2026 GAIC Call for Applications: Empowering African Women’s Rights Organizations with AI: Fully Virtual Fellowship
The Gender & AI Innovation Collective (GAIC) is inviting applications for its 2026 cohort, offering women’s rights organizations across Sub-Saharan Africa the opportunity to develop AI solutions that directly serve their communities.
This initiative supports organizations in shaping AI technologies around real-world gender equality challenges, providing technical expertise, funding, and mentorship.
Program Overview
GAIC’s 2026 program focuses on community-driven AI innovation, bridging the gap between deep local knowledge of women’s rights challenges and access to advanced technological tools.
The initiative enables participants to transform their understanding of AI into actionable solutions addressing issues such as gender-based violence, economic inequality, healthcare gaps, and education barriers.
- Application Window: March 5 – April 25, 2026
- Program Start Date: May 13, 2026
- Format: Fully online/virtual
- Time Commitment: Approximately 4 hours per week
Participants will engage in a structured program that combines learning, technical development, and real-world piloting of AI projects.
Program Structure & Benefits
- Community Learning & Development
Participants complete 8 weeks of learning modules covering Feminist AI, data analysis, AI models, and impact assessments. These modules culminate in a concept paper outlining a proposed AI solution tailored to a community-identified problem. - Technical Support & Seed Funding
Selected teams receive funding to bring their projects to life:- CAD 7,500 for building new AI prototypes
- CAD 3,000 for adapting existing solutions
Participants also receive hands-on guidance from AI engineers and gender experts, ensuring the solutions are both technically feasible and socially impactful.
- Real-World Testing and Scaling
The most promising projects are piloted within their communities with a CAD 15,000 grant, alongside continued technical mentorship to refine and scale their solutions effectively.
Who Should Apply
The GAIC program is designed for organizations that meet the following criteria:
- Civil society organizations, interdisciplinary teams, or activist organizations operating in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Women-led or primarily focused on women’s rights
- Organizations with a feminist or human rights mission
- Demonstrated commitment to community engagement and participatory design
Applicants must also have a reliable internet connection, dedicate approximately 4 hours per week, and designate team members to lead both the learning and project development components.
Why GAIC Matters
Women’s rights organizations possess unique, context-specific knowledge of the challenges affecting their communities.
However, many lack access to the technological tools required to develop AI solutions independently. GAIC addresses this gap by building technical capacity, fostering innovation ecosystems, and empowering organizations to own and shape AI tools according to their communities’ needs.
By combining mentorship, funding, and a collaborative online learning environment, the program ensures that participants not only develop practical AI solutions but also strengthen long-term capacity for technology-driven social impact.
Partnerships & Support
GAIC is co-led by Code for Africa and Women at the Table, and supported by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). The program embodies a bottom-up, community-centered approach to technology development, ensuring that AI solutions are meaningful, ethical, and sustainable.
How to Apply
Organizations interested in GAIC’s 2026 cohort can submit their applications online during the application window, which closes on April 25, 2026.
Participants are encouraged to review the full call for proposals for detailed information on program phases, funding, and the Feminist AI Sandbox, which supports prototype development.
For questions, applicants can contact the GAIC team at [email protected].
GAIC continues to champion inclusive, community-driven AI solutions, enabling women’s rights organizations across Africa to harness technology for greater social impact and build sustainable innovation ecosystems.
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Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the organization offering this fellowship. For any inquiries, please contact the official organization directly. Please do not send your applications & CVs to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails, we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.
