Terms of Reference – Gender Analysis for Inclusive Peacebuilding Processes in the Horn of Africa

1. Background

The Salama Hub is the AFSC Research and Advocacy hub that is focused on promoting peace and stability in the Horn of Africa. It was established in 2021 and provides an enabling environment for a stronger collaboration with Civil Society Organizations and Faith Leaders in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda. The Salama Hub works to strengthen the capacity of civil society organizations (CSO) and faith-based organizations (FBOs) in the region to organize and influence policies on the local, regional, national, and global levels. Through the Salama Hub, CSOs and FBOs are equipped with tools and knowledge on conflict transformation and advocacy. The hub ensures that African Civil societies and Faith-Based organisation are well equipped and effectively engage with regional bodies and governments including IGAD, AU, UN, EU, EAC and State department in Africa, Europe, and the United States for peace and stability in the Horn of Africa. In February 2021, AFSC and the All Africa Conference of Churches, AACC, developed and started the implementation of a Joint Project on research and advocacy for the Horn of Africa with a project cycle of three years (2021-2023). The implementation of this project brought encouraging results in the light of research and advocacy. Lessons drawn from this project paved the way for another phase of the Joint Project between the two Strategic Partner Organizations (AFSC and AACC) with a financial contribution from Brot fur die Welt, BfdW, which will be implemented for three years (2024 – 2026).

The Horn of Africa region remains one of the world’s most fragile in the world with several countries having experienced decades of conflict. Other countries oscillate between temporary stability and conflict. This current project phase hopes to influence policy at different levels with institutional stakeholders in Africa, Europe, and America for peace and stability. The project will further equip Civil Society Organizations and Faith-Based Organizations in the Horn of Africa region with evidence from research for policy influencing.

AFSC and BfdW have developed an Advocacy Strategy for Peace and Stability 2023 – 2033 for the Horn of Africa. This is a long-term vision for the Horn of Africa. It is expected that other actors in the Horn of Africa and beyond will collaborate to make the Horn of Africa and beyond safe.

2. The assignment

AFSC would like to hire the services of a gender expert to carry out a gender analysis in the Horn of Africa region through the peacebuilding lens.

3. Gender Analysis in Peace building context.

Gender analysis is a key component to mainstreaming gender equality within peacebuilding and development programs. Understanding the barriers and risks faced by women, girls, boys, and men together with their various gender-specific needs is integral in effective design and implementation of peacebuilding initiatives and addressing gender inequality. To implement gender-sensitive and gender-transformative peacebuilding initiatives, it is imperative to have a clear understanding of the specific needs, interests, vulnerabilities, capacities, and barriers to participation of girls, boys, women, and men in the region. The pre-existing gender inequalities and conflict situation in HoA has increased the vulnerability and the lack of participation of women, girls, boys, including persons with disabilities as they are exposed to many challenges. These include patriarchal and cultural barriers, risks of GBV, access to economic resources among others. It is against this background that AFSC would like to commissioning a consultant or consultancy firm to conduct a gender analysis to identify the different needs, abilities, interests, and risks faced by girls, boys, women, and men, including persons with disabilities and coping mechanisms in peace and conflict situations… The analysis will further focus on gender roles and time use, decision-making and power dynamics in (household, community, national and regional levels), access to and control of resources, meaningful participation and decision making at all levels. The gender analysis is also expected to bring out the gaps and barriers to women girls, women participation in (Peacebuilding, policy advocacy) for intervention.

As such, the analysis will further unpack the structural drivers of conflict as well as existing coping strategies through joint and gender-disaggregated Focus Group Discussions and interviews. The conflict analysis will be used to discuss the functionality of existing dispute resolution redress mechanisms.

4. Overall Objective of the Analysis:

The overall objective of gender analysis is to identify specific needs, interests, vulnerabilities, capacities, and barriers to participation of girls, women, boys and to a lesser extent men in peacebuilding initiatives. What are their abilities, interests, barriers, and risks they face; and coping strategies, to build understanding of how the peacebuilding activities can be used to champion gender equality. The analysis is also expected to unpack the barriers to peacebuilding efforts, structural drivers of conflicts, underlying tensions and grievances, and functionality of existing dispute resolution redress mechanisms, as well as existing coping strategies in gender disaggregated data It will also focus on different gender roles, time use, decision-making and power dynamics in (household, community, national and regional level) access to and control of resources, meaningful participation in peace initiatives, opportunities, decision making at all levels.

5. Specific objectives

• Carry out a structural analysis of drivers of conflict, coping strategies for women and girls, as well as existing dispute resolutions and gaps in their participation.
• Conduct a gender analysis of women’s barriers to successful participation in peacebuilding (advocacy, mediation etc) in the region.
• Identify gender & social norms and understanding the root causes that contribute to their (girls, women, boys, men and PWDs) exclusion in peacebuilding initiatives.
• Identify and analyze the specific gender inclusion needs and interests of girls, boys, women, and men related to peacebuilding and how they could influence transformative decision-making processes, societal roles, including access to resources.
• Recommend actions to address the different needs, vulnerabilities and capacities of women, girls, and persons with disabilities, including boys and men must proactively respond to gender discrimination in peacebuilding activities and possible gender sensitive interventions that consider specific experiences of women in peace initiatives.

6. Scope of Work

The gender analysis will cover a sample of respondents from organizations such as non-government organizations, CSOs, Faith Based Organizations, government gender officers, IGAD and AU gender officers and others who may hold critical information on gender issues in the region in the eight countries of the Horn of Africa. Focus group discussions will also be utilized.

7. Methodology and Approach

• The study will predominantly use qualitative data collection approach to capture a comprehensive understanding of gender issues as they relate to peacebuilding using FGDs, KIs. Quantitative data may also be collected as well as using secondary data from the region and beyond. Stakeholder mapping of peacebuilding partners in the region and key women experts in the same.

8. Deliverables

Inception Report and Work Plan: The Consultant/Firm will have a meeting together with the Salama HUB AFSC Project Team to have a better understanding of the joint project and to collect the required documents such as project proposal, Advocacy Strategy for the HoA, etc. to draft the inception report. The consultant will also meet the project team to enable a common understanding of the methodology and the scope of the assignment. The draft inception report should include a detailed methodology including stakeholder map, gender analysis tools to be used to gather data/information, also include power tool, details of data collection instruments, quality assurance mechanism of data/information collection, sampling, deliverables, work plan (timeline) and ethical considerations.

Data collection and reports

• Draft Report: The Consultant/Firm will submit the preliminary results of the gender analysis after completion of data gathering and data/information analysis.
• Presentation: The Consultant/Firm will present the preliminary findings of the engagements undertaken to the Consortium Members and a selected number of FBOs and CSOs.
• Final report: The final report will be submitted after presentation to the Salama Hub (AFSC) and incorporating feedback. The final report (last week of June 2024) will include the complete findings and recommendations. The review and revision process from the draft report stage to the final report should not exceed one week. The final report, maximum of 30 pages including Annexes. Include the following sections: Acronyms, Introduction, Executive Summary, Methodology, Limitations, Findings, including conflict analysis, stakeholders’ analysis, Conclusion, and recommendations, and finally, an Appendix section.

9. Required Expertise, Qualifications, and Competencies

• The candidate(s) should have post graduate qualifications preferable masters in Gender and Development Studies, Women Studies, Social Sciences, with a bias to peacebuilding.
• 5 years in conducting gender analysis studies in the HoA.
• Experience in conducting gender analysis in peacebuilding projects will be an added advantage.
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of the HOA context.
• Experience in working in NGOs sector and policy advocacy at different levels, nationally, regionally etc.
• Knowledge of peacebuilding advocacy strategies.
• Knowledge of peacebuilding initiatives by International NGOs and the UN.
• Ability to interact with people from different backgrounds and respect of diversity.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Able to work independently with efficiency and competence.

10. Study Duration

The consultancy period is 25 days spread over May and June 2024.

11. Expression of interest

The technical proposal must include all the following:

• Objective and understanding of the assignment.
• Proposed methodology including proposed tools for the assignment.
• Tentative work plan with clearly defined milestones
• A financial proposal clearly indicating the breakdown of consultant’s daily fee, travel costs (in country and outside), accommodation, and meals during the assignment, visa if applicable, and other relevant costs.
• CV for the lead and all proposed team members, should ensure gender representation. Two samples of similar previous work and references (annex).