Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association has been established at the federal level in 1995 by Women lawyers and re-registered as Local Organization in accordance with the Civil Society Organization. It has been working for more than 25 years to promote women's social, economic, political and legal rights to help women exercise their constitutional and other rights. The aim of the association is to promote equal participation of women in all sectors and to prevent sexual violence against women and create a safe environment for women through its three programs: Legal Research and Advocacy, Public Education and Capacity Building, and Free Legal Aid service.  

The association is headquartered in Addis Ababa and has opened its regional offices in seven regions and one city administration namely Adama, Hawassa, Bahir Dar, Gambella, Asosa, Jigjiiga, Semera regions, and city administration of Dire Dawa. In order to make the service accessible to all, the association is working to continue its service in the zones and woredas under its regional and city administration branches and has so far established 55 volunteer committee centers across the country.

Under the legal service program, EWLA provides free legal aid services for gender-based violence (GBV) survivors and needy women who cannot afford legal fees. The legal aid services include legal counseling, court representation, writing pleadings to courts and letters on administrative issues to government organs, assisting clients to follow up their cases with government, police, and public prosecutor’s offices (for criminal cases), mediation and reconciliation, and referral linkages.

Under the public education and capacity building program, EWLA provides different kinds of awareness creation training, seminars and workshops on women’s rights and Gender Based Violence (GBV) for law enforcement organs, people at the grass root level, including students and workers of different organizations, and stakeholders.

Under the Research and Advocacy program, EWLA undertakes research projects that are often used as a basis for advocacy, legal reform, and related programs. This greatly helps to identify the root causes of gender discrimination, which in turn can dictate prevention efforts.

Therefore, as part of its vision and mission, EWLA is a part of  the consortium and implemented five year project. The “We Cannot Wait: Towards an Inclusive and Diverse Women’s Movement in the Greater Horn of Africa (WCW)” consortium seeks to remedy these gaps by building a strong and inclusive women’s movement able to effect change, focusing its work in Uganda, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia. The consortium is made up of entirely Southern-led organizations that are explicitly focused on women’s empowerment throughout the Greater Horn of Africa (GHoA). The Power of Women program enables organizations such as SIHA and its partners in the Global South to shift power to indigenous women’s organizations and in turn share its power with grassroots individuals and groups. The WCW consortium recognizes the structural and interconnected challenges that the movement for gender equality in the Global South faces and works to enable, support and collaborate with women’s rights activists and organizations to effectively lobby and advocate for gender equality in the Greater Horn of Africa. The WCW consortium will be engaging women, women’s rights activists and women’s rights organizations (WRA/Os) in all their diversity across the GHoA to ensure that the gender equality agenda can be promoted and practiced.

Objective of the manual

This manual is developed to support the work of board members appointed to serve the Ethiopian Women Lawyers’ Association in their various capacities. In line with EWLA’s MoU Article 20 (11), it has been deemed necessary to have a detailed document to allow board members engagement with the organization for strategy development, decision and policy making and overall interaction with EWLA’s secretariat. The manual has sections that give guidance from the time a board member is elected by the General Assembly, throughout the time the board member avails himself to serve.

The Board Members Manual once endorsed could be revised on needs basis after being put to use for two consecutive years.

Specific objective of the manual

• To provide clear guidance to board members on their responsibilities

• To strengthen cooperation between board and EWLA Secretariat

• To ensure information flow is maintained and accessed in a timely manner

• To develop step by step guidance on addressing urgent issues

Scopes of the manual

• Board Organization and Membership

• Roles and Responsibilities

• Board Meeting Attendance Policy

• List of Board Members (their organizations, contact information, etc.)

• Board Member and Advisory Members biographies

• Notification on meetings and Meeting Notes

• The way a member will be removed from the board

• Guidelines for Evaluating Board

• Board Operations and Evaluation

Expected Deliverables /Task of the consultant

• The manual in Amharic and English language version 

• Providing first draft of the designing of document.

• Submit progress report to EWLA duly for comments aside from regular reports

• Incorporate relevant comments and recommendations from the EWLA

• Produce the final designed manual and submit to EWLA. 

Time Frame

• One month is allocated for the completion of the assessment from the time of signing of the contract.

• The consultant is obliged to submit progress report to EWLA every 15 days.

• The consultant shall submit the final copy of the manual at the end of the month on the 30th day of the charge. 

Employment type: Contract

Expected Starting Date: Immediately

Type work: To Develop manual / Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association Board Members’ Manual

Job Requirements

Essentials and desirable experiences/qualification

• The applicant must have a requisite academic qualification, Preferable PhD or a minimum of MA/LLM in Law, Social Science, Gender, Language, Organizational Policy other equivalent experience.

• The applicant shall at least have 5 years of experience in the areas provided.

• Previously proven work experience with a similar assignment and thematic areas is essential.

• Strong analytical skills, understanding of contemporary context of the organization and positive engagement skills.

• Demonstrated ability in analytical writing skills.

• Expert for designing manual, procedures 

• Fluency in English and Amharic (both written and oral) 

Language : English and Amharic 

How to Apply

Submit your CV & application letter in person to EWLA Head Office, located at Bulgaria Mazoria, behind St. Michael Church or via email: ewlajobs2020@gmail.com

N.B: Please write the title of the TOR “Terms of Reference (TOR) to consultant” as a subject line of your email

Interested applicants should submit the following documents with in 15 consecutive days from the first date of this announcement:

• Letter of Expression of interest

• Curriculum vitae (CV) outlining relevant qualifications and experience.

• Valid Certificate of Consultancy Service

• Valid Trading License/ Valid Law and Consultancy Service License 

• Valid Tax Registration Certificate (indicating TIN and VAT/TOT Number)

• Full and accurate physical, postal, telephone, and email addresses

Contact person cell phone: 0912763913

NB: - This TOR, as and when necessary, is open to further amendments through discussion between the  consultant and EWLA.