What CAWTAR does

CAWTAR (Center of Arab Women for Training and Research) is a regional non-governmental, non-profit organization founded in 1993 and headquartered in Tunis, Tunisia. It operates as an integrated research, training, and advocacy institution dedicated to advancing gender equality and women's empowerment across the Arab region, with a multi-disciplinary team of approximately 36 employees and operational reach spanning 22 Arab countries through its @NGED (Arab Network for Gender and Development) regional network.

The organization runs an integrated research-training-advocacy platform that combines domain-specialized knowledge products with capacity-building programs. Core offerings include the Arab Women Development Reports (currently in the 8th edition, focused on digitalization), the Cawtaryat quarterly newsletter with 94+ editions since 2009, a Gender Clearinghouse platform providing databases and knowledge exchange, the Regional Financial Literacy Excellence Center (RFLEC, launched 2017) with an FE E-learning platform, the Media Training Center, and specialized sub-platforms covering gender-based violence, women and children rights, and countering violent extremism. Distribution is primarily through the @NGED network of national correspondents, direct project implementation partnerships, and self-serve online platforms.

CAWTAR's revenue model is institutional and project-based grant funding rather than commercial pricing. Primary funding sources include AGFUND (the founding patron, with its President chairing CAWTAR's Board of Trustees), UN agencies (UN-Women, UNFPA, UNDP), the European Union (including the ENI CBC Med Program which provided 87% co-financing for InnovAgroWoMed at EUR 2.8 million total), GIZ, AECID, SIDA, the World Bank, SFD, BADEA, IsDB, and OECD. The organization's customer base spans Arab women and youth, government ministries, civil society organizations, media professionals, financial services providers, and donor partners, served through three primary engagement modes: integrated research outputs, training and capacity-building programs, and policy advocacy platforms.

Name

CAWTAR

Legal name

Center of Arab Women for Training and Research

Website

https://cawtar.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Short description

CAWTAR is a Tunis-based non-profit founded in 1993 providing research, training, and advocacy on gender equality across 22 Arab countries through its @NGED network, the Arab Women Development Reports, and specialized centers for financial literacy, media, and gender-based violence.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Gender Equality Research and Training Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights (BPADAGAF), Protection, Child Protection & Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Response (BPAGAAAG), Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

Keywords

• Gender equality research
• Women empowerment training
• Capacity building services
• Civil society advocacy
• Regional development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Tunis

HQ country

Tunisia

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding and Grants: CAWTAR operates as a non-profit NGO primarily funded through grants and institutional funding from international organizations, development agencies, and government bodies. Major funders include AGFUND, UN agencies (UNFPA, UN-Women, UNDP), World Bank, and bilateral donors.
2. Project-Based Funding: Implementation of specific development projects funded by donors like EU, GIZ, SIDA, and other international development organizations. Projects have defined budgets and durations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

CAWTAR is a regional non-profit research and training organization dedicated to Arab women's empowerment and gender equality. It produces the Arab Women Development Reports, training kits, the Cawtaryat quarterly newsletter, and operates the Gender Clearinghouse knowledge platform, the RFLEC financial literacy center, and the @NGED network spanning 20 Arab countries. Its integrated approach links research, training, and advocacy to deliver capacity-building programs for governments, NGOs, and civil society on gender mainstreaming, economic empowerment, gender-based violence, and political participation.

Product overview

CAWTAR operates as a regional research and training organization offering a portfolio of interconnected products and services focused on Arab women's empowerment. Core offerings include training kits, Arab Women Development Reports, the Cawtaryat quarterly newsletter, a Gender Clearinghouse, and the @NGED regional network. The organization provides specialized platforms including the Arab GBV Platform, WRCATI, Arab Women Legal Platform, and EHATA Platform. Supporting infrastructure includes the CAWTAR Media Training Center and the Regional Financial Literacy Excellence Center (RFLEC) with its e-learning platform. Recent initiatives include the Women on the Green Path (WGP) project and DigiWAVE Programme for women's digital entrepreneurship. The organization covers 22 Arab countries through its network and produces knowledge resources, capacity-building programs, and advocacy tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Training Kits on Gender and Development Training kits covering gender mainstreaming, GBV elimination, media coverage, elections, economic empowerment, and adolescent issues, designed for use by trainers, NGOs, governments, and civil society organizations across the Arab region. Includes 13 documented kits published from 1997 to 2019.
• Arab Women Development Reports Comprehensive regional reports on Arab women's conditions and development, used by governments, researchers, and civil society. The 8th edition covers Arab Women and Digitalization in Post Covid-19 Era (2024); previous editions address economic empowerment, decision-making, media, and legislation.
• Cawtaryat Newsletter Quarterly periodic newsletter creating a media space that reflects Arab women's situation and connects Arab journalists on gender issues. Published 94+ editions since launch.
• Gender Clearinghouse Virtual platform for exchanging published and unpublished knowledge and data on gender issues, including databases, links to specialized websites, press reviews, specialized bibliographies, training kits, and reports covering women and economic participation, gender-based violence, women and decision-making, and women and environment.
• CAWTAR Media Training Center Training center for media professionals and institutions on Arab women's issues, integrating gender into media production and developing skills of women leaders in media. Used by journalists, editors, and media organizations across the Arab region.
• @NGED (Arab Network for Gender and Development) Regional network providing a platform for policy dialogue, research, training, and advocacy on gender and development issues. Members include experts, decision-makers, journalists, national and regional research centers, NGOs, and institutions from 20 Arab countries.
• Regional Financial Literacy Excellence Center (RFLEC) Regional leading incubator for financial literacy research, policy, and solutions. Includes the FE E-learning platform, research initiatives, capacity-building programs, and publications for financial services providers, NGOs, and CSOs involved in financial inclusion for women and youth.
• Women on the Green Path (WGP) Project Regional project empowering women by promoting employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in the green and circular economy across Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia. Implemented with partners Edama Association, REMESS, and Agência de Residus de Catalunya.
• DigiWAVE Programme Capacity-building and support initiative empowering women entrepreneurs in Tunisia through digital transformation, entrepreneurship development, and innovation. Targets 18 women participants.
• InnovAgroWoMed Project Social innovation project in the agri-food sector for women's empowerment in the Mediterranean basin, implemented across Italy, Spain, Tunisia, and Palestine. Trained 140 women in marketable skills and supported 112 women into sustainable jobs.
• Arab GBV Platform Knowledge Center on Gender-Based Violence providing resources and information on GBV issues in the Arab region, serving researchers, policymakers, and practitioners.
• WRCATI (Women Rights Center) Online platform promoting the rights of women and children through information dissemination, targeting civil society organizations, researchers, and rights advocates in the Arab region.
• Arab Women Legal Platform Platform on legal and human rights of women and men in the Arab region, addressing equality and gaps, used by legal professionals, researchers, and policymakers.
• EHATA Platform Platform amplifying women's voices of reason to counter violent extremism, supporting advocacy and research efforts against radicalization in the Arab region.

Quantifiable outcome

• 140 women trained in marketable skills in agri-food sector through InnovAgroWoMed project
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Edama Association for Energy, Water, and EnvironmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024Partner in Women on the Green Path (WGP) project focusing on women's empowerment in green and circular economy in Jordan.
• AGFUND (Arab Gulf Program for Development)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 March 2023AGFUND is the founding supporter of CAWTAR. HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal Al Saud, President of AGFUND, serves as President of CAWTAR's Board of Trustees. AGFUND provides ongoing institutional and programmatic support, including partnership agreement signed in March 2023 for institutional development.
• University of Rome Tor VergatacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 December 2019Lead beneficiary of InnovAgroWoMed project. CAWTAR serves as Partner 3 in this 3-year EU-funded project (EUR 2.8 million) focusing on social innovation in agri-food sector for women's empowerment in Mediterranean.
• UN-WomencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN-Women Regional Office for Arab States collaborates with CAWTAR on women's advancement initiatives. Deputy Regional Director attended Board meeting and reiterated commitment to joint action on priority issues including combating violence against women and enhancing women's role in green economy.
• UNFPA Arab States OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNFPA works with CAWTAR on reproductive health and civil society support. Regional Adviser indicated cooperation to support civil society institutions in review of ICPD Programme of Action.
• UNDPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNDP Resident Representative for Saudi Arabia stressed commitment to providing technical and financial support for CAWTAR's work on women's advancement, especially women in conflict areas.
• League of Arab StatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmbassador Haifa Abu Ghazaleh, Assistant Secretary-General, indicated CAWTAR serves as a key platform at all levels and recognized CAWTAR as the first organization to work on women and media in the Arab region.
• IPPF Arab WorldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPPF Arab World Regional Director indicated collaboration with CAWTAR on a new project for establishing media health system for Libyan refugees in Tunisia and North Africa.
• CESIEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Centre of Studies and Initiatives based in Sicily, Italy. Partner in InnovAgroWoMed project focused on women's empowerment in agri-food sector.
• JovesolidescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJóvenes hacia la solidaridad y el desarrollo based in Valencia, Spain. Partner in InnovAgroWoMed project.
• ASALA (Palestinian Business Women's Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPalestinian Businesswomen's Association partner in InnovAgroWoMed project, focusing on women's economic empowerment in West Bank.
• REMESS (Moroccan Network of Social and Solidarity Economy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Women on the Green Path project in Morocco, working on social and solidarity economy approaches.
• Union for the Mediterranean SecretariatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting Women on the Green Path project with alignment to UfM Ministerial Declaration and roadmap.
• IPPFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArab World Regional Director indicated cooperation with CAWTAR on media health system project for Libyan refugees.
• OECDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresented at Board meeting, reaffirmed support for CAWTAR's regional initiatives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• UN Women Regional Office for Arab States: UN Women is the lead UN entity on gender equality and operates a regional office for Arab States in direct partnership with CAWTAR. It is comparable as a regional gender-equity programming and advocacy platform, though it operates at much larger global scale.

Direct peers

• International Center for Research on Women (ICRW): ICRW is a global research institution focused on gender equality, women's empowerment, and development. It is comparable to CAWTAR in combining research, capacity building, and policy advocacy to advance women's rights in developing-country contexts.
• Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID): AWID is an international feminist organization supporting women's rights movements globally. It is comparable to CAWTAR as a regional/international NGO that combines research, training, network-building, and advocacy on gender equality.
• Women for Women International: Women for Women International supports women survivors of war and conflict through training and economic empowerment. It is comparable to CAWTAR's work on women's economic empowerment in conflict-affected MENA countries (e.g., Syrian refugees in Lebanon).
• Global Fund for Women: Global Fund for Women is a grantmaking foundation supporting women's rights organizations worldwide. It is comparable to CAWTAR as a feminist non-profit ecosystem actor funding and strengthening women's organizations in the Global South.
• Promundo: Promundo is an international NGO working on gender equality, men's engagement, and prevention of gender-based violence through research and programs. It is comparable to CAWTAR in combining research, training, and advocacy on gender issues across multiple regions.
• Women Deliver: Women Deliver is a global advocacy organization focused on gender equality and the health and rights of girls and women. It is comparable to CAWTAR in convening networks, producing flagship reports, and driving policy dialogue on women's empowerment.
• Women's Refugee Commission: Women's Refugee Commission advocates for the rights of women and children displaced by conflict. It is comparable to CAWTAR's work on refugee populations (e.g., Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Libyan refugees in Tunisia) and gender-based violence programming.

Regional players

• International Women's Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW Asia Pacific): IWRAW Asia Pacific is a regional NGO supporting women's human rights through CEDAW engagement and capacity building. It is comparable to CAWTAR as a regionally focused NGO that combines research, training, and advocacy for women's rights, though its region is Asia Pacific rather than MENA.

Others

• OECD Development Centre (Gender Team): The OECD Development Centre conducts research and policy dialogue on gender equality in development. It is comparable to CAWTAR as a policy-research and advocacy actor that produces authoritative regional reports (e.g., Social Institutions and Gender Index) and is also a CAWTAR Board-level partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CAWTAR_NGO
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3bTUHWvuvh25KKmj9s6HRA
• Facebookfacebook.com/CenterofArabWomenforTrainingandResearch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about CAWTAR