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.

The UN Women office in Ethiopia plays a dual role, representation to the African Union (AU) and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and representation to Ethiopia. In this regard, under its regional function, the Ethiopia country office engages with the AU and its various organs, the United Nations system particularly ECA, regional CSOs and international NGOs, as well as the diplomatic community and in particular, delegations to the African Union. Through the office, UN Women provides technical support to Member States, the AU and ECA in the adoption, implementation and monitoring of commitments on gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE) at the regional level, and in accordance with its mandate. The development of knowledge products and dissemination of advocacy messages and good practices that inform processes, decisions and priorities of the AU and its organs are some of the strategies implemented by UN Women.

In this regard, UN Women in partnership with the African Union Commission through the Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development (AUC- DHHSD) under the Harmful Practices Unit proposes to conduct a research on how best to address gender-based violence against children and women in humanitarian and conflict situations amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Children in Africa, specifically those in conflict settings, are among the most vulnerable groups exposed to various kinds of vulnerabilities particularly during the coronavirus pandemic. The social and economic impacts of COVID-19 has greatly affected households with children being amongst the most vulnerable. Since the outbreak of the pandemic and the implementation of lockdowns, household income loss, restricted movements and school closures, an increase in reports of domestic violations and other forms of GBV including spikes in teen pregnancies in countries affected by the outbreak including FGM which is rooted in local and cultural practices within families and communities.

In light of this, it is evident that children particularly girls and women are more exposed to the indirect consequences of the pandemic. There have been reports of abuse such as sexual harassment, child marriage, FGM, domestic and sexual abuse in many cases by family. According to UNFPA- An additional 13 million girls could be forced into child marriage, and two million more could undergo FGM in the next decade, beyond what would have been expected, as COVID-19 disrupts global efforts to end both practices.”

1. ABOUT THE PROPOSED CONSULTANCY

UN Women and AUC-DHHSD propose to conduct a research on Gender Based violence (GBV) in in humanitarian and conflict situations in Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic and the strategies to address them.

1. OBJECTIVE OF THE CONSULTANCY

The overall objective of this assignment is to conduct a context analysis and a mapping of interventions that AU Member States are implementing to address violence and protect women and girls in humanitarian and conflict and emergency situations. The specific objectives are:

• Define and explain what is meant by gender-based violence- sexual exploitation and its evolving nature particularly in humanitarian contexts where girls and woman are most at risk;
• Identify existing mechanisms and highlight recommended practices for Member States and RECs to have clear governance structures and platforms that facilitate the planning, coordination, implementation and monitoring of interventions for the prevention and protection of women and girls from GBV in humanitarian and conflict situations;
• Identify existing GBV data collection capacities in selected countries in humanitarian and conflict situations and highlight good practices for expansion.
• Highlight measures that should be taken by the AUC, Member States and RECs in line with different legal and policy frameworks at continental and regional levels aimed at respecting, protecting and fulfilling the rights of all girls and women for protection of all forms of abuse.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance of the head Social Welfare and Vulnerable Groups- Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, the consultant will be expected to perform the following tasks:

• Research the prevalence and reported cases of gender-based violence against girls and boys in humanitarian and conflict situations and beyond in Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic in selected countries;
• Collect statistics, secondary and primary data on harmful practices- specifically child marriage, including trends in teen pregnancies and FGM;
• Identify existing interventions on protection of children from abuse, both formal and informal, that are in at least 7 selected Member States and provide a critique of these interventions looking at best practices and lessons learnt;
• Examine the effectiveness of AU policies and charters for the protection of girls and boys such as the African charter on the rights and welfare of the child, the Maputo Protocol, the African Youth charter to name a few;
• Assess the relevance and effectiveness of other interventions that are being carried out at grassroots and community levels to combat abuse against girls and boys with evidence-based practices;

DELIVERABLE

The consultant will have the below deliverables:

1. An outline of the methodology of the study, workplan and inception report
2. A comprehensive report that covers the following but not limited to:
   1. A brief overview of the prevalence of SGBV in context of humanitarian and conflict situations amidst of COVID 19 pandemic in selected AU Member States
   2.  A mapping of interventions implemented in selected AU Member States
   3.  An outline of clear recommendations that will embrace a holistic multi-sectoral approach involving different players such as Member States, religious and traditional leaders, civil Society organizations and youth
   4. A framework for the engagement of boys and men in addressing gender-based violence in humanitarian and conflict situations
3. A Presentation of the report at the AU 4th Specialised Technical Committee on Labour, Employment and Social Development to Ministers as a brief
4. Develop the framework on how to involve boys and men in addressing gender-based violence in humanitarian and conflict situations and beyond as partners in development

Competencies

·        Respect for Diversity

·        Integrity

·        Professionalism

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example. 

Required Skills and Experience

Education

• MA in Social Sciences research especially in international law, Child Rights, Human Rights Law, Gender Studies and related fields;

Experience

• At least 5 years of progressive experience in national, sub-regional and regional policy advocacy, research, capacity building and programming initiatives on Ending Violence against women and girls (EVAWG) and human rights in Africa
• Good knowledge and understanding of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child  (ACRWC), the Solemn declaration on gender equality in Africa and Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the
• A well-established track record of conducting similar policy papers in the field of IDPs, refugees and human rights in Africa;
• Experience working with intergovernmental and/or regional organizations including the United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU)

Language

• Excellent knowledge of written and oral communication in English. Knowledge of any other AU language is an asset
• Full command of Microsoft applications, particularly word, and other relevant software.
• UNWomen 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