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.

Women’s leadership and political participation is one of UN Women’s primary areas of work as mandated in its inception, recognizing the integral role of women in strong and stable democratic processes. Through its Leadership and Governance section, UN Women works to implement Output 4 of the Entity’s Strategic Plan 2018-21 “More women of all ages fully participate, lead and engage in political institutions and processes”.

To promote the leadership and participation of women in all levels of decision-making processes, UN Women works with a range of stakeholders including women leaders and aspiring candidates, national parliaments and parliamentarians, political parties, media, civil society organizations, and electoral management bodies, in coordination with UN partner Entities, through a wide range of interventions which include: i) support gender responsive legal reforms, and institutional processes to advance women’s participation and representation (including initiatives to address violence against women in politics); ii) build capacities of women leaders and aspiring candidates; iii) promote change of gender norms through advocacy and outreach initiatives targeting communities, political leaders and the media; iv) and support women leaders in gender responsive political institutions.

In Nepal, the successful completion of local, provincial, and federal elections in 2017 heralded a new era for gender equality in political and public life. At the local level, 41 per cent of those elected into public office in local government units (LGUs) were women (approximately 14,000 including over 6,500 Dalit women) as a result of affirmative action. The significant increase in the political participation of women, with many women assuming a formal leadership role for the first time, provides an unprecedented opportunity to deepen democracy and gender-responsive inclusive governance in the country.

At the same time, elected women representatives – particularly those at the local level who have taken up a political role for the first time – face critical barriers. These include both individual-level barriers (e.g. lack of education and political experience, low self-confidence and self-esteem) and institutional-level (e.g. lack of trust in women’s leadership, gender biased attitudes, limited access to decision-making). Many of these barriers are deeply rooted in gendered social norms within a patriarchal social structure that devalue women and may impact their ability or willingness to pursue and capitalize on their leadership roles gained after the 2017 elections. Exclusion and other social and economic hierarchies (based on caste, class, ethnicity, geography, physical ability, sexual orientation, age or religion) further marginalize and disadvantage certain groups of elected women – particularly Dalit, indigenous, Madhesi and Muslim women – from effectively participating in LGUs as leaders and community representatives.

Worryingly, some evidence indicates that the increase in women’s political representation has been accompanied with heightened levels of violence against women in politics (VAWP), which prevents women from effectively exercising their political rights. Many women started experiencing violence in their homes from the point of fielding their candidacy.  Moreover, there have been reports of increased harassment, intimidation, psychological, physical and sexual abuse targeting elected women representatives following the 2017 elections.[1] Several participants at a National Stakeholder Consultation of Elected Women Representatives organized by UN Women in May 2019 noted that women representatives, specifically deputy mayors, face mounting pressure from mayors and local communities while performing their duties. Most participants echoed that women representatives have limited bargaining power and are often silenced by the mayors and even by ward chairs, majority of whom are men.

This evidence is consistent with earlier studies on VAWP in the context of Nepal. For instance, a 2013 study found that psychological gender-based violence is highly prevalent in Nepali politics with 96 per cent women politicians interviewed having been subject to psychological violence.[2] VAWP was also identified as an issue of concern following the Constituent Assembly (CA) elections in 2008, during which women experienced diverse forms of violence ranging from character assassination, harassment and sexual abuse, death threats and intimidation.[3] Furthermore, violence against women and girls among the general population in Nepal is pervasive and occurs in both the private and public spheres. The data regarding the issue shows that 22 per cent of women aged 15-49 have experienced physical violence since age 15; 7 per cent have ever experienced sexual violence; while 26 per cent of ever-married women have experienced spousal violence[4].

While evidence and data on VAWP is still largely anecdotal in Nepal and elsewhere, there is increased global recognition that documenting, preventing and responding to VAWP is crucial. At an expert group meeting on VAWP in 2018, the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences (SRVAW) highlighted the importance of collecting, monitoring and analyzing data on violence against women in politics nationally, including on femicide, to design better prevention strategies.[5] In her subsequent report to the General Assembly, the SRVAW reiterated the importance of documentation to overcome the “normalization of violence,” especially when information on VAWP as a phenomenon is discredited.[6] The SRVAW recommended States to build the capacity of all State institutions, including parliaments and election bodies, to guarantee that women can realize their political rights free from gender-based violence, and engage in transparent discussions about the prevention of violence against women, including by conducting surveys on prevalence and creating mechanisms for efficient complaints procedures.  

In this context, UN Women Nepal Country Office is supporting a national study on Violence Against Women in Politics (VAWP) in Nepal. The study will document experiences of women in politics, with a particular focus on assessing obstacles to women’s political participation, including the experience of violence, magnitude, forms of violence, risk and protective factors, help-seeking behavior, and consequences it may have on women’s health, well-being as well as on their political participation and leadership. The data collection methods used by the study will be quantitative sample surveys and qualitative interviews and focus groups. This information will be complemented by an assessment of the national and sub-national legislative and policy framework on women’s political participation and VAWP, enabling the identification of entry points for strengthening the normative and institutional framework on VAWP.

Furthermore, the continuing spread of the COVID-19 pandemic presents countries including Nepal with an extraordinary challenge with far-reaching consequences in all aspects of life. Evidence shows that the compounding complexities of the development and humanitarian crisis are having a disproportionate effect of women/girls, as well as those at-risk and vulnerable groups[7]; as pre-existing gender and socio-economic inequalities are further exacerbated during the crisis and in its aftermath. The extent and ways in which the crisis will shape the participation of women in political life, or issues such as VAWP, will also be considered.

While ‘women in politics’ is a broader term for women who directly or indirectly participate in different forms of political activity, this study is focused on women elected for public office at the local level in the 2017 elections. This group of women represents the vast majority of women elected for political office and is expected to be most diverse in terms of age, class, caste, ethnicity, location, religion and disability, thus enabling the study to have an intersectional approach.

It is anticipated that the study will generate evidence on most critical barriers to women’s political participation and leadership in local government in Nepal, guiding efforts of UN Women and its partners to promote and support women’s political empowerment and participation as office holders. Moreover, the technical lessons learned from conducting the study will inform future global quantitative and qualitative research on violence against women office holders and the feasibility of implementing a separate survey on women candidates running in 2022 local elections in Nepal.

UN Women Nepal CO is now seeking the services of a National Consultant, to support the coordination of this study.

Under the overall guidance of the UN Women Deputy Representative  and direct supervision of Programme Specialist (Unit Manager), and in close coordination with the Programme Analyst and UN Women HQ, the National Consultant will provide the technical support and coordination required to effectively implement the National Study on Violence Against Women in Politics in Nepal in coordination with key partners and stakeholders on the ground.

The study has the following objectives:

• Strengthen the evidence base on women’s political participation experiences and obstacles, notably VAWP in Nepal;
• Contribute to the development of a global model for measuring and monitoring VAWP;
• Generate knowledge on national and sub-national legislative and policy framework on political participation and VAWP in Nepal;
• Identify entry points and provide recommendations for strengthening the monitoring, prevention and response to VAWP in Nepal.

1. KEY ACTIVITIES AND DELIVERABLES

The National Consultant will provide the technical support and coordination required to implement the National Study on Violence Against Women in Politics in Nepal.

To achieve this objective, the consultant will undertake the following tasks:

Task 1: Support overall coordination and implementation of all components of the National Study on Violence Against Women in Politics in Nepal

• Develop a detailed workplan and timeline for the implementation of the study in close coordination with UN Women Nepal Country Office and UN Women HQ.
• Lead and oversee the implementation of the workplan of the study in close coordination with UN Women Nepal Country Office, UN Women HQ, and resource agency/persons.
• Liaise with resource agency/persons and additional support persons[1] to ensure the timely implementation of the different components of the study.
• Review and provide quality control of deliverables submitted by resource agency/persons.
• Provide regular updates and coordinate the meetings of the Technical Team[2] which comprises of UN Women Nepal Country Office and UN Women HQ.

Deliverables of the National Consultant under Task 1:

• Detailed workplan and timeline for the study.
• Minutes of Technical Team meetings.
• Minutes of resource agency/persons meetings.
• Substantive inputs to deliverables submitted by resource agency persons.

Task 2: Lead the implementation of the qualitative components of the National Study on Violence Against Women in Politics (VAWP) in Nepal

Background research and review of legislative and policy framework on VAWP in Nepal

• Conduct a mapping of existing quantitative and qualitative approaches in collecting data on VAW and VAWP in the context of Nepal, including (a) gathering tools previously used in collecting information on VAW and VAWP in the context of Nepal (e.g. questionnaires, interview guides, focus group guides, manuals for data collection etc.); and (b) identifying lessons learned that could be used in the qualitative and quantitative components of the current study, including on issues covered (magnitude measurement, risk and protective factors, perpetrators, location, consequences etc.), specific modalities of obtaining information (phrasing questions, sequencing of issues covered in interviews), and reported challenges in data collection or presentation of the results.
• Conduct a review of Nepal’s current legislative and policy framework, at the national and sub-national level, as it relates to women’s political participation and VAWP, and by comparison with standards set by international normative frameworks and global best practices. Voluntary strategies and initiatives (such as codes of conduct adopted by political parties) and key actors/stakeholders in monitoring, preventing and responding to VAWP in Nepal will also be identified.

Preliminary qualitative research[3] and verification of the scope of study

• Carry out a nationwide stakeholder mapping of stakeholders relevant to preventing, mitigating or responding to violence against women in politics in Nepal. Stakeholders may include, for example, electoral management bodies (EMBs), police/security sector, political parties or the judiciary, UN agencies, development partners, and civil society actors engaged in addressing VAWP.
• Design and conduct a minimum of 20 consultations with relevant stakeholders. Consultations with these actors, individually or in group, may provide information on, for example, existing types of VAWP, mechanisms to report, prevent and respond to VAWP, reported cases, and services available to women who experienced violence. They may also be engaged in discussions regarding information and knowledge gaps that could be addressed by the study.  
• Design and conduct a minimum of 10 individual in-depth interviews (or a small number of focus groups) with a sample of persons who experienced or witnessed violence as candidates in 2017 local elections or as members of political office. These will provide information on (a) issues to be covered by the quantitative and qualitative components of the study (magnitude measurement vs. narratives of experiences, risk and protective factors, who are the perpetrators, when and where VAWP is taking place, consequences of violence etc.); (b) identify specific acts of violence experienced by women that should be captured in the questionnaire; (c) suggest specific phrasing that could be used when designing the questionnaire; and (d) identify potential sensitivities with regards to the questionnaire/interview guide.

Qualitative data collection nationwide

• Develop qualitative data collection plan and methodology, including specifying the timeline of activities, number of interviews and principles in selecting persons for in-depth interviews with women elected for public office at the local level in all seven provinces of Nepal. The qualitative data collection may be conducted independently or integrated with the quantitative survey data collection.
• Conduct a minimum of 40 individual in-depth interviews with women elected for public office at the local level in all seven provinces of Nepal.
• Conduct a minimum of 10 individual in-depth interviews or a small number of focus groups with key stakeholders to gather further insights and/or address knowledge gaps.

Deliverables of the National Consultant under Task 2:

• Inception report comprising of a proposed methodology and tools for the preliminary qualitative research, initial literature review, and draft outline for the comprehensive final report.
• Mapping of existing quantitative and qualitative approaches in collecting data on VAW and VAWP in the context of Nepal.
• Review of Nepal’s current legislative and policy framework, at national and sub-national level as it relates to women’s political participation and VAWP, and by comparison with standards set by international normative frameworks and global best practices.
• Transcript of information gathered in preliminary consultations, focus groups and interviews.
• An interview guide for the main qualitative data collection in the field.
• Qualitative data collection plan time including timeline of activities, number of interviews and principles in selecting persons for in-depth interviews with women elected for public office at the local level in all seven provinces in Nepal.
• Transcript of information gathered in interviews during the main qualitative data collection in the field.

Task 3: Provide technical and advisory support to the research agency/persons leading the quantitative components of the study

Development of quantitative data collection tools

• Provide substantive inputs to the sampling framework and development of the quantitative data collection tools – including a questionnaire and interviewer’s manual – building on relevant existing methods of data collection on VAW and VAWP and preliminary qualitative research undertaken as part of this study.
• Provide substantive inputs to the development of a testing strategy, including pilot training and pilot survey, for the quantitative data collection tools.
• Design and facilitate select sessions (i.e. GEWE concepts and concerns, and research ethics and confidentiality) of the pilot training for enumerators and supervisors responsible for the administration of the quantitative survey, in close coordination with the lead research agency/persons. The pilot training will build on WHO and UNSD guidelines on research ethics.

Quantitative data collection

• Provide substantive inputs to the sampling frame and quantitative data collection plan.
• Design and facilitate select sessions of the main training (building on the pilot training above) for enumerators and supervisors responsible for the administration of the survey, in close coordination with the lead research agency/persons.
• Provide substantive inputs to the final survey report of the research agency/persons.
• Provide substantive inputs to the report on lessons learned from the field.

Deliverables of the National Consultant under Task 3:

• Substantive inputs to the quantitative data collection tools, including questionnaire, interviewer’s manual, testing strategy, pilot training and pilot survey, and sampling design.
• Substantive inputs to the quantitative data collection plan, training, final survey report and report on lessons learned.
• Facilitator’s notes for the pilot and main training for enumerators and field supervisors.

Task 4: Preparation of a comprehensive report and advocacy materials

• Conduct qualitative data analysis.
• Develop a comprehensive final report[4] integrating evidence from qualitative and quantitative data collection and the review of legislative and policy framework, and highlighting short- and long-term entry points, opportunities, and priority actions for key state and non-state actors (parliament, electoral management bodies, political parties, legislative bodies, local administrations, traditional and religious leaders, elected women representatives, civil society and the women’s movement, and UN Women and other UN agencies), to better monitor, prevent and respond to VAWP.
• Development of advocacy materials including one main advocacy brief (4-6 pages) and seven short thematic, geographic and/or demographic briefs (2 pages each), based on the comprehensive report and data collected.
• Liaise with a translator/translation company for the translation of the comprehensive report or its executive summary and/or advocacy materials into Nepali, including quality assurance.
• Document knowledge generated from the whole initiative, specifically on its progress, design, and management together with the Technical Team. Communications materials, including human interest stories and/or articles on good practices, may be considered to support knowledge management of the project.

Deliverables of the National Consultant under Task 4:

• Detailed outline for the final report, including preliminary findings, key messages, and recommendations.
• Comprehensive final report (50-70 pages) integrating evidence from qualitative and quantitative data collection and the review of legislative and policy framework.
• Advocacy materials including one main advocacy brief and seven short thematic, geographic, and/or demographic briefs.
• Substantive inputs to the Nepali versions of the final report or its executive summary and/or advocacy materials.
• Communications materials including at least two human interest stories and/or articles on good practices.
• Substantive inputs to lessons learned documentation.

Task 5: Liaise with national and provincial stakeholders and experts to ensure their buy-in and participation in the implementation of the study and dissemination of its findings

Coordinates the Reference Group composed national stakeholders relevant to acting on violence against women in politics

• Substantive inputs to the TORs for a Reference Group, composed of national stakeholders relevant to acting on violence against women in politics. The Reference Group will be established at the beginning of the project to ensure that the process and results of the study are relevant to and owned by those who will be responsible for implementing the recommendations of the study.
• Coordinate and facilitate the meetings of the Reference Group. At least two Reference Group meetings (at the beginning and the end of the project) are envisioned.

Launching of the report

• Coordinate the organization of national and provincial (Provinces 2, 3 and 7) workshops with relevant stakeholders and experts, including elected women representatives and members of vulnerable and excluded groups to launch the report and share its findings and recommendations.
• Develop a dissemination plan for the dissemination of the final report and advocacy materials.

Deliverables of the National Consultant under Task 5:

• Substantive inputs to the TORs of the Reference Group.
• Meeting summaries of the Reference Group meetings.
• Meeting summaries of national and provincial workshops.
• Dissemination plan for the dissemination of final report and advocacy materials.

1. DURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT

It is anticipated the assignment will take up to 170 working days over a period of 12 months.

1. TENTATIVE TIMELINE OF KEY DELIVERABLES AND PAYMENT SCHEDULE

Schedule of payments:

Payment for this consultancy will be based on the achievement of each deliverable and certification that each has been satisfactorily completed. Payment will be based on the submission of the SSA report along with the timesheet and relevant annexes as supporting documents for the achievement of deliverables.

Inputs:

• UN Women NCO will facilitate travel arrangements (national) and provide DSA as per actual cost, based on a mutually agreed travel plan.
• UN Women will provide the consultant with relevant background materials and programme documents for the project. Specifically, UN Women provide project documents and access to relevant training materials, reports, research and data.
• UN Women will directly contract a research agency/persons for the implementation of the quantitative components of the study. UN Women may also hire a research associate and/or a senior advisor to support the implementation of certain components of the study.
• UN Women will provide formal letters to introduce the consultant to government and other key stakeholders as and when needed.
• It is mandatory for the consultant to participate in a UN security briefing and to follow UN security rules and guidance.
• It is the consultant’s responsibility to arrange private insurance.
• The consultant will be required to provide a Statement of Good Health, endorsed by a certified Medical Practitioner.

Core Values and Guiding Principles

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling UN Women values and ethical standards;
• Demonstrates a commitment to UN Women’s mission and vision;
• Able to work effectively within a team;
• Displays cultural and gender sensitivity and adaptability;
• Able to multi-task and juggle competing demands;
• Can assess and prioritize work needs quickly;
• Demonstrates integrity by modeling UN Women values and ethical standards;
• Able to relate to external partners, including other international organizations and agencies, NGOs, grassroots community groups, etc.

Functional Competencies

• Sound practical knowledge on women’s political participation and EVAW programming including on prevention and mitigation of violence against women in elections/politics;
• Previous experience in field-based women’s political participation/EVAW programming in a variety of cultural and political contexts, particularly in developing countries;
• Ability to work effectively and harmoniously with people from varied cultures and professional backgrounds, demonstrating excellent interpersonal communication skills;
• Results based management skills;
• Ability to produce well-written reports and/or programme documents demonstrating analytical ability;
• Excellent communication skills;
• Experience in working with UN Women or UN or international NGOs on women’s political participation and electoral assistance.

Education:

Advanced university degree (master’s degree or Ph.D) Political Science, Sociology, International Relations, Law or relevant field.

Experience:

• At least 12 years of experience providing technical assistance and coordinating and conducting research studies in the areas of women’s political participation, EVAW, electoral assistance and integration of gender equality in elections, including legal and policy review;
• Demonstrable expertise on violence against women;
• Sound knowledge of international standards on human rights, women’s rights, elections and related instruments;
• Demonstrated experience in managing a research team;
• Experience working with multi-stakeholder organizations including governments, electoral management bodies, CSOs particularly women’s organizations and the UN/ multilateral/bilateral institutions in Nepal;
• Experience in programme design and results-based management;
• Proven experience in designing and leading qualitative research.

Language: Fluency in oral and written English and Nepali.  

Note:

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women’s empowerment.