Media Artist + Activist Residency Grants

The Caribbean United for Women’s Economic Empowerment (CUWEE) project, announced by the United States Department of State's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA) through a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), aims to address systemic barriers and socio-cultural attitudes that impede gender equity and equality within the Caribbean economy. The project seeks to enhance the economic resilience and skills capacity of women and adolescent girls aged 16 and older, thereby enabling their entry into the labor force and achievement of economic security. This initiative aligns with the broader mission of advancing economic gender equity in the Caribbean region and is administered by WHA’s Office of Policy Planning and Coordination (PPC). Subject to fund availability, WHA intends to issue one award, executed through a cooperative agreement, for up to $1,973,359 in FY 2023 Gender Equity and Equality Action (GEEA) Economic Support Funds (ESF), with a project period of up to three years, starting in October 2024. The primary target beneficiaries are women and adolescent girls aged 16 and older who seek economic security and engagement in the labor force. Additionally, local civil society organizations (CSOs) are a critical focus, as the project seeks to strengthen these support actors engaged in advancing women’s economic security across the region. The overarching impact goal is to overcome local systemic barriers to economic security for women and foster greater economic gender equity and equality throughout the Caribbean. The core priorities and focuses of the CUWEE project are twofold. First, proposals must include plans to identify problematic country-specific and/or regional systemic barriers and socio-cultural attitudes that challenge gender equity. Second, the project emphasizes working collaboratively with local CSOs to effectively address these identified barriers. This includes supporting a competition to promote local CSOs in developing and implementing pioneering solutions. The project also specifically requires the provision of a training curriculum designed to build the capacity of and strengthen the regional Caribbean network of local CSOs focused on women’s economic security. The expected outcomes include the effective identification of systemic and socio-cultural barriers to women's economic participation and the successful implementation of pioneering, locally-led solutions to overcome these challenges. Measurable results will likely center on the enhanced economic resilience and skills capacity of women and adolescent girls, leading to increased labor force participation and greater economic security. Furthermore, a key outcome is the strengthening of the regional Caribbean network of CSOs, increasing their capacity and effectiveness in advancing women’s economic security and contributing to sustainable progress toward gender equity and equality in the region.