EMPOWER: Increasing Economic and Social Empowerment for Adolescent Girls and Vulnerable Women in Zambia

The Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL, or the Department, or we), announces the availability of approximately $5,000,000 total costs for one or more cooperative agreements to fund a technical assistance project(s) to reduce the prevalence of child labor in targeted rural areas in Zambia. The key project outcomes include: • Adolescent girls engaged in or at high risk of entering child labor have increased access to acceptable work and quality training opportunities, including but not limited to, apprenticeships, vocational and technical training, educational services, and/or establishing their own businesses; • Vulnerable women whose households have children engaged in or at high risk of entering child labor have increased livelihood opportunities, including establishing or expanding their own businesses; • Public awareness on child labor and gender equality is increased; and • Collaboration by Government and the private sector on the promotion of acceptable work for adolescent girls and vulnerable women is increased. One or more components of this project will have an impact evaluation with an experimental design. The impact evaluation will be conducted and funded through a separate contract or grant. The applicant will be required to collaborate and consult with the impact evaluator on the design, data collection, and implementation of the study, with details to be finalized post-award. The duration of the project will be a maximum of 4 years (48 months) from the effective date of the award.