Fairtrade Africa
ABOUT US
Established in 2005, Fairtrade Africa (FTA) is a member of Fairtrade International and the umbrella network organization representing Fairtrade-certified Producer Organizations in Africa and the Middle East. It has four (4) regional networks – Eastern & Central Africa; Southern Africa; West Africa; and the Middle East & North Africa. FTA currently represents 1,354,294 farmers and workers in 660 producer organizations spread across 28 countries in Africa and the Middle East by providing services to them that contribute to the improvement of their livelihoods.
ABOUT THE ASSIGNMENT
Fairtrade Africa is seeking the services of a qualified professional counsellor(s), or firm to conduct basic counselling training for flower workers from selected 17 Fairtrade certified flower farms in Kenya. The 17 flower farms are beneficiaries of the Unlocking the Power of Male and Female Workers in Fairtrade Flowers Supply Chain Project, funded by NORAD. The overall aim of the project is to create benefits for marginalised smallholders and workers in developing countries by building the Fairtrade market in Norway and addressing concrete sustainable issues. This project designs a programme focused on improving women’s empowerment in Fairtrade certified flower farms in Kenya. Men dominating management positions, Gender disparity in Kenya’s Flower Farms creates a gender imbalance, ranging from health and safety concerns, to representation and voice, wages, and gender norms around what constitutes ‘women’s work’
Sexual harassment is common, with women mostly affected, yet widely unacknowledged. Women make up most workers in this sector. Therefore, the sector needs to adopt women economic empowerment strategies, gender sensitive policies and systems that effectively address issues affecting women. Fairtrade has made crucial contributions to the development and the improvement of the Kenyan flower sector, through the Fairtrade standards. In 2017 we conducted a needs assessment study on flower farms in East Africa. It determined that there were specific gender related disparities on the flower farms, connected to low awareness of gender-based issues. We want to adapt women empowering projects carried out in Ethiopia to Kenya. It is envisioned that this project will lead to:
- Improved women representation and influence in management structures and worker committees in fairtrade certified farms.
- Enhanced e financial literacy levels and economic status of female workers in flower farms.
- Increased protection of women and reduced cases of gender-based violence (GBV) and sexual harassment in flower farms.
Over a three-year period, the project will:
- Launch the School of leadership in Kenya where levels of women’s participation in hired labour producer organization is limited due to heightened burden of care and work, and due to limiting organizational norms and practices.
- Facilitate Coaching and Role Modelling through replication of training, identification and selection of mentees and mentors for the Fairtrade Women’s School of Leadership.
- Implement a model workplace sexual harassment policy which provides structures and space for addressing and redressing sexual harassment in the workplace, through inclusive and participatory approaches.
The aim of this assignment is to engage a consultant to contribute to objective 3 above. The consultant will train the identified workers, who will in turn become para-counsellors and support workers in addressing issues that may impede their performance work, by providing them with basic counselling services.
OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT
Main Objective
To contribute towards the implementation of a gender empowerment program and workplace sexual harassment policy which provides structures and space for addressing and redressing sexual harassment in the workplace, through inclusive and participatory approaches.
The key objective and expected results from this assignment will be:
• Develop and deliver a customized basic counselling training programme for 34 Paracounselors (2 per farm).
• Train 34 workers on basic counselling skills in order to increase their ability to offer basic counselling services to workers in the farm when required.
• Conduct practical sessions with the para-counsellors on identifications of issues for counselling and the use of the basic skills to understand, address and appreciate the underlying gender issues and opportunities that can be exploited to improve gender responsiveness, forestall incidences of gender-based violence (GBV) and sexual harassment in the workplace.
SCOPE OF WORK AND DELIVERABLES
• Develop and deliver a customized basic counselling training programme for Para-counselors.
• Develop a basic counselling manual with case studies and practical exercises as part of the training approach to enrich the learning process.
• Develop a simple case register to be used by the para-counsellors to document issues addressed to work place.
• Plan for and undertake two follow-up sessions per farm post-training.
• Provide the Paracounselors at the Farm with hotline numbers or linkage to support organisations within their jurisdiction.
• Provide a training report at the end of the training programme.
• The assignment will be delivered within 3 months (March to May 2023).
The farms are in the following locations
Farm Site Locations No. of Farms
- Naivasha, North Lake, Nakuru County 2
- Timau, Meru County 1
- Thika, Kiambu County 3
- Eldama Ravine, Baringo County 2
- Isinya, Kajiado County 1
6.Naivasha, Nakuru County 2
7.Rumuruti, Laikipia County 2 - Nanyuki, Laikipia County 2
- Limuru, Kiambu County 1
10.Nyahururu, Laikipia County 1
CONSULTANCY REQUIREMENTS
The Consultant should have at minimum a relevant University Degree. In addition, the Consultant should possess the following qualifications:
• The consultant should be a registered and accredited counsellor with a professional body.
• The consultant should have a minimum of 5 years of demonstrable experience in carrying out similar training assignments preferably in the Hired Labour sector.
• Demonstrable understanding of the counselling requirements and ethics in the Kenyan context.
• Ability to apply practical-oriented and adult learning approaches to communicate with participants from diverse academic backgrounds to impart knowledge and skills during the training will be desirable.
• Good interpersonal skills demonstrated the ability to work in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
• Professional and demonstrable experience in working with Fairtrade-certified flower producers will be an added advantage.
How to apply
PROCEDURE FOR APPLICATION
Interested consultants are requested to submit applications to Fairtrade Africa while attaching the following documents:
• Cover letter
• Technical Proposal (including methodology and detailed work plan).
• The proposed budget – to include the total cost for the assignment in local currency (Kshs) and converted into Euros. The budget should include all the applicable taxes as per Kenyan laws.
• CV of the consultant(s) that will be involved in the assignment.
• At least three references from international NGOs, relevant institutions where work of a similar nature has been conducted within the last three years.
Please send the application to [email protected] with the subject title: Paracounselors Training on Gender and Sexual Harassment to be received by the close of business on 5th December 2022.
It is anticipated that the assignment will be conducted and completed by April 2023. FTA reserves the right to recruit suitable candidates before application deadlines.
However, late bids will automatically be rejected.