Strategic Analysis of Gender and Youth in Transhumance Systems At Wildlife Conservation Society

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Organisation: Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)

Presentation of the organization

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a U.S. nonprofit organization established in 1895 that works to preserve wildlife and wild places by identifying critical problems, developing science-based solutions, and leading conservation actions that benefit nature and humanity. With over a century of experience, long-term commitments in dozens of landscapes, a presence in over 60 countries, and experience in establishing over 150 protected areas worldwide, WCS has accumulated biological and sociocultural knowledge of the areas concerned, and built strong partnerships to ensure that wild places and wildlife thrive alongside local communities. In collaboration with local communities and organizations, this knowledge informs our strategies for managing species, habitats, and ecosystems, which are essential to improving the quality of life for poor rural people whose livelihoods depend on the direct use of natural resources.

The Sudano-Sahel region (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Nigeria, and Chad) offers an unprecedented opportunity to play a direct role in preserving some of the world’s last intact wilderness areas, and to contribute significantly to the security of people and wildlife. The region’s savannahs, forests, and wetlands support key populations of endangered elephants, northern giraffes, lions, elands, chimpanzees, gorillas, and bongos. Hundreds of bird species are found in the region, including the shoebill and crowned crane. Communities also rely on these lands for their livelihoods, through livestock farming, agriculture, fishing, and hunting. WCS has a strong presence in the Sudano-Sahel region, where it has a long history of conservation work and a proven track record in protected area management. We are actively working to support protected area management and wildlife law enforcement, local livelihoods, develop conservation-security partnerships, strengthen anti-trafficking activities, and implement our policy and science programs.

Project: PAIRIAC ( Program to Support Regional Integration and Investment in Central Africa )

Location: Northern Cameroon or Chad

Estimated duration: 30 working days over a period of 3 months, ideally from November 2025

Budget: 15 000 EUR

1. Background and rationale

The PAIRIAC project is a cornerstone of WCS’s overall strategy for the Sudano-Sahelian region, which aims to strengthen socio-ecological resilience in landscapes essential to biodiversity and human livelihoods. A central focus of this strategy is to address the challenges and exploit the opportunities of transhumant pastoralism. Our approach aims to mitigate resource-related conflicts, secure pastoral mobility, strengthen community-based governance of natural resources, and reduce pressure on protected areas.

Experience shows that gender-blind conservation and development interventions are not only inequitable but also ineffective. They fail to truly build community resilience because they overlook the roles, knowledge, vulnerabilities, and contributions of half the community. Yet, within pastoral societies, women play an important role. They manage household food supplies, are key actors in dairy and small ruminant value chains, and possess unique knowledge of water resources and rangelands. Similarly, young people represent the future of pastoralism, but their disengagement from traditional livelihoods and governance structures can lead to conflict and unsustainable practices.

To ensure a thorough and robust consideration of gender and youth issues in the PAIRIAC project and in WCS’s pastoral strategy, we must go beyond simple participation indicators. We need a detailed understanding of the power dynamics within households and at the community level that shape access to and control over resources. Therefore, this consultancy is not an isolated gender study, but a strategic analysis aimed at identifying key levers. It will provide the data needed to directly integrate gender and youth issues into our core conservation strategies, thus ensuring their equity, impact, and sustainability.

2. Objectives

General objective:

Inform WCS’s pastoral strategy and PAIRIAC’s resilience building objectives by generating a nuanced analysis of gender and youth dynamics, identifying key barriers and opportunities to their empowerment within natural resource management systems.

Specific objectives:

  1. Synthesize existing knowledge and past interventions: Conduct a targeted review of existing data and project evaluations on gender and pastoralism in the region, specifically analyzing the successes and failures of past interventions aimed at integrating women and youth into natural resource management.
  2. Analyze power, roles, and livelihoods: Map the distinct roles of pastoral women, men, and youth in natural resource management and key pastoral value chains (e.g., livestock, dairy, non-timber forest products). It is crucial to analyze the underlying power dynamics, decision-making authority, and control over assets and income within pastoral households and community institutions.
  3. Identify systemic barriers to inclusion: Assess the structural barriers (cultural norms, land tenure, institutional biases, workload, security concerns, etc.) that limit the meaningful participation of pastoral women and youth in resource governance. Analyze how conservation activities themselves may inadvertently reinforce these barriers.
  4. Identify strategic leverage points: Identify concrete and actionable opportunities and good practices to strengthen the role of women and youth in conflict mitigation, sustainable rangeland management, and conservation-compatible businesses, directly aligning these opportunities with WCS strategic priorities.
  5. Develop a strategic action plan: formulate a set of practical, context-specific recommendations, structured as an action plan that can be directly integrated into the PAIRIAC annual work plan and the wider WCS pastoral strategy.

3. Tasks

The consultant will have to:

  1. Conduct a desk study focusing on lessons learned from past and current regional projects.
  2. Submit an initial report detailing a robust, mixed-method methodology, gender-sensitive tools, and a clear work plan that links research questions to strategic objectives.
  3. Conduct targeted fieldwork with selected communities in WCS landscapes in Cameroon or Chad. The methodology should go beyond simple questioning and include a participatory analysis of the following elements:
  • Decision-making processes in pastoralist community governance structures.
  • Gendered impacts of resource competition and conflict.
  • Value chains where women and young pastoralists are active, mapping opportunities and constraints.
  1. Analyze qualitative data to identify systemic patterns, power imbalances, and strategic entry points for WCS interventions.
  2. Write a concise, analytical, and action-oriented report that emphasizes strategic recommendations rather than lengthy description.
  3. Facilitate a strategic workshop with the WCS team and other pastoral stakeholders to present the results and collaboratively refine the proposed action plan.

4. Expected deliverables

  1. An initial report submitted within 10 days of contract signing, describing the refined methodology, tools and work schedule.
  2. A draft report submitted to WCS for review and comment.
  3. A final report (maximum 25 pages excluding annexes) in French, with a summary in French and English, the documentary review and detailed recommendations.
  4. A PowerPoint presentation for the final project workshop.

5. Qualifications and experience required

  • Education: Master’s degree in gender studies, sociology, anthropology, rural development or a related social science field.
  • Professional experience:
    • At least 5 to 7 years of professional experience in conducting strategic gender analyses and social assessments, not just descriptive studies.
    • Proven expertise in qualitative research methods and power analysis in a culturally sensitive manner.
    • A thorough knowledge of conservation, climate adaptation and natural resource management issues is essential.
    • Experience working with pastoral communities in the Sahel or Central Africa is a major asset.
  • LANGUAGES :
    • A perfect command of French (oral and written) is essential.
    • A good working knowledge of English is preferred.
    • Knowledge of local languages ​​(e.g. Fulfulde) would be a considerable advantage.

How to apply

6. Application process

Interested candidates are invited to submit an application package including:

  1. Technical proposal (maximum 4 pages) detailing their understanding of these terms of reference, a methodology focused on identifying actionable recommendations and a work schedule (with the final report and presentation expected before the project closes in March 2026).
  2. Detailed curriculum vitae (CV) , including at least two references for similar missions.
  3. Detailed financial proposal with a clear breakdown of costs (fees, travel, per diem, visa fees, etc.).

Applications should be sent to ssrconsultancies@wcs.org by October 10, 2025.