Call For Tenders For The Engagement Of An Experienced Gender Expert (Service Contract) For The Sages Programme At Charity Austria

Madam, Sir

Caritas Austria promotes development work in long-term partnerships with church and civil society organisations in defined partner regions. Caritas supports them in their work and helps them to find ways out of poverty for disadvantaged people and to enable them to live in dignity. Development cooperation is focused on the two priorities “A future without hunger” and “A future for children and young people”. For further information, please refer to the Caritas Austria website: www.caritas.at

The “SAGES” (Food Security, Gender and Gender Equality) program – implemented in the Centre-North regions of Burkina Faso, Kayes in Mali, as well as Tambacounda and Kaolack in Senegal during the period from 01.07.2021 to 30.06.2026 – contributes to gender equality (SDG 5) as well as the eradication of poverty (OGS 1) and hunger (SDG 2).

The specific objectives, results and actions of the program are:

(1) Women active in agriculture have improved and more equitable access to productive resources and services in agriculture and benefit fairly from the profits generated.

• Raising awareness of human rights, especially women’s rights.
• Improving women’s access to agricultural information and training.
• Improve women’s access to land, inputs, agricultural tools and equipment, and financial services.
• Improving women’s access to markets and control over income from agricultural work.

(2) Women and men from poor rural households work together as equals to adapt to the impacts of climate change and to sustainably meet their families’ food needs while preserving ecosystems.

• Raising awareness of gender equality in agriculture and strengthening resilience to the effects of climate change.
• Capacity building in the area of ​​sustainable food production and storage.
• Support for the protection and restoration of natural resources
• Fight and prevention of malnutrition within families, particularly among women and young children.
• Creation of structures to reduce the time spent by women on unpaid activities and household tasks.

(3) Development actors (in the fields of gender equality and agriculture) have improved knowledge on the links between gender and food security and collaborate more closely to strengthen the position of women in agriculture.

• Capacity building of implementing organizations to promote a transformative process towards gender equality.
• Networking and knowledge management among development actors in the field of gender equality and food security.
• Sensitization of local authorities and service providers to better integrate gender equality issues into their planning and work.

Target groups: 6,460 rural households will benefit primarily from gender-sensitive and equal support in sustainable agricultural activities and increased food security. These rural households correspond to a total of approximately 44,367 vulnerable people. Among them, special attention will be paid to 8,336 women working in agriculture, whose equal rights and empowerment will be promoted. In addition, the nutritional situation of the women concerned (especially pregnant and lactating women) as well as approximately 7,132 children under five will be improved in order to prevent or treat malnutrition. In addition, the following actors will benefit from capacity building in order to better integrate gender issues into their daily work: 90 employees of local partner organizations, 109 other development actors (e.g. grassroots organizations, NGOs, state actors) and 92 local public officials. As indirect beneficiaries, the rural population (approximately 141,200 people) as well as government institutions in the programme regions will benefit from the programme results.

The main task of the gender expert is to strengthen the capacities of the programme team in the priority area of ​​gender equality and to advise the programme team in order to be able to ensure quality standards and good practices in the field of gender equality and the empowerment of (rural) women in the SAGES programme. He/she works in consultation with the SAGES Gender Focal Point at Caritas Austria.

The main tasks are:

• Advise, lead and finalize with organizations their Gender strategies, the Gender Action Plan and related (internal) instruments;
• Promote professional standards of equality and the integration of the gender dimension within the SAGES program;
• Support and strengthen, where necessary, the integration of possible gender aspects into the general management of the programme cycle (e.g. in implementation, monitoring/evaluation, etc.) taking into account, among other things, the recommendations of the mid-term evaluation in the area of ​​gender.
• Initiate and support the process of validation and appropriation/deployment of the strategy document within the organization
• Support to partner organisations: participation in online exchange meetings between gender focal points of all programme organisations, setting up additional meetings if necessary on an individual or group basis, advice, capacity building visits to partner organisations as needed, support for local networking and cooperation, proposals for tools for setting up advocacy actions when necessary, etc.;
• Support from Caritas Austria and implementing organisations in sharing good practices and lessons learned in gender equality but also in online workshops if needed.

In accordance with the various tasks and depending on the programme documents on which SAGES is based (in particular application document, logical framework, budget): Development of a calendar of annual tasks in collaboration with the SAGES Gender Focal Point at Caritas Austria.

Qualifications :

Required qualifications:

• University degree in a relevant field (gender, social sciences, law and/or other disciplines relevant to development cooperation)
• Relevant professional experience and proven knowledge:
  • in the field of gender equality in the international context
  • in the field of development cooperation or humanitarian aid
• Fluent in spoken and written French
• Training and animation skills
• Willingness to work with and in multiple countries (online and while traveling in the field), Ability and motivation to work with a multicultural team
• Ability to perform complex tasks responsibly and independently
• Ability to work in a team
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, ability to communicate clearly and sensitively with various program stakeholders.
• Clear adherence to the core values ​​and principles of Caritas Austria
• Willingness to travel to program regions [1]

Desirable (additional benefit):

• Diploma/experience in food safety
• Experience in the West African context
• Language skills in English, Bambara, Maninka, Wolof or Moore

Scope of the activity (mission):

The expected start date of the activity is May 5, 2025 and the expected end date of the activity is June 30, 2026 (end of the SAGES duration) – therefore 14 months in total.

The number of working days required per month is 8 days on average, or approximately 112 in total for the entire period.

Note: Possible travel to meet with implementing organisations in West Africa / stays in programme areas (up to 4 maximum and depending on the current security situation in the different countries concerned) are covered in addition by the programme budget.