
OXFAM
Call for Expressions of Interests: Mapping of Women’s Right Organizations (WRO) in the Humanitarian Sector in Somalia
Call for Expressions of Interests: Mapping of Women’s Right Organizations (WRO) in the Humanitarian Sector in Somalia
Purpose
Women and girls in Somalia are faced with multiple challenges and structural barriers to equality, in addition to crises that exacerbate vulnerabilities and already high levels of needs.
Somalia ranks fourth-lowest for gender equality globally, with a gender gap in economic, political and educational sphere at 0.56, meaning women have around half the opportunities afforded to men. Maternal and infant mortality rates are some of the highest in the world, and early marriage is prevalent, in addition to 91 per cent of women aged 15 to 19 have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM). Gender-based violence (GBV) is pervasive both in peacetime and in crises.
Conflict and disaster affect the lives of women and girls, as they are more likely to drop out of school to fulfill more demanding domestic chores, bear the brunt of food and water shortages, and suffer from increasing rates of harmful practices. They are exposed and vulnerable to rape and other forms of sexual violence, to domestic violence, to forced and early marriage, and to FGM.
Moreover, women are not involved in the decision-making structures at the community level, like villages committees or other decision or governance structures. Elders, community leaders and religious leaders (all male) make the decisions and the clan structure is also a barrier to women’s participation. In parallel to these traditional social structures, mostly through NGO programmes related to food security or water, hygiene and sanitation, some committees included women, but they often had limited participation. Women prefer to gather together through local women’s informal organisations and play a self-organised role in ensuring social and humanitarian services, even across clan lines.
In other words, women are still largely consulted on the basis of being “beneficiaries” and not as owners and co-designers of humanitarian strategies and programmes. Their participation are often limited to needs assessment surveys, which frequently include differentiated needs assessments for women, without being able to contribute in the design of specific humanitarian policies and strategies. Including women in the strategies and design of programmes brings insight into existing and pre-existing gender inequalities, power relations and cultural considerations that can improve community-based responses and resilience strategies.
While the number of WRO are growing in Somalia and Somaliland, most of them do not play a very significant role in the humanitarian field, and the few exceptions are not sufficient to make a major change in the sector and better address women and girls needs and help to make their voices heard. Most of women’s organisations active in the humanitarian sector are recognized partners of several humanitarian NGOs.
The role of local and national WROs within the broader local humanitarian leadership agenda, is important to ensure an appropriate, effective and sustainable response to crises and pave the way to self-reliance, recovery and resilience.
This mapping and research aims to identify the WRO that are currently working the humanitarian sector and strengthen their role, capacity and funding to assume greater participation in decision making spaces and stronger leadership. The mapping also aims to identify potential new candidates interesting in developing into the humanitarian sector in Somalia and how to help them become strategic and operational humanitarian actors.
Key areas for analysis
The research is being commissioned with the aim of :
- Mapping WRO that are currently involved or participating in the humanitarian response, typologies of programmes (e.g. any who are programming beyond protection), geographical areas, and participation in coordination structures
- Mapping WRO that are active civil society organization that would be interested in developing humanitarian assistance programmes
- Better understand WRO’s capacities and weaknesses as humanitarian actors, understand partnership structures and access to funding stream
- Identify barriers that limit or exclude WRO in humanitarian response, coordination structures, access to humanitarian funding.
- Identify possible ways for WRO to connect, build loose/informal alliance and reinforce their participation in the localization agenda and humanitarian sector
- Identify roadmap and capacity gaps to strengthen WRO participation and leadership in the humanitarian sector
Methodology
- Qualitative data:
Interviews will be prioritized as the main source of information gathering. These interviews will be conducted on an individual basis with senior level position/leaders in the WRO. Moreover, interviews will be conducted with INGO/UN agencies/donors to better understanding partnership and funding stream related to the WRO.
- Quantitative data
Explore the possibility of gathering information through a survey with SNC members, or telephone-based survey to reach community-level women local organization.
- Literature Review
Literature review and triangulation of documentary and qualitative data. The latter, which consists of consulting several documents and visiting websites to collect secondary data, will be done. The consultation and review of recommendations from humanitarian projects carried out by local actors will also be a basis for the literature review, as well as a review of available analyses, RTRs and MEAL reports.
Timelines
- Tentatively 30th of June 2021 Final report.
Required skills for lead researcher
Essential
- Minimum of Master’s Degree political science, social sciences, law, international cooperation, etc.in or relevant disciplines.
- Extensive experience in social research including designing and conducting formal and academic researches, data collection and analysis.
- Excellent report writing skills.
- Knowledge of the Somali context
Desirable:
- Knowledge and understanding of advocacy, awareness raising and aid systems.
- Knowledge of advocacy on aid systems, gender and localisation agenda
- Familiarity with work of non-profit organizations.
- Interest in qualitative and quantitative results measurement
- Experience in using technology for research
Mode of application
Expressions of Interest with a technical proposal with budget including 6% consultancy tax and work plan, CVs for researcher or research team should be submitted on or before 25th May 2021, and via email to SOM-Consultancies@oxfam.org . Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
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