National Consultant -Research Assistant - Gender, Environment and Conflict Analysis

Contract

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Background

Eastern states are among the lowest states in term of socio-economic and cultural features. The long history of marginalization the states have passed through has negatively reflected in the high poverty rates, inadequate access to basic services and needs, high unemployment rates and uneven development between rural and urban settings. Combined with marginalization and underdevelopment the states are experiencing, cultural norms stand as stumbling block to gender equality and women empowerment. The tribal norms and culture have significantly divided women into heterogenous groups regarding their roles and responsibility and power structure between them and males. However, vulnerability, lack of access to services and to decision making over their rights, poverty and high maternal mortality rates are the common features characterize and shape women lives in the states.

Conflict in Eastern states has been caused by complex interrelated socio-economic and political factors. Environmental degradation including climate change has further impoverished the dire socio-economic conditions of the population, the tribal conflict on the scarce natural resources is a manifestation of how environment is among the key drivers of the conflict in Eastern States. Conflict has exacerbated women suffering, as they comprise on average 50% of the population with a relatively slight variations among states. The productive roles performed by women in Eastern States are affected by the damage that has been caused by conflict since farming and herding are the main economic activities among women whose tribal culture and norms accept and define their productive roles. Displaced women and refugees from South Sudan are the most vulnerable as they lack access to basic human rights needs and toughly compete to secure their family’s needs.

The signing of the East Peace agreement, 2006 has not brought any developmental change to the state due to the failure to translate the commitments articulated in the agreement into development intervention and due to the focus on political compromises and on power sharing. Gender issues have not been adequately considered in the agreement and the reality that peace agreement focus on power and wealth sharing has deviates away the attention that should be given to environment as a major driver of conflict and on women who bear the brunt of the conflict and its consequences.

Justification

With the support of EU, UN Women in partnership with the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation are undertaking a project titled Women’s Empowerment for resilience, Inclusion, Sustainability and Environment in Eastern States. The project aims to create a conducive environment for the economic empowerment of women living in the most vulnerable situations in Khartoum, Kassala, Gedaref and Red Sea states. Specifically, the project objectives focus on improving access of young women and men, living in vulnerable situations, to a more inclusive market system, strengthen the capacity of institutions at Federal and State levels to enhance GEWE and reflect on the social norms and attitudes towards GEWE. Part of the tasks of the UN Women in the inception phase is to undertake gender and conflict analysis that informs the project planning and creates a gender profile for each State to ensure the design and implementation of activities that consider the social environment and promote peace and gender equality. Providing deep contextual analysis and reflecting on the root causes of the conflict in these states and its effect on women as well as the social norms and stereotypes would support tackling issues of relevance to the project implementation and would also enhance the process of providing conductive environment to women’s economic empowerment.

In this regard, UN Women which is grounded in the vision of achieving gender equality and women empowerment is seeking to recruit three research assistants to support a lead researcher to undertake gender, environment, and conflict analysis and provide gender profile for Red Sea, Gedarif and Kassala state. Each research assistant is expected to work in one of the three states.

Aims and objectives of the Assessment

The study aims to:

Provide gender profile of the Eastern states, and reflect on the conflict from gender and environment perspective

objectives:

To fulfill the objectives of the gender profile in the three states, the study should identify the followings:

• Conduct an in-depth analysis of the political, economic, social, and cultural context that affect gender equality framed against national policies and international commitments.
• Identify key issues affecting the status of women and those hindering their access to resources, opportunities, and full participation in social, economic and political spheres.
• Assess the institutional capacity of sectorial ministries and other stakeholders to promote gender equality
• Evaluate sectoral policies and strategies from a gender perspective and identify gaps and best practices that can be scaled up.
• Consolidate data on key gender indicators available from existing sources for various sectors
• Provide concrete recommendations for accelerating the advancement of gender equality through various sectors including infrastructure development (with focus on energy, transport, and water and sanitation), agribusiness, employment, and human capital development.

To fulfill the objectives of the gender, environment and conflict analysis, the study should reflect on the followings:

• Identify the root, proximate and triggers of conflict in Eastern States
• Show the extent to which women have contributed to the escalation of the conflict, reflect on how has conflict affected gender roles and relations and identify the overall effects brought by conflict on men and women’s different aspects of life
• Elaborate on how environmental degradation has contributed to the escalation of the conflict and reflect on the role of gender as a socially constructed roles and relations in the escalation/de-scalation of resource related conflict in Eastern Sudan
• What opportunities women and men have and what challenges they face regarding environmental issues (land degradation, access to water, climate change... etc.) and how had conflict affected these opportunities and exacerbated the challenges women and men face regarding environmental issues
• Identify the available mechanisms of conflict resolution and natural resources management and show how they link to each other, reflect on women’s participation in the conflict resolution and natural resources management and identify the barriers to their participation in these mechanisms
• Show the stakeholders role in managing resources, responding to conflict and in considering the effect brought by conflict and the environmental degradation on women and men
• Identify clear policy recommendations to overcome the causes and effect brought by conflict and the environmental degradation on women and men
• Draw specific recommendations based on the analysis to support providing conducive environment for the economic empowerment of women living in vulnerable and conflict affected communities

Duties and Responsibilities

The main duties and responsibilities of the research assistant should focus on the following:

• Support the lead researcher/ researcher to undertake the gender, environment and conflict analysis and the gender profile in the Eastern states.
• Collect the required data from the relevant stakeholders and the targeted communities
• Mange the accuracy and revise the collected data and questionnaires on regular base to reduce the risk of having missing data or questionnaires not filled-in as required
• Commit to the delivery of any other activities of relevance to the project and requested by the national consultant/ or the researcher

Deliverables

• The research assistant is expected to deliver the following:

• Two-weeks Progress report submitted to the lead researcher showing the progress made in the delivery of the tasks and any encountered challenges

• Spread sheet submitted to the lead researcher showing in details the tasks and the responsibilities that have been undertaken in the selected state of the assignment regarding the gender profile and the gender, environment, and conflict analysis

Competencies

Core Values/Guiding Principles

Integrity:

• Demonstrate consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct.

Professionalism:

• Demonstrate professional competence and expert knowledge of the pertinent substantive areas of work.

Cultural sensitivity and valuing diversity:

• Demonstrate an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Demonstrate an international outlook, appreciating difference in values and learning from cultural diversity.

Core Competencies

Ethics and Values:

• Demonstrate and safeguard ethics and integrity.

Organizational Awareness:

• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment.

Development and Innovation:

• Take charge of self-development and take initiative.

Work in teams:

• Demonstrate ability to work in a multicultural, multi-ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.

Communicating and Information Sharing:

• Facilitate and encourage open communication and strive for effective communication.

Self-management and Emotional Intelligence:

• Stay composed and positive even in difficult moments, handle tense situations with diplomacy and tact, and have a consistent behavior towards others.

Conflict Management:

• Surface conflicts and address them proactively acknowledging different feelings and views and directing energy towards a mutually acceptable solution.

Continuous Learning and Knowledge Sharing:

• Encourage learning and sharing of knowledge.

Appropriate and Transparent Decision Making:

• Demonstrate informed and transparent decision making.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• B.Sc. degree in degree in social science, preferably Gender studies, Economic, or any other related discipline

Experience:

• Expertise in undertaking research and in managing data collectors (enumerators)
• Expertise in gender and conflict related aspects
• At least 5 years of experience in working in research

Language Requirements:

English. Arabic will be an advantage.

Please note that applications without a completed and signed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment. UN Women Personal History form (P-11) can be downloaded from http://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment .

UNWOMEN is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.