Cheshire Ethiopia is looking to engage a local and experienced consultant to conduct assessments and develop a Gender Equality Strategy for the new ‘Women and Girls Empowered in Ethiopia’ project. 

Project Background and Summary

In Ethiopia, women’s and girls’ low status in society makes them extremely vulnerable, unable to make choices about their own development, their family or take advantage of opportunities to participate in society. There are marginalized pastoralist and disabled women in communities who, if provided with support, could become self-sufficient and enjoy a reasonable quality of life. They could begin to generate enough income to provide for themselves and their families.  Women are also affected by a lack of access to quality sexual and reproductive services, harmful traditional practices and gender-based violence, all of which are major health and human rights issues.

This four-year project will seek to alleviate poverty among marginalized women and girls (pastoralists and disabled) through enhancing their well-being. These women and girls will be economically empowered through income-generation activities and the project will seek to increase awareness and build capacity to improve access to sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in Harari region and Dire Dawa city administration and their surroundings. The districts were identified by project partners based on the identified needs, gaps in services and capacity to deliver quality services.

The project focused in Harar and Dire Dawa, will build the skills and capacity of women and female youth with disabilities in business, leadership, financial literacy, and vocational training. The project will work with community leaders, faith leaders, men and boys to create an enabling environment for disabled women and girls to develop income-generating activities and to understand the benefits of gender equality to both women and men at all levels. CSE will work with disabled women, girls, local partners and the Ministries of Health and Labour and Social Affairs to raise awareness and support on gender-based violence and harmful traditional practices.

The project will work with 3,000 disabled women, girls, and mothers of persons with disabilities to increase skills that promote income-generation and awareness on GBV; 2,500 men and boys and 1,000 community leaders, health workers etc.  In addition, the project will indirectly benefit over a million in the 2project areas and build awareness and capacity of approximately 20 government officials with the Ministries of Health and Labour and Social Affairs.

Understanding the gender context and identifying opportunities to promote the well-being of marginalized women and girls is central to support people living with disabilities and their families. The project will promote SRHR and the well-being of marginalized women and girls as a step towards achieving gender equality which will ultimately contribute to alleviating poverty and improving their well-being.

Women and Girls Empowered in Ethiopia is a four-year project that will seek to achieve the following key objectives (outcomes):

1. Improved knowledge and awareness of SRMNCAH information and services among marginalized women, girls, community leaders, faith leaders & decision makers in targeted districts.
2. Improved capacity of health system (health service providers) to deliver quality selected SRMNCAH services
3. Enhanced business and financial management skills of marginalized women and youth to create income generating opportunities in targeted districts.
4. Increased support from community leaders and stakeholders for the equitable participation of marginalized women and youth to lead economic activities.

Expectations of the Gender Equality Strategy (GES)

The gender equality strategy (GES) outlines the project’s overall approach to achieve gender equality outcomes and provides overall guidance on the approach to be used in the activity matrix, work breakdown structure, monitoring and reporting, and management.

The project GES is informed by the project’s gender-based analysis and consultations with partners and stakeholders, especially women and girls, on how to achieve gender equality outcomes. During project implementation, best practices include: significant involvement of gender equality expertise as part of implementation team; collaboration and support from women's organizations, key female and male decision makers, leaders and allies; flexibility and openness to respond to new and innovative methods, and to opportunities for supporting gender equality that present themselves during implementation, and promotion of the equitable participation of women with men, especially in decision-making, throughout implementation.

Ideally, the project’s gender equality strategy should include the following elements:

Overview of gender-based analysis: A summary of the gender-based analysis and validation of gender inequalities.

Gender equality outcomes: Description of how gender equality outcomes at the ultimate, intermediate and immediate outcome levels in the LM will address the identified gender inequalities. This information would be integrated into the theory of change section of the proposal or PIP.

Expected outcomes: A plan of the specific approaches and key interventions that will be taken to achieve each immediate outcome and would inform the outputs, activity matrix and work breakdown structure sections of the PIP.

Specific approaches and key interventions such as:

• involvement of women and girls and women’s organizations that advance women’s rights.
• special measures (e.g. incentives for women and for employer/organization, skills/knowledge upgrading and leadership training programs, gender-sensitization of employers/decision-makers, mentoring) to achieve targets for participation by women (or girls)
• development of tools and methodologies to guide staff, partners and stakeholders for the achievement of gender equality outcomes,
• gender equality issues (such as zero tolerance of harassment and sexual and gender-based violence awareness-raising) to be included in information or advocacy activities.

Capacity building: Plan for training and capacity building on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls for project staff, partners and implementers.

Monitoring and reporting: An outline of how the project will use sex-age disaggregated baseline data for indicators to set relevant targets; and how the project will collect data on gender-sensitive indicators in the PMF to monitor progress toward results.

Resources and budget: A statement of the measures or means for implementing the gender equality strategy, including identification of responsibility at the management level; inputs of technical expertise in gender equality; training for project staff and partners; financial resources to adequately cover gender equality expertise, training and project activities that support gender equality.

Contribution to GAC’s Feminist International Assistance Policy: Describe how the project will contribute to the three gender equality objectives which underpin GAC’s Feminist International Assistance Policy:

• to enhance the protection and promotion of the human rights of women and girls;
• to increase the participation of women and girls in equal decision-making, particularly when it comes to sustainable development and peace; and
• to give women and girls more equitable access to and control over the resources they need to secure ongoing economic and social equality.

Methodology and Proposed Approach

The Gender Analysis needs to consider the following in relation to the context and interventions around SRHR andaccess to information, resources, services:

• Social Relations of Gender:
  • Gender and Division of Labour
  • Access and Control
  • Position and Condition
  • Needs and Interest
• Key Questions for Gender Analysis:
  • Who has what?
  • What needs? Whose needs?
  • Who Decides? How?
  • Who wins? Who loses?
  • Who does what?
• Dimensions of Culture, Gender Based Violence and Human Rights
  • What are the practices that hinder access?
  • The determinants and types of SGBV
  • The Human Rights protections and Violations

The selected consultant will be provided with a guide to support the analysis work. The Consultant is expected to propose a brief methodology (1 page) of their approach to this assignment in terms of consultation approach and sampling.

The following is a proposed timeline and expected Level of Effort for Developing Strategy

Required Qualifications

The consultant is expected to have the following qualifications:

• Previous demonstrated experience engaged in gender or human rights analysis or gender equality work working with young people and key populations;
• Knowledge of training tools and methods and proven experience delivering training on gender responsive programs;
• Ability to communicate ideas in a culturally sensitive manner and conducive to their practical application;
• Experience organizing consultations and managing teams;
• Qualitative analysis experience;
• At least 5 years experience working in Ethiopia with communication skills in local language;
• Masters or advanced degree in a relevant subject area (preferred); or Bachelors degree demonstrated experience
• Ability to lead and mentor a team of young people; and
• Strong written communication skills to produce a high-quality report.