National Consultant

Background

About 1 in 3 women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime (WHO global statistics,2013). In Ethiopia, violence remains a threat to women’s empowerment. Women face physical, psychological and sexual abuse. The abuse undermines their health and undermine their ability to earn livelihoods and disrupt their social systems and relationships. In many cases, girls are robbed of their childhood, deprived of an education, denied protection against diseases, and deprived of the ability to learn valuable life skills. According to the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) report, nearly one-quarter (23 per cent) of women have in some point in their lives experienced physical violence while 10 per cent of the women have experienced sexual violence. 34 per cent of married women have experienced spousal violence, whether physical or sexual or emotional, with emotional violence being the most common. Same study also shows high rates of under-reporting (66 per cent) by women and girls who experienced violence. In addition, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), early marriage, and abduction are prevalent and life-threatening practices that require attention for their harmful effects and implications in the life of girls and women. According to EDHS 2016, 58 per cent of women between the age of 25-49 married before their 18th birthday and 65 per cent of women in the 15-49 age group are circumcised.

The most common sources of help according to EDHS 2016 for these women are their neighbors (34 per cent) or own family (31 per cent). While there is no data on sexual violence against women and girls in public spaces recent articles released by Ethiopian activists and the few studies available although fragmented and limited in their scope suggest that sexual harassment is prevalent in different cities or work places in the country. For instance; a study conducted on prevalence of workplace abuse and sexual harassment against female faculty and staff at Hawassa university (one of the biggest universities in the country) revealed that 86.3 per cent reported to have either work place abuse or sexual harassment. 42.6 per cent reported that they have experienced both.

Hawassa as one of the fast-growing cities in Ethiopia and destination choice for women and girls throughout SNNPR for a better life of employment and education.  According to the city administration, Hawassa has unique features such as the fact that it is hosting an industrial park within the city, a tourist hub for many tourists for sites in the southern region, hosts many public and private colleges including one of the biggest public universities in the country. This unique feature implies the large influx of young women in the city. Discussion with the investors association in the Hawassa industrial park revealed that that the city is dealing with various changes related to the establishment of the Hawassa Industrial Park (HIP) in the city. For instance, the park has currently employed about 17,000 workers, around 85 per cent of which are young women, but this number expected to rise to over 50,000 in coming years. This will double the number of formal jobs in the city and bring many thousands of rural young women into the city, affecting the gender balance and putting strains on already stretched public services.

There is limited information, and mainly anecdotal, on the specific and common protection issues like VAWG including sexual violence affecting women and girls in Hawassa city.  The extent and nature of the problem, low capacity of service providers and challenges in the level of integration and coordination among the available services. However, there are reports of problems around violence against women in the city, when workers are coming and going from work and on transportation. Park investors are reporting almost daily attacks on workers. Some investors have cut back on night shifts as even with the transport they have provided they cannot guarantee worker’s safety. On the supply side, human resource teams report that workers are less keen to come and take jobs or remain due to fear of these attacks and clear gaps are observed from the side of the local police to respond to these attacks. The assessment to be conducted will help to address the gap of data on as well as response to violence and other protection issues at the local level.

UN Women ECO is planning to pilot Safe City and Safe Public Spaces Programme and design a program in Hawassa city administration. The objective of the program will be to improve safety of women and girls in public spaces as well as put in place mechanisms to prevent and respond to sexual harassment and violence against women and girls in public spaces.  To this end, an assessment that reveals the specific situation of VAWG including sexual harassment and other protection issues in Hawassa city is necessary.

In this context, UN Women ECO seeks an international and one national consultant to conduct an assessment in Hawassa to understand the prevalent issues and provide recommendations for the development of comprehensive and evidence-based program.

Duties and Responsibilities

The main expected activities to be undertaken by the consultants under the leadership of the international consultant:

• Develop inception report including the methodology for the assessment and the tools for data collection using the guidance notes provided by UN Women;
• Present the inception report at the inception meeting and incorporate inputs
• Conduct a desk review/literature review of the available policies/ legislative frameworks, programmers, procedures/regulations, reports, and other documents) pertaining to prevention and response of harassment and VAWG to collect primary data.
• Facilitate primary data collection by taking representative sampling from the 8 sub cities of the Hawassa city using methodologies indicated and agreed in the Inception Report, including but not
• limited to Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), individual/key informant interviews, questionnaires etc. with the support of a translator.
• Ensure that pertinent bodies are contacted and provide information for the primary data collection and analysis.
• On basis of primary and secondary data, compile and share an analytical report with findings and recommendations, using clear examples and references and not assumptions, to UN Women Country Office in both hard and soft copies. The data processing and analysis need to triangulate the primary and secondary data rather than producing descriptive report. The consultant need to use & refer to reliable data.
• Submit draft assessment report with full content mainly including findings, proposing good practices to scale up services and recommendations on areas to focus on in relation to enhancing safety of women and girls in public spaces and effectively respond to issues of VAWG for comment by UN women and relevant partners.
• Incorporate inputs and submit the revised assessment report
• Present the revised report in the validation workshop and reflect/clarify on the point to be raised 
• Integrate inputs and submit final assessment report to UN Women in both hard and soft copies

Competencies

• Substantive knowledge and understanding of gender and development, ending violence against women and girls and human rights issues of the country
• A proven track record in designing and conducting analyses that use participatory methods
• Experience in conducting quantitative and qualitative data analysis and synthesizing information into concise, analytical written documents.
• Knowledge about/ familiarity with the scope of work and standard operating procedures of rehabilitative and reintegration services
• Ability to carry out gender focused research and analysis that are able to contribute to the formulation of policies, procedures and guidelines on gender equality and the empowerment of women.
• Ability to conceptualize and analyze problems and to identify key issues and underlying action-oriented recommendation,
• Ability to establish and maintain productive relationships with partners and other stakeholder’s and responds positively to critical feedback and differing points of view.
• Strong background in participatory approaches and facilitation;
• Excellent reporting writing, public speaking and presentation skills

Compliance of the UN Core Values:

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UN Women;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
• Fulfils all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Required Skills and Experience

 Academic Qualifications:

Master’s degree in Social Sciences, Gender/Women’s Studies, Economics, Political Science

 Years of experience:

• A minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in development work and particularly on issues of women’s empowerment and gender equality, human rights and/or sexual and gender-based violence

 Language and other skills:    

• Excellent knowledge of written and oral communication in English and Amharic, including the ability to set out a coherent argument in presentations and group interactions;
• Capacity to communicate fluently with different stakeholders (civil society, government authorities, local communities, project staff); and 
• Computer skills: full command of Microsoft applications (word, excel, PowerPoint) and data encoding software’s

HOW TO APPLAY

Interested applicants must submit the following document/information (in PDF format) to demonstrate their qualifications

Technical component:

• Letter of interest explaining why they are the most suitable for the work
• Technical proposal of no more than 3 pages outlining the applicants understanding of the issue to be addressed in the study and proposed methodology for the assignment, including stakeholders to be met.
• Signed Curriculum vitae with contact details of 03 clients for whom you have rendered preferably similar services

Financial proposal (with your signature)

• The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount in US Dollar including consultancy fees and all associated costs i.e. airfares, travel cost, meal, accommodation, tax, insurance etc. Travel to Hawassa city is expected 2 times for a total of 10 working days.
• Please note that the cost of preparing a proposal and of negotiating a contract, including any related travel, is not reimbursable as a direct cost of the assignment.
• If quoted in other currency, prices shall be converted to US Dollar at UN Exchange Rate at the submission deadline.

Complete applications should be sent to winta.ermias@unwomen.org with the subject EVAWG Assessment

 Only applications with all items mentioned above will be considered.