The Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) is launching its second edition of the fellowship program in honor of our founding Board Chair, Carol Bellamy, a pioneer in women’s and girls’ rights. The Carol Bellamy Leadership Award is a fellowship program that aims to provide support to small local and grassroots organisations led by women, or those working towards women’s empowerment, in the field of preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) in GCERF partner countries. This fellowship is intended for women from communities vulnerable to violent extremism, with the goal of providing them with the necessary tools that would enable them to create and leverage socio-economic opportunities and flourish.

Fellowship recipients will be selected from applicants within the GCERF partner countries. GCERF aims to make up to 10 individual awards of a maximum of USD 2,000 to partners. The award can be used in the following ways:

1) To support the development of small local and grassroots organisations led by women, or those working towards women’s empowerment, in the field of P/CVE, however the organisation decides it needs this – through operations, training, office payments, technology purchases, etc.

2) To develop leadership skills, and enable the subsequent direct promotion, of women within either a female- or male-led organisation.

3) To identify and support women from communities vulnerable to violent extremism to establish and/run their existing initiatives.

Organisations will be able to use the fellowship award within these three modes however they think best to build their capacity and improve opportunities for women to take leadership roles. An award from the Carol Bellamy Fellowship is a step towards shifting power to those most impacted – and enabling them to make a sustainable difference in the fight against violent extremism. 

Preference will initially be given to smaller, community-based organisations to support their development.

Download the Call for Applications below. The deadline for submitting your applications has been extended to Monday, 10 May. All applications must be submitted electronically to fellowships@gcerf.org.