1. BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE

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 Researcher, to support the implementation of this study. In particular, the National Researcher will be involved in supporting the completion of the study’s qualitative data collection, among other related tasks.

Under the overall guidance of the UN Women Head of Programmes and direct supervision of Programme Analyst, the National Researcher will provide technical and coordination support to the implementation of the National Study on Violence Against Women in Politics in Nepal. The National Researcher will work closely with the International Consultant leading the coordination and implementation of the study.

2. OBJECTIVES

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.

3. KEY ACTIVITIES[1] AND DELIVERABLES

The National Researcher will provide technical and coordination support to the implementation of the National Study on Violence Against Women in Politics in Nepal.

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

Task 1: Provide coordination support to the Technical Team which comprises of UN Women Nepal Country Office, UN Women HQ, the International Consultant leading the study, and a Survey Agency

• Participate in and provide administrative support in the coordination of the Technical Team meetings, including notetaking and scheduling, as requested.

Deliverables of the National Researcher under Task 1:

• Draft minutes of Technical Team meetings.

Task 2: Support the implementation of the qualitative data collection of the National Study on Violence Against Women in Politics (VAWP) in Nepal

Support to targeted background research on VAWP in Nepal, as required

• Conduct targeted background research on VAWP in Nepal, including researching specific questions related to Nepal’s current legislative and policy framework, at the national and sub-national level, and comparison with standards set by international normative frameworks and global best practices. While the main background research for the study has already been completed, the consultant may be requested to carry out targeted background research on specific questions related to the study and the findings of the data collection. The background research will be conducted as per guidance provided/template designed by the International Consultant.

Support to qualitative data collection nationwide

• Provide inputs to the qualitative data collection plan. This includes inputs to the timeline of activities, number of KIIs/FGDs, selection of respondents, at national and sub-national level.
• Support the organization and lead the facilitation of consultations with approximately 40 women elected for public office at the local level in all seven provinces of Nepal. The consultations can include a mix of KIIs and small FGDs, depending on the research needs and most suitable methodology. The consultations will provide information on key research questions 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.). Given the COVID-19 context, it is anticipated that these consultations will be carried out on a remote basis.
• Support the organization and lead the facilitation of consultations with approximately 10 key stakeholders to gather further insights and/or address knowledge gaps, following the data collection. The consultations can include a mix of KIIs and small FGDs, depending on the methodology deemed most suitable. 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. Given the COVID-19 context, it is anticipated that these consultations will be carried out on a remote basis.

Deliverables of the National Researcher under Task 2:

• Inputs to background research on VAWP in Nepal.
• Inputs to the qualitative data collection plan.
• Draft transcript of information gathered in consultations with approximately 40 women elected for public office during the qualitative data collection, including translation support from Nepali to English, as per agreement with UN Women NCO and the International Consultant.

• Draft transcript of information gathered in consultations with approximately 10 key stakeholders, including translation support from Nepali to English, as per agreement with UN Women NCO and the International Consultant.

Task 3: Support the facilitation of training to the enumerators and supervisors responsible for the administration of the quantitative survey

Support to training needs ahead of the quantitative data collection

• Support the facilitation of training to the enumerators and supervisors responsible for the administration of the quantitative survey. This may include, for instance, support in facilitating select sessions (i.e. GEWE concepts and concerns, and research ethics and confidentiality), as per the support needs identified by the International Consultant. The trainings will build on WHO and UNSD guidelines on research ethics.

Deliverables of the National Researcher under Task 3:

• Inputs to the training for enumerators and supervisors.

Task 4: Support to the preparation of a comprehensive report and advocacy materials

• Conduct preliminary qualitative data analysis as guided by the International Consultant.
• Support the development of a comprehensive final report that integrates evidence from qualitative and quantitative data collection and background research, and highlights 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.
• Support the drafting 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.
• Support the identification of a translator/translation company for the translation of the comprehensive report or its executive summary and/or advocacy materials into Nepali.
• Support the development of communications materials, including human interest stories and/or articles on lessons learned or good practices, to support knowledge management of the project, as per identified needs.

Deliverables of the National Researcher under Task 4:

• Inputs to the detailed outline for the final report, which captures preliminary findings, key messages, and recommendations.
• Inputs to the comprehensive final report that integrates evidence from qualitative and quantitative data collection, and background research.
• Inputs to the advocacy materials including one main advocacy brief and seven short thematic, geographic, and/or demographic briefs.
• Inputs to the Nepali versions of the final report or its executive summary and/or advocacy materials.
• Inputs to communications materials including at least two human interest stories and/or articles on good practices.
• Inputs to lessons learned documentation.

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

Support the coordination of the Reference Group composed national stakeholders relevant to acting on violence against women in politics

• Support the coordination of the meetings of the Reference Group, including notetaking and scheduling. At least two Reference Group meetings are envisioned.

Launching of the report

• Support the coordination and 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.
• Support the development of a dissemination plan for the dissemination of the final report and advocacy materials.

Deliverables of the National Researcher under Task 5:

• Draft meeting summaries of the Reference Group meetings.
• Draft meeting summaries of national and provincial workshops.
• Inputs to the dissemination plan for the dissemination of final report and advocacy materials.

4. DURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT

It is anticipated the assignment will take up to 60 working days over a period of 5 months.

5. 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 will provide project documents and access to relevant training materials, reports, research and data.
• UN Women will introduce the consultant to the International Consultant and research agency leading the implementation of the qualitative and quantitative 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.

6. COMPETENCIES

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 and/or 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, electoral assistance, or EVAW.

7. REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Qualifications and skills:

• Master’s degree in Political Science, Sociology, International Relations, Law or relevant field;
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written;
• Computer literacy (minimum MS Word, Excel).

Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of experience in qualitative research in the areas of women’s political participation, EVAW, or integration of gender equality in elections, including legal and policy review;
• Demonstrable knowledge of EVAW and the status of gender equality in Nepal;
• Sound knowledge of international standards on human rights, women’s rights, elections and related instruments;
• Experience engaging with multiple stakeholders including governments, electoral management bodies, women elected for public office, CSOs particularly women’s organizations, and the UN/ multilateral/bilateral institutions in Nepal;
• Experience in working as part of a research team.

Language: Fluency in oral and written English and Nepali.  

8. HOW TO APPLY

Interested consultants must submit the following documents/information in a single PDF file to demonstrate their qualifications though UNDP jobs site: jobs.undp.org.

• Expression of interest with technical proposal describing your approach, methodology, and timeline for how you will achieve the TOR;
• Completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from:  http://www.unwomen.org/about-us/employment;
• A sample of original research piece where the applicant is the lead author;
• A separate page of financial proposal, proposing total lump-sum figure with breakdown of professional fee per deliverable.

The financial proposal must be submitted in a separate page using the following template.

Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment, please combine all your documents into one single PDF document. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form and written sample will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

9. EVALUATION AND SELECTION CRITERIA

The total number of points awarded during the evaluation is 100, with the technical qualification evaluation accounting for 70 points and the financial proposal accounting for 30 points.  Only the candidates who have attained a minimum of 70% of total points will be considered as technically qualified candidate.

A two-stage procedure is utilized in evaluating the proposals, with evaluation of the technical proposal being completed prior to any price proposal being compared. Only the price proposal of the candidates who passed the minimum technical score of 70% of the obtainable score of 70 points in the technical qualification evaluation will be evaluated.

• Technical qualification evaluation criteria:

The total number of points allocated for the technical qualification component is 70. The technical qualification of the individual is evaluated based on following technical qualification evaluation criteria:

• Master’s degree in Political Science, Sociology, International Relations, Law or relevant field (5 points);
• A minimum of 5 years of experience in qualitative research in the areas of women’s political participation, EVAW, or integration of gender equality in elections, including legal and policy review (20 points);
• Demonstrable knowledge of EVAW and the status of gender equality in Nepal (15 points);
• Experience working with multiple stakeholders including governments, electoral management bodies, women elected for public office, CSOs particularly women’s organizations, and the UN/ multilateral/bilateral institutions in Nepal (10 points);
• Substantive, analytical and language skills based on a sample of original research (20 points).

• Financial/Price Proposal evaluation:

The financial proposal of candidates who meet the technical assessment threshold will be evaluated.  The total number of points allocated for the financial proposal is 30. In this methodology, the maximum number of points assigned to the financial proposal is allocated to the lowest price proposal. All other price proposals receive points in inverse proportion.

A formula is as follows:

p = y (µ/z)

Where:

p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated

y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal

µ = price of the lowest priced proposal

z = price of the proposal being evaluated