International consultant for action research on the women’s movement in Burundi At medica mondiale

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Contract Title: International consultant for action research on the women’s movement in Burundi

Reference: BU_GIZ/2021/TdR/01 (competitive negotiated procedure)

I. BRIEF PRESENTATION OF THE SCOPE OF THE WORK

medica mondiale e.V. (mm) is an international NGO founded in 1993 and based in Germany. It is registered as a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Burundi since 06 January 2016 through a cooperation agreement.

The vision of medica mondiale e.V. is: “**Women and girls live in a world without violence, with dignity and justice**”.

The organisation’s activities include development aid projects focusing on holistic stress and trauma sensitive support for women survivors of sexual violence, measures for women’s rights and law enforcement for survivors of violence.

II. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Since the political and security crisis of 2015, numerous analyses have shown that the resilience of Burundians has declined sharply. Society seems to be losing social coherence, values and links between people.

The UNDP’s Burundi Human Development Report 2020 stresses that individualism, discrimination and poverty are the three factors that weaken social cohesion in Burundi, not to mention unemployment and land conflicts.

Since its independence in 1962, Burundi has been caught in a cycle of conflict and poverty. Successive waves of violence have deepened ethnic and regional divisions, while deepening already acute poverty. Marked inequalities in access to economic and social opportunities, a history of violence and impunity, the failure of government and institutions, and the destabilising effect of conflicts in neighbouring states have deepened and prolonged social and regional divisions.

Social cohesion in Burundi is threatened by the persistence of inequalities, but also by a combination of various factors: precariousness of work, inequality of opportunities between men and women, and general prevalence of gender discrimination.

To consolidate social cohesion in Burundi, medica mondiale e.V. is working in the field of gender equality, in particular by supporting the women’s movement in Burundi to develop an exchange between women’s associations with the aim of combating gender discrimination.

The regional programme of medica mondiale in the Great Lakes Region, which from 2015 also includes Burundi, includes among its priorities the equipping of local women’s organisations to take concerted and effective measures in the fight against sexual violence and other violations of women’s rights.

During all these years of fieldwork with women, we have realised that women from different backgrounds have been working for several decades to forge links, organise exchanges and give their struggles a coherent structure. While many are unaware of its existence, the women’s movement today has experience, power and networks.

However, few studies have been conducted to understand how effectiveness of actions and social and political influence can be fostered.

Between decolonising Western frames of reference and managing their own relationships with institutions, religions and other social mobilisations, the Burundian women’s movement aims to achieve emancipation by challenging the domination and violence to which they are subjected: what means are put in place, what strategies, what challenges? what future for the women’s movement?

Using a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach we aim at analysing composition and general characteristics of the women’s movement in Burundi, as well as observable trends and perceived strengths and weaknesses within the movement in terms of civic engagement, organisation, value practice, perceived impact and external influences

III. SCOPE OF THE MISSION

3.1 Objective of the Participatory Action Research (PAR)

In collaboration with key partners (Ministry, local partner associations, women’s civil society associations, etc.), the consultant’s main objective will be the facilitation of the PAR enabling groups, associations, or activists from the women’s movement to come together in order to create a dynamic for reflection and action on key issues for the women’s movement in Burundi.

To this end, a Participatory Action Research will be conceptualised, implemented, and evaluated by the actors of the women’s movement themselves, technically accompanied by a consultant with expertise in action research.

The principles that should guide the implementation of the PAR can be summarised as follows: i) to produce knowledge in collaboration with the girls and women targeted by the research; ii) to put in place measures to promote participation and empowerment of women as key actors/co-producers of the research; iii) to have a reflexive attitude and practice, and iv) to aim for useful changes ‘for’ and ‘defined’ by girls and women at the social or political level as a result.

3.1. Expected results of the action research/consultant assignment

At the end of the participatory action research (PAR), the expected results are

A mapping of the women’s movement in Burundi
A final report to medica mondiale (see point 5) which includes, among other things, an action plan to facilitate the empowerment of PAR participants

3.2 Geographical area concerned

The consultancy will be carried out at country level, with travel to at least five (5) provinces of Burundi: Bujumbura mairie, Bujumbura rurale, Ngozi, Cibitoke and Kayanza.

3.4 Target groups

Groups, associations, or activists of the women’s movement in Burundi.

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2.5. Specific activities

Under the general supervision of the regional representative of medica mondiale e.V., in collaboration with the partner women’s associations, the successful consultant will be expected to perform the following tasks:

Identify, meet and map main actors of the women’s movement in Burundi;
Identify girls and women who have an interest in being co-producers of the research;
To approach the research theme according to the interests of the participants (identification of the problem(s));
Draw up a work schedule;
Train the co-producers in the chosen research methods (use a visual method that makes the production and analysis work intelligible and simple);
Detailing the research protocol;
Collect the data;
Analyse the data by the participants with the support of the consultant;
Draft an action plan to facilitate empowerment of women/girls who participated in PAR

The selected consultant will participate in an initial session to facilitate understanding of ToR, the proposed methodology, and the precise planning of activities.

The consultant shall submit a precise timetable for the services to be provided in accordance with the agreed methodology.

3.6 Management of the Service

3.6.1 Responsible body

The consultant’s direct contact will be the regional representative of medica mondiale e.V. The role of the regional representative will be to validate the methodology and the reports as they are submitted. The regional representative will be responsible for the validation of the methodology and reports as they are submitted, and for ensuring that the quality of the study and the timetable are respected.

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3.6.2 Equipment to be provided by the client

The project team will facilitate the consultant’s access to the women’s movement, communities, and local and international institutions. medica mondiale e.V. will provide one of its premises in Bujumbura and the means of travel for field visits to the provinces of Bujumbura mairie, Bujumbura rurale, Ngozi, Cibitoke and Kayanza, in accordance with the safety rules of mm and based on the programme established with the project coordinator. The consultant will be responsible for travel within the city of Bujumbura.

3.6.3 Start date and period of execution of the tasks

The anticipated start date is January 2022 and the period for completion of the contract will be a maximum of 40 days from the date of contract signing.

Closing date for applications: November 15, 2021

Please send your application (CV, cover letter in French language and references not exceeding 2MB) and salary expectations to recruitment@medicamondiale.org. Please mention “”**Candidature BRGL Chargé(e) du Programme du Sud Kivu**” in the subject line. Please note that we will only contact short-listed candidates!

You can find more information about our projects on our website: www.medicamondiale.org.

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4. CONDITIONS

4.1. Personnel

4.1.1. Consultant

Necessary conditions:

The consultant should have:

Advanced university degree (Masters in Social Sciences or equivalent)
Be a professional with at least 5 years of experience in the field of social science research
Have a proven experience in the design and implementation of participatory action research with a feminist vision
Perfect knowledge of the French language;
Availability to start work in November 2021 and to stay for a period of about 40 days in Burundi. Other declared availabilities will be evaluated by the evaluation committee.

Preferred conditions:

Previous experience of a similar nature to that proposed (feminist research, participatory action research, studies on women’s movements in Africa, etc);
Previous experience in the Great Lakes Region;

4.2. Workstation for the consultant

5. The consultant is expected to work independently: he/she will provide the necessary equipment (laptop, telephone, email, other supplies…) to ensure optimal performance. If necessary, he/she can access the premises of the regional office of medica mondiale e.V. in Bujumbura during opening hours and as agreed with the regional representative.

6. REPORTS

6.1. Reporting requirements

The consultant shall submit the following reports in French language in electronic format:

• Inception report of maximum 5 pages to be produced after one week from

from the start of the implementation. In the report the consultant shall describe, for example, the work programme, the progress of the activities, the difficulties encountered and/or anticipated. The consultant is obliged to continue his work also in the absence of the commissioning party’s comments on the start report.

• Draft of the final report of maximum 30 pages (main text, excluding annexes).

This report must be submitted no later than 10 days before the end of the implementation period of the tasks.

• Final report with the same specifics as the draft final report including

all comments from the parties concerned. The final report should be delivered no later than 05 days after receipt of the comments on the draft final report. The report should sufficiently detail the main steps of the process. It should specify, among other things

o Mapping the women’s movement in Burundi;

o Work executed,

o Lessons learnt;

o Priority recommendations;

o An action plan to facilitate the empowerment of women/girls who participated in the PAR

o The final report should be provided with the corresponding invoice.