Open Call: Gender-Inclusive Child-GIM Marker Pilot for Territorial Communities in Ukraine

Deadline: 21-Sep-2026

Territorial communities across Ukraine are invited to apply for a pilot program testing the gender-inclusive Child-GIM marker. Ten selected communities will receive methodological and expert support to assess how effectively local policies, management processes, and services address the rights and diverse needs of children.

About the Child-GIM Pilot

The pilot is part of the project “Strengthening Civil Society to Ensure Children’s Rights.”

The project is implemented by:

- Ukrainian Child Rights Network. - Center for Gender Culture. It receives financial support from the Government of Sweden through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, commonly known as SIDA. The initiative will help participating communities identify gaps in local child-focused policies and develop practical recommendations for improvement. Purpose of the Pilot

The Child-GIM pilot aims to:

- Assess how gender and inclusion are reflected in local policies. - Review community management processes. - Examine the accessibility and responsiveness of services for children. - Identify systemic gaps. - Compare adopted policies with children’s lived experiences. - Strengthen local implementation of children’s rights. - Improve services for diverse groups of children. - Develop practical recommendations. - Support evidence-based local decision-making. - Help shape the future application of Child-GIM in Ukraine. What Is the Child-GIM Marker? The Child-GIM marker is a gender-inclusive assessment tool focused on children. It helps communities examine whether their policies, decisions, budgets, management systems, and services respond fairly to children with different needs and circumstances. The marker is intended to look beyond whether a policy formally exists. It asks whether that policy creates meaningful improvements in children’s daily lives. What the Marker Assesses

The Child-GIM process may examine:

- Local child-rights policies. - Municipal programs. - Management processes. - Service-delivery systems. - Access to education. - Social protection. - Healthcare and rehabilitation. - Child protection. - Participation in local decision-making. - Accessibility. - Gender equality. - Non-discrimination. - Availability and use of disaggregated data. - Gaps between policy commitments and implementation. The exact assessment framework will be explained to selected communities. Gender-Inclusive Approach A gender-inclusive approach considers how children may experience policies and services differently because of gender, identity, family circumstances, disability, location, socioeconomic status, displacement, or other factors.

The pilot may help communities examine:

- Whether girls and boys have equal access to services. - Whether gender stereotypes influence local decisions. - Whether services respond to different safety risks. - Whether data reveal unequal outcomes. - Whether gender-diverse children experience exclusion. - Whether staff understand gender equality. - Whether local programs address identified inequalities. The objective is to improve fairness, accessibility, safety, and effectiveness. Child Inclusion and Non-Discrimination The marker will also examine whether local systems respond to diverse groups of children.

These may include:

- Children with disabilities. - Internally displaced children. - Children living in poverty. - Children in rural or remote communities. - Children affected by war. - Children without parental care. - Children from minority communities. - Children facing gender-based discrimination. - Adolescents. - Children requiring specialized support. Communities should consider how overlapping barriers affect access to rights and services. Identifying Policy and Implementation Gaps A central purpose of Child-GIM is to identify differences between adopted decisions and their real impact. For example, a community may have an inclusive education policy but still find that: - Buildings are inaccessible. - Transportation is unavailable. - Staff lack suitable training. - Families cannot access information. - Data do not identify excluded children. - Budget allocations are insufficient. - Children are not consulted. - Services differ significantly across locations. The pilot will help communities examine these differences systematically. Who Is Eligible? The opportunity is open to territorial communities across Ukraine.

Applications must be:

- Submitted by an official community representative. - Confirmed through a letter from community leadership. - Supported by the relevant local authority. - Based on a genuine commitment to participate. - Accompanied by the required information and documents. Communities of different regions, types, and population sizes are encouraged to apply. Official Representative Requirement The application must identify an official representative responsible for coordinating participation.

This person may be expected to:

- Communicate with the project team. - Coordinate municipal departments. - Gather documents and data. - Organize meetings. - Facilitate staff participation. - Follow up on agreed actions. - Present results to community leadership. - Support implementation of recommendations. The representative should have sufficient authority, availability, and access to relevant information. Community Leadership Letter The application must be supported by a formal letter from community leadership.

The letter should confirm:

- The community’s interest in the pilot. - Leadership support. - Authorization of the representative. - Readiness to provide documents and data. - Willingness to involve relevant departments. - Commitment to participate in meetings and consultations. - Interest in implementing recommendations. The official call should be reviewed for the required letter format and signatory. Number of Communities Selected A total of 10 territorial communities will be selected. The selection process will seek diversity in: - Geographic region. -