1. Background/Rationale

The African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET), a pan-African feminist network mobilizes and enhances the capacities of African women to influence, lobby and advocate for gender responsive policies and for the domestication and implementation of commitments made by African governments to the advancement of gender equality and realization of women’s rights. Since its inception in 1988, FEMNET has played a leading role in building the women’s movement in Africa and ensuring that women and girls’ voices are amplified and their needs, priorities, and aspirations are prioritized in key policy dialogues and outcomes that have direct and indirect impact on their lives.

The African continent has some of the most progressive regional and global instruments on advancing and realizing gender equality and women’s rights including measures to address sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR). The majority of African countries are signatory to declarations on gender and women’s rights such as the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women and Girls (CEDAW), Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA), Cairo Agenda on Population and Development -the ICPD Programme of Action , and  2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development at the global level and the AU Agenda 2063, Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa,  as well as the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa the ‘Maputo Protocol’.

Across Africa, women and girls still face discrimination and violation of their sexual and reproductive health and rights persists. FEMNET believes that gender equality could be achieved in Africa if related commitments and instruments are implemented.

FEMNET has identified Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) as an advocacy priority area in its Strategic Plan (2020-2029). This is because SRHR is key to achieving women and girls’ rights and gender equality. There is still need for increased policy work across the region particularly on securing comprehensive SRHR and access to legal and safe abortion, ending child, early and forced marriages (CEFM), and eliminating female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C).

FEMNET therefore seeks to inform African women and girls of these policies, mobilize them to participate in key discussions and forums to influence policymakers. Leveraging on our past experiences in mobilizing, influencing, policy advocacy, capacity building, communication and creating spaces for women’s participation and movement building

2. Background /Rationale

The increase in evidence on early child and forced marriages, unsafe abortions, and FGM/C in countries where it is practiced is of major concern across Africa. This is despite the extent to which these issues are globally, regionally, and nationally recognized as serious public health problems as well as human rights violations.

Child, Early and Forced Marriage (CEFM) – Africa is home to 15 of the 20 countries with the highest rate of child marriages in the world. It is estimated that every day 37,000 girls under the age of 18 enter CEFM, a practice which effectively curtails girl’s education, minimizes economic opportunities and perpetuates cycles of poverty and violence. CEFM is also a fundamental violation of a girl’s human rights that deprives girls of their voice, choice, and agency. It puts girls at a greater risk of unwanted pregnancies and health consequences associated with maternal mortality. It is estimated that if left alone, the total number of child marriages in Africa will rise from 125 million to 310 million by 2050 as the population grows.

Evidence suggests that women who marry early are at increased risk of contracting HIV, with a 50% higher infection rate among married adolescents than that among their unmarried, sexually active peers.  Such data reflects the urgent need for strategies that prioritize girls’ autonomy and bodily integrity, as well as their rights to control all aspects of their sexuality, free of coercion, discrimination, and violence.

Abortion

In Africa at least 8,3 million induced abortions were estimated during 2010-2014. There are regional variations on the annual rate of abortion, ranging from “38 per 1,000 women of childbearing age in Northern Africa to 31 per 1,000 in Western Africa and in Eastern, Middle and Southern Africa, rates are 34 per 1,000.”  The proportion of pregnancies ending in abortion ranges from 12% in Western Africa to 23% and 24% in Northern and Southern Africa, respectively. It is 13% and 14% in Middle and Eastern Africa, respectively.

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) – More than 133 million girls and women have experienced some form of FGM/C in the 29 countries in Africa and the Middle East where the harmful practice is most common.  Considerable variations have been found between the countries with ethnicity being the most influential factor. In eight countries in Africa there are prevalence rates of over 80% among them Guinea Conakry with one of the highest of 97%. Some communities have changed the ways of conducting FGM where they conduct FGM when girls are younger even before they can speak. There is also evidence on medical personnel carrying out FGM evolving the practice into what is referred as the ‘medicalization’ of FGM. The medicalization argument of making FGM ‘safe’ ignores and undermines the right of women to choose and to their bodily autonomy and integrity. In other instances, the practice is creeping back into societies that had registered decline in the practice. While most countries in the African region where FGM is reported to be practiced have laws against FGM, in many of these countries FGM is still not viewed as a crime and the public continues to practice FGM with impunity. FGM has a strong correlation with child marriage where societies view girls who have gone through FGM as women

3. Purpose of the Assignment /Consultancy

The policy briefs will assess the extent to which FEMNET Partners and members across the African countries have implemented a comprehensive and multisectoral approach in their efforts to prevent and respond to female genital mutilation, ending early and child marriages and access to safe abortion in the targeted countries.

The policy briefs will also summarize the impact of COVID-19 on ending early and child marriages, female genital mutilation prevention and access to safe abortion and response programmes. It, will additionally, presents a framework for supporting broader accountability at country level around these dimensions and provide strategic guidance to African Women Rights organizations, FEMNET partners, lawmakers, policymakers, and all stakeholders in taking forward their commitment to adopt a comprehensive Sexual Reproductive Approach to addressing female genital mutilation, ending early and child marriages and access to safe abortion.

4. Expected outputs

• An inception report detailing, among key areas the understanding of the task and how it will be carried out
• Three (3) Focused policy briefs for each country of target with clear specific recommendations developed and utilized in corresponding policy dialogues. These will focus on topical issues on FGM, CEFM and access to safe abortion.
• The Consultant will be expected to use SRHR Barometer reports, SRHR Score card reports to supplement information for Policy Briefs and to guide him in developing the policy briefs.
• Three (3) engagements / policy dialogues conducted including one in supporting African teenage girls, young women and youth groups and Women Rights Organizations in the targeted African countries supported to advocate for implementation of SDGs, Maputo Protocol in line with ending FGM, CEFM and access to Safe abortion
• Develop graphical illustrations for web articles, reports, brochures, posters, and other communication/ visibility materials for the 3(thematic areas of work) for the targeted countries.

5. Organization & Management

Institutional Arrangements

i. The consultant will be reporting on a bi-weekly basis to the SRHR Lead.

ii. The consultant will liaise, interact, collaborate with FEMNET SRHR and communications team.

iii. FEMNET Secretariat (SRHR Team and Communications Team) will support the consultant in the following:

• Access to all reports /contents and data relevant to the assignment. These will include content to be developed and other relevant documents to support in development of the Policy Briefs for some of the selected countries.
• Support and assistance to gain access to relevant stakeholders for consultations to extent possible.
• Orientation with the consultant and outline the parameters of the required services.
• Provide information on FEMNET’s background and contextual work on the three (3) key priority SRHR issues of ending FGM, CEFM and access to Safe Abortion.
• Provide and agree with the Consultant on the revised work schedule, timelines, and deadlines.
• Provide relevant feedback and evaluation of the service provided and outputs submitted

6. Required Qualification, Skills and Competencies

Competencies

• Ability to perform a variety of specialized tasks related to implementation of projects, managing data, and reporting.
• Ability to establish contact with WRO’s and young Feminist organizations within the targeted and supported countries and other stakeholders.
• Knowledge of gender and women’s empowerment.
• Knowledge of data collection and reporting

Required Skills and Experience

• Master’s degree or higher in gender and development, Public Health, Social Sciences or any other related field
• A minimum of 6 years’ experience in designing, implementing, managing and coordinating Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, FGM, gender and development related programmes and projects including those addressing CEFM, Access to safe abortion, HP and promoting SRHR
• Proven experience in developing policy briefs and engaging in policy advocacy
• Experience in qualitative and quantitative data collection, validation, entry and analysis
• Experience with stakeholder networking and engagement in achieving policy advocacy results
• Ability to communicate using various means including writing high quality, clear, and concise reports in English

Language Requirements

• Excellent command of English.

7. Duration of Assignment

The contract will be effective from date of signing and the delivery of the work is expected to be completed within 42 Days.

8. Intellectual Property Rights

The Consultant expressly assigns to FEMNET any copyright arising from the outputs produced while executing the service contract. The Consultant may not use, reproduce, disseminate, or authorize others to use, reproduce or disseminate any output produced under the service contract without prior consent from FEMNET. Copyright and ownership – All materials produced, and other intellectual property will be solely owned by FEMNET Secretariat. Any material provided to the consultant will remain the property of FEMNET Secretariat

9. Methodology

The consultant is expected to work in close consultation with the SRHR Lead and Team at FEMNET as well as FEMNET Secretariat.

Skype/Zoom meetings with FEMNET SRHR Team will be necessary to agree and track on all assignment deliverables, actual materials to be delivered may be worked on at the location of the expert’s choice and delivered via email.

10. Selection of Consultancy

The call is open to individual consultants. Teams/firms with the appropriate mix of skills are also eligible.

FEMNET shall contract the Consultant. The contract will include Withholding Tax (WHT) deduction in line with contracting laws where FEMNET is headquartered. A WHT certificate will be issued to the Consultant. Payment will be made through bank transfer to the consultant bank account. FEMNET will not meet the costs of bank charges. The payment schedule will be agreed upon with the Consultant upon successful selection

11. Application Process

Interested applicants should send the following:

Application Process

• Interested applicants should send the following:
• Technical proposal (not more than 3 pages responding to the scope of work outlined in above. The technical proposal should include a work-plan outlining how the consultancy days will be utilized.
• Not more than 1-page financial proposal.
• CV /Profile of not more than 3 pages with names and contacts of 3 professional referee
• Sample works from similar assignment by lead consultant
• Applications are by e-mails only, sent to: recruitment@femnet.or.ke.Please indicate the reference on the subject line as ‘Consultancy on SRHR Policy Briefs FNT/EOI/51/2021’.
• Deadline for submission of applications is on 16th August 2021

Please note:  Our recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to safety for all our activities. FEMNET is committed to welcoming people from the widest possible diversity of backgrounds, culture and experience. We will make any practical adjustments to enable people with a disability to participate fully in an inclusive working environment. Please let us know in advance if you have a disability and require any special assistance in making your application.

Only candidates who have been shortlisted for an interview will be contacted.