Call for Consultancy: Consultancy for Research on How faith-based actors have contributed to social norm change – AFRICA REGION At ACT Alliance

Location: Home based
Type of Contract: Individual Contract
Languages required: English (Africa Region)
Duration of Contract: 10 – 12 days, 2-month period December 2024 – January 2025 (TBC)
Deadline for applications: 11th December 2024 (early applications are encouraged)

About ACT Alliance

ACT Alliance is the largest coalition of Protestant and Orthodox churches, and faith-based organisations engaged in humanitarian, development and advocacy work in the world. ACT Alliance is a global faith-based coalition organised in national and regional forums operating in more than 127 countries. Through our more than 145 members, we work on humanitarian aid, gender, climate justice, migration and displacement, and peace and security to create positive and sustainable change in the lives of poor and marginalised people regardless of their religion, politics, gender, sexual orientation, race or nationality in keeping with the highest international codes and standards.
Our goal is to promote a locally led and coordinated approach to advocacy, humanitarian and developmental issues.
• ACT Alliance is composed of more than 140 faith-based member organisations working in long-term development, advocacy and humanitarian assistance.
• Our members work in more than 120 countries
• Our members employ more than 30,000 staff and volunteers globally
• Our members mobilise approximately more than $ 2 billions each year
• The alliance is supported by an international Secretariat of more than 25 staff based in Geneva, Bangkok, New York, Toronto, Amman, Bogota, Nairobi and Brussels.
• ACT Alliance was established on 1 January 2010 by bringing together the vision, resources, the people of the organisations who have been working together since 1995 as ACT International and since 2003 as ACT Development.

Scope of Consultancy

Research on 30 Years On: How faith-based actors have contributed to social norm change to advance the Beijing Platform for Action.

In 2025, the global community will mark the thirtieth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995). The Platform for Action affirms the critical roles that social norms contribute to advancing and hindering progress towards gender equality.
ACT Alliance seeks two consultant researchers (one focusing on the Africa region, and one focusing on the LAC region). The study will research the role that faith-based actors have played in transforming social norms that contributing to the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action. The study will focus on selected, critical areas of concern such as women and poverty, human rights of women, women’s access to education, women and environment, the empowerment of women and girls with disabilities, and women in power and decision making.
The study will map and analyse the global landscape, including how social norm change by faith-based actors contributes to policy forums, sustainable development programmes and in response to conflict and climate induced crises. To evidence the impact that faith-based actors and faith-based methodologies are driving forward, the study will also include either regional or national focused research that will enable a deeper understanding of how faith, gender equality, human rights, and social norms intersect.
The study will be designed to be both an advocacy and programmatic tool. This will include advocacy engagement at local, national and global levels to demonstrate how faith-based actors are contributing to the Beijing Platform of Action. The study will illustrate why faith-based actors are critical stakeholders in work for gender equality and why investment in social norm change is essential for achieving the implementation of the Beijing Platform of Action.

The researcher will be responsible for:

• A comprehensive desk review.
• Virtual interviews with key stakeholders in the region (maximum 10 interviews)
• Qualitative data analysis of reports and case studies submitted from the region.
• Prepare a chapter in a report (approx. 5000 words), including case studies, which synthesises evidence from the region.
• Provides recommendations for further programmatic and advocacy work.

The study will be used to influence programmatic designs and strengthen the capacity of faith-based actors to strategically work on social norm change. The study will include creating spaces for collective evidencing best practices, with case studies from ACT Alliance members and partners. The regional consultants will work closely with the ACT Alliance Gender Justice Programme who will facilitate the production of the global report.