International Consultant – Support to the implementation of the prevention pillar of the Spotlight Initiative in Afghanistan

Contract

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Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

Assignment Background:

Violence Against Women (VAW) is one of the most widespread violation of human rights worldwide, globally affecting around one in three women in her lifetime. VAW is widespread in Afghanistan, where reports estimate that up to 87% of Afghan women experience violence, mostly at the hands of family members and husbands. The violence experienced by Afghanistan women at the hands of their husbands and partners is frequent, severe, and of multiple forms: physical, sexual, economic and psychological. Most women who experience violence in intimate relationships often experience multiple forms and endure repeated acts of violence at the hands of their current and/or former partners and family. Other manifestations of VAW includes early and forced marriages – including baad (the exchange of girls for dispute resolution) and baadal (exchange marriages), so-called honour crimes, rape and killings of women, sexual harassment in the workplace and in public spaces, and self-immolation and self-harm linked to experiences of violence. In Afghanistan, 35 % of girls are married by age 18.

Spotlight Initiative

The Spotlight Initiative (SI) in Afghanistan main goal is to reduce the prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and harmful practices (HP) against women and girls in Afghanistan. The Afghanistan SI initiative aims at targeting the most at risk groups, to accelerate efforts towards the elimination sexual gender-based violence and harmful practices. The initiative is tailored to promote Agenda 2030’s guiding principle of “leaving no one behind”. Across the six Pillars, the SI in Afghanistan will bring women and girls, including those with intersecting forms of discrimination and marginalization, to the centre of the interventions, recognizing that the empowerment of women and girls, and their unique experiences and solutions they bring based on their intersectional identities, is the key to design and implement a programme that responds to the needs and priorities of women and girls of Afghanistan in all their diversity. The SI in Afghanistan will work across the socio-ecological model, using a multi-sectoral and intersectional approach, to prevent and respond to SGBV/HP and impact lasting change at the national, sub-national, community and individual levels. The initiative will be informed by a comprehensive prevention strategy to addresses structural issues through this socio ecological model. The SI in Afghanistan has an important focus on the prevention of SGBV/HP (pillar 3) and the provision of comprehensive services (pillar 4).

Under Pillar 3, SGBV/HP Prevention, the Spotlight Initiative will work across the socio-ecological model, to address the negative social-cultural norms, religious and traditional beliefs and practices that drive SGBV/HP at the society, institutional, community, inter-personal and individual levels. The prevention approach involves multi-level mutually reinforcing interventions to facilitate transformative change in society by addressing the root and structural causes of violence. The SI Afghanistan will focus on the development of a National Prevention Framework, advocacy, engaging young people, the media, men and boys, and implementing whole-of school and whole-of community approaches to promote gender-equitable norms and respectful relationships. As social norms, attitudes and practices towards women and girls differ between provinces, community-based interventions will be developed through a participatory process, based on local contexts and informed by international standards, women’s experiences and expressed needs. A knowledge, attitudes, practice and behaviour (KAPB) study will be conducted in the three provinces.

Duties and Responsibilities

1) Design and roll out the community-mobilisation work under the Pillar 3 on Prevention of Spotlight:

Working with UN Women Afghanistan EVAW team, national consultants, UNICEF and UNFPA, key ministries including the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and civil society organisation:

• Provide technical support for the design and implementation of the Knowledge, Attitude, Practice and Belief (KAPB) survey including inputs into the methodology and questionnaires
• Support the participative development of the community mobilisation action plan and M&E framework in 3 provinces , linking and ensuring coherence with UNFPA and UNICEF activities under pillar 3
• Support the development of community mobilisation tools, testing and revision, including targeted materials for people with disabilities, illiterate, different languages etc, based on international and local best practices and tools
• Support the development of materials and roll out of training workshops for implementing partners to engage in community mobilisation

2) Support the engagement of media and faith stakeholders in VAWG prevention, under Spotlight

• Provide technical support for the design and implementation of the media study on VAWG and Gender as well as the media strategy that will guide all the prevention work with media
• Technical support for the development of faith mobilisation tools
• Technical support for the development of communications materials for VAWG prevention
• Technical support for the engagement and capacity building of media for VAWG prevention

3) Support the development of a National Prevention Framework under the Spotlight Initiative

• Support and provide technical support to develop the National Prevention Framework, including consultations with key stakeholders, liaising with the key ministries and support national and local ownership as well as contextual relevance

Deliverables and timeframe:

Key Tasks

Deliverables

Target Date (tentative)

Estimated number of days

1. Design and roll out the community-mobilisation work

1.1 Documentation of technical support for the design and implementation of the Knowledge, Attitude, Practice and Belief (KAPB) survey, including inputs to the questionnaires and methodology

Deliverable 1.1 – 30 April 2021

4 days

1.2 Draft community mobilisation action plan and M&E framework in 3 provinces

Deliverable 1.2 – 30 May 2021

36 days

1.3 Tested and finalised community mobilisation tools, including targeted materials for people with disabilities, illiterate, different languages etc, based on international and local best practices and tools

Deliverable 1.3 – 30 June 2021

17 days

1.4 Training materials and support to the roll out of workshops for implementing partners to engage in community mobilisation

Deliverable 1.4 – 20 July 2021

15 days

2. Support the engagement of media and faith stakeholders in VAWG prevention, under Spotlight

2.1 Documentation of technical support for the design and implementation of the media study on VAWG and Gender and the media strategy (technical inputs into methodology, draft report and strategy, emails, calls)

Deliverable 2.1 – 1 May 2021

8 days

2.2 Documentation of technical support for the development of faith mobilisation tools (technical inputs into documents, emails, calls)

Deliverable 2.2 – 1 June 2021

5 days

2.3 Documentation of technical support for the development of communications materials for VAWG prevention (technical inputs into documents, emails, calls)

Deliverable 2.3 – 1 June 2021

5 days

2.4. Documentation of technical support for the engagement and capacity building of media for VAWG prevention (technical inputs into documents, emails, calls)

Deliverable 2.4 – 31 December 2021

5 days

3. Support the development of a National Prevention Framework under the Spotlight Initiative

3.1 Documentation of support to the development of the National Prevention Framework, including the organisation of consultations with key stakeholders, and support to a participative process (draft National Prevention Framework, evidence of consultations, emails, inputs into documents)

Deliverable 3.1 – 31 December 2021

40 days

Competencies

• Must be self-starter

• Demonstrated sensitivity, discretion, tact and courtesy in relation to gender equality and women’s rights, development principles and projects.

• Commitment to upholding the organizational values and principles of UN Women Afghanistan.
• Essential computer skills – familiarity with Microsoft Word programs, internet, e-mail.
• Ability to work under pressure, to follow deadlines and handle numerous tasks simultaneously.
• Commitment to upholding the organizational values and principles of UN Women.

Required Skills and Experience

• Master’s degree in the field of international development, gender studies, social science, social work or other related area.
• A minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in ending violence against women and girls programme development and implementation with strong technical expertise in prevention.
• Demonstrated experience and expertise in the field of violence against women and girls prevention and social norms change.
• Experience working with UN Women is an advantage.
• Excellent command of English.

Submission of application

The Submission package includes:

• Updated CV
• Cover Letter
• Personal History Form (P11 which can be downloaded from http://asiapacific.unwomen.org/en/about-us/jobs)
• Financial proposal: daily fee should be indicated. All the travels costs will be covered by UN Women according to UN Women’s rules and regulation and should not be included in the financial proposal.

All requested documents of the submission package (CV, Cover Letter, P11 and financial proposal) should be combined in one document and uploaded when asked to upload the CV/resume. Incomplete submission may not be considered.