrant Populations in Ecuador
$115,000
To promote the rights of Venezuelan migrants in Ecuador and reduce discrimination and xenophobia. The organization will strengthen migrant collectives in three provinces in Ecuador and build networks between collectives and other institutions. Through community events and a public awareness campaign, the organization will humanize migrants in the eyes of Ecuadorian citizens and help integrate migrants with their host communities. The organization will disseminate its activities and campaign through its existing network, traditional news media, and social media platforms.
Fundación TANDEM
Promoting Women’s Participation in Local Governance
$127,630
To empower women to advocate for gender-based public policies at the local level. The organization will continue to work for the inclusion of programs that address women’s issues in municipal budgets and empower women to advocate for their participation in local public policy making. It will also update a set of indicators and tools that women activists can use to track the development, adoption, and implementation of municipal policies that focus on gender issues.
Fundación TANDEM
Public Policy and Quality of Life Monitoring in Quito
$104,810
To inform and assess the development of local policies by citizens and municipal authorities in Quito. The organization will conduct surveys and produce studies to inform civil society and local government officials of the greatest challenges facing Quito’s residents and government performance in key areas. The organization will guide civil society actors in creating local policy proposals, training them in advocacy strategies and mechanisms for citizen participation. The organization will also facilitate spaces for discussion between citizens and local authorities.
International Republican Institute (IRI)
Supporting Citizen-Driven Legislation
$350,000
To provide citizens with incentive, capacity, and opportunity to participate more actively in legislative and policy-making processes, and to ensure that government officials likewise have the incentive, capacity and opportunity to respond to citizen demands, the Institute will work with civil society partners to engage citizens in agenda-setting and advocacy initiatives around key policy topics such as transparency and economy, and will provide technical assistance to local and national government officials to support them to integrate citizen agenda items and ongoing citizen feedback into their work.
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
Strengthening Political Reform, Transparency and Inclusion
$500,000
To strengthen Ecuador’s democracy and foster a more inclusive and accountable political system, the Institute will: reinforce democratic institutions and processes pertaining to inclusion, political reform and transparency; and increase the capacity of Ecuadorian lawmakers and National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional, NA) staff to effectively implement its recently approved open parliament regulation. Activities will include: continued technical assistance to political parties on internal reforms and civil society organizations advocating for a more effective electoral regulatory framework; support for initiatives to increase the participation of marginalized sectors in the political process and to implement strategies to address disinformation; and technical assistance to legislators and legislative staff with a demonstrated interest in implementing open parliament initiatives.
