onsultancy Terms of Reference
Evaluation of the Kilimanjaro Initiative Campaign
Background
The Kilimanjaro Initiative was conceived during a meeting of rural women and civil society organisations in 2012 to claim equal access and control over land and natural resources for African women. The initiative aims to create opportunities for rural women to participate in decision-making processes regarding their rights to land as women and smallholder farmers.
The mobilisation of rural women at the country level began in early 2015, with supporting organisations[1] facilitating the convening of rural women and the formation of the inaugural Pan African Rural Women’s Council by 2015.
In October 2015, the AU Special Technical Committee on agriculture, water and environment recommended that Member States allocate at least 30% of land to women; improve land rights of women through legislative/other mechanisms, to give practical effect to the AU Declaration on Land in which all African states committed to ensure equitable access to land for all land users and strengthen women’s land rights.
Through the support of the Kilimanjaro Consortium partners, rural women from across Africa mobilised towards an iconic moment at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro in October 2016, using women’s rights to land and productive resources as an entry point for mobilising rural women to define the future they want. This platform aims to provide rural women with a space to engage with and hold decision-makers at national and continental levels accountable, to secure a fundamental, irreversible shift and commitments on women’s land and property rights. The women through the Kilimanjaro Initiative therefore developed and proclaimed the Charter of Principles and Demands on women’s access to use, control, own, inherit and dispose of their land and natural resources. On October 15th and 16th, 2016, during the International Day for Rural Women and World Food Day, respectively, women were mobilised from across Africa to raise their voices on women’s land rights at an iconic moment at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Arusha, Tanzania. A Pan African rural women’s council provided the leadership for mobilising and organising twenty-two (22) countries that participated in the assembly.
Four regional caravans departed simultaneously from the North, South, East and West of Africa, culminating in a mass African rural women’s assembly and a symbolic ascent of the mountain by a delegation of women to proclaim a charter of principles and demands on women’s access to and control over their land. This also coincided with the end of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), marking the first year of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and underscoring the need for continued support to ensure women’s equal access and control over land.
The climax of the assembly was the official handover of the consolidated Charter of Demands to the representative of the African Union Commission (AUC), witnessed by government representatives, Civil Society Organisation (CSO) leaders, and the 500 rural women in attendance. This was followed by the endorsement of the Kilimanjaro Charter of Demands in January 2017 during the AU Gender Pre-Summit and its further formal presentation to the AU Heads of State by the former Chairperson of the AUC, Madam Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. The chair of the Pan-Africa Rural Women Steering Committee formally handed over the Charter during the January Summit.
The Charter is now a public document housed in the African Union’s repository, serving as an important document that carries the aspirations and demands of rural women in Africa.
A decade after rural women in Africa climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, this initiative remains relevant as a platform to advance gender equality, women’s economic justice, and women’s human rights, using equal access, ownership, and control of natural resources as a fundamental starting point. The rural women’s movements have continued to push their demands on leaders at local, national, and international levels to honour their demands and secure their land rights, presenting the Charter of Demands to government officials and other stakeholders.
It is against this backdrop that this proposal is shaped to recognise and engage policy makers on progress towards the ten (10) years of the Kilimanjaro Initiative Campaign (from 2016 to 2026). It would also advance carefully laid-out institutional and policy operationalisation proposals towards renewed and meaningful gains following such a credible milestone.
Oxfam recognises that AKIWOFF members have worked hard for the past years to achieve their set objectives, which are:
- To strengthen the agency and movement of rural women in claiming and defending their land and natural resource rights in Africa.
- To foster political will among national governments, donors, and regional institutions to implement an all-inclusive African women’s charter.
- To mobilise and support the participation of 100,000 rural women in the Kilimanjaro Initiative in at least 20 African countries.
- To raise awareness on existing frameworks and safeguards around large-scale land-based investments and demand for their application in securing legitimate tenure rights of rural women in Africa.
The Consultancy Assignment
Oxfam is seeking a consultant to document the impact of the Kilimanjaro Initiative (2016 – 2025). A consultant is expected to develop a light-touch (desk-review) review of the Kilimanjaro Initiative by reaching out to stakeholders to learn, explore and understand the impact of the campaign.
This light-touch evaluation will culminate in a paper detailing what has been successful and what needs to be addressed. In this review process, a consultant could also include more non-written, oral, creative, and Indigenous artistic forms of knowledge and evidence relating to the campaign activities for the past 10 years.
The consultant is expected to provide recommendations for the future of the campaign that would facilitate the design of a second phase of the campaign.
Duties and Responsibilities
Specifically, the consultant will:
- Arrange calls with different stakeholders who will be interviewed.
- Document and finalise all materials for publication.
- Submit all the documented materials and video recording to Oxfam.
- Demonstrate flexibility and provide solutions to ensure the work is completed to the highest standard.
The Consultant/s/s will, at all times:
- Carry out services and perform tasks with care, skill, and efficiency, always maintaining a professional demeanour.
- Have these terms of reference guide this assignment.
Ideal candidate profile
The selected consultant will possess the following qualifications and experience:
- Share their CV, sharing years of experience in working on similar assignments, and share a link showing similar work that the consultant has done.
- Knowledge and experience in providing similar exercises.
- Experience working in multicultural environments across various settings.
Schedule
The consultant will start working from August 11, 2025, to October 15, 2025.
How to apply
Application Procedure
Interested consultants are expected to send an expression of interest (1 page) demonstrating their suitability for the tasks and a financial proposal/ budget to ssc.consultancy@oxfam.org on or before 3rd August 2025
Adherence to Oxfam principles and policies
Once hired, the consultant shall operate under the principles governing Oxfam ways of working including adherence to policies and procedures of Oxfam with regards to such key issues as non-partisan, neutrality, gender sensitivity, impartiality and accountability, mainstreaming of Gender and HIV/AIDS as well as other policies governing Oxfam operations on transport usage, security guidelines and confidentiality of information collected.