Consultancy For A Capacity Assessment Survey Of Childcare Ecosystem Actors At Coalition on Violence Against Women

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Consultancy for a Capacity Assessment Survey of Childcare Ecosystem Actors on Preventing, Responding to, and Mitigating SGBV Affecting Paid Childcare Workers

1. Background.

About Coalition on Violence Against Women (COVAW)

COVAW is a national women’s rights organization that is focused on influencing sustained engagement on violations conducted against women and girls in Kenya, with emphasis on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. COVAW envisions a society where women and girls enjoy equal rights, freedoms and thrive in safe spaces. In doing so, we focus on 4 Key areas: Access to Justice, Access to Comprehensive Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) services, Access to Comprehensive Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV), Women in Economic Empowerment, Women’s Leadership Development and Institutional Development.

COVAW’s interventions deliberately address norms, attitudes, laws, policies and practices that affect women and girls’ safety and well-being in general. This is done through the implementation of gender progressive practices and supporting the development of regulatory and institutional frameworks. Additionally, COVAW fosters consistent engagement with different actors to prevent and respond to VAWG and to hold perpetrators of these violations accountable.

About the Project

COVAW with the support of Global Affairs Canada and World University Services of Canada (WUSC) as the lead partner, Uthabiti Africa and Women Legal Resource Centre (WORLEC) in Malawi, is implementing the ACT project (Action for Paid Childcare Transformation Project). The project uses an innovative systems approach to drive gender transformative, locally owned, collaborative action to transform paid childcare from a job of last resort to a vocation of choice and for the paid childcare sector to become one of economic prosperity for women in Kenya. The areas of implementation include, Nairobi, Kisumu and Kakamega.

Women Paid childcare providers have been instrumental in shaping the future workforce of Kenya and building the economy. Kenya’s National Care Policy is a significant milestone in the childcare sector, recognizing the critical contributions of care work predominantly undertaken by women. It integrates the value of care work into national economic assessments, paving the way for systemic support and improved conditions in the sector.[1] Despite the essential role they play, many still face considerable vulnerabilities, including low pay, poor working conditions, and limited social protection (ILO 2018).[2] According to Uthabiti Africa, it is estimated that over 2 million domestic childcare workers spend 80% of their time on childcare activities [3] The majority of these women come from areas with limited education and socio-economic status, working for low pay and with limited potential to understand and defend their rights, including frequent cases of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and other rights abuses. Through the ACT project, COVAW will work to strengthen support for, and recognition of the value of women-paid childcare providers by tackling harmful gender and social norms. This can only be achieved if systemic, gender-transformative change is driven by local stakeholders who collectively influence and are positioned to effect this change.

2. Purpose of The Consultancy

COVAW is seeking a consultant to conduct a capacity assessment survey of stakeholders in the childcare ecosystem on preventing, responding to, and mitigating SGBV against paid women childcare workers. This consultancy also includes developing a capacity enhancement program to strengthen these stakeholders’ abilities in this area.

3. Specific Objectives:

1. To identify and map key stakeholders within the childcare ecosystem in Kenya.
2. To assess the current knowledge, attitudes, and practices of these stakeholders regarding the prevention, identification, reporting, and response to SGBV against paid childcare workers.
3. To identify gaps and challenges in the current capacity of stakeholders to prevent, respond to, and mitigate SGBV against paid women childcare workers.
4. To develop recommendations for strengthening the capacity of stakeholders to prevent, respond to, and mitigate SGBV against paid women childcare workers.
5. Based on the findings of the capacity assessment, to develop a comprehensive capacity enhancement program that addresses the identified gaps and challenges.

4. Methodology

The survey methodology proposed by the consultant(s) should include participatory tools and suitable qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. Data collection, analytical methods, and presentation of findings, conclusions, and recommendations should be sensitive to and differentiate relevant gender, age, diversity dimensions and other relevant markers to allow precise analysis on women, in different locations, and on different age groups and stakeholders throughout the studies.

5. Deliverables

1. One detailed inception report including a time-bound outline of the study, detailed work plan, detailed methodology for both data collection and analysis, sample size calculations, data collection tools.
2. A detailed assessment report identifying the existing gaps in knowledge, skills, and practices among paid women childcare ecosystem actors regarding SGBV prevention and response; and barriers faced by women paid childcare workers in accessing SGBV services.
3. A comprehensive capacity enhancement program that addresses the identified gaps and challenges.

   6. Responsibilities

4. The consultant will also be responsible for: –
5. Holding an inception meeting (remotely if required) with COVAW staff and reviewing any relevant documentation to gather background information
6. Drafting an inception report (as above) – Incorporating feedback on the inception report into planned approach and activities
7. Organizing the field travel in collaboration with the COVAW team
8. Supervising and quality-assuring field data collection and entry
9. Analyzing and synthesizing qualitative data and preparing a report
10. Submitting draft report and assessment, with accompanying data analysis to COVAW contact staff for feedback
11. Incorporating feedback and submitting a final report and assessment that provides findings that respond to the project’s key objectives, as well as specific, useable, and tailored recommendations that can be directly applied to COVAW’s programming
12. Providing the typed raw data to COVAW contact staff
    1. COVAW will be responsible for: –
13. Availing all necessary project documents to the consultant
14. Holding an inception meeting with the consultant to provide background information and to finalize the research work-plan, timelines and expectations.
15. Provide oversight for data collection.
16. Reviewing the inception report and data collection tools and providing the consultant with specific and timely feedback
17. Reviewing the draft study report and providing the consultant with specific and timely feedback.
18. Managing and supporting the consultant throughout the research process.
19. Approving the final study report.

7. Timelines

The is anticipated to take a maximum of 30 days:

• Start***-*** 10th Feb 2025
• End**-9th March 2025**

  Specific timelines will be agreed upon with the successful consultant.

8. Skills and Qualifications.

Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, Human Rights, Research, economics, Gender Studies or related field**.**

1. Required Experience.
2. Over 5 years’ experience in dealing with conducting research/surveys on human rights or SGBV issues.
3. Good understanding of childcare work, SGBV, Labor laws, Human Rights and Social norms as well as knowledge in Gender Equality and Social Inclusion principles.
4. Proven research, report writing skills and facilitation experience.

High level of professionalism and ethics

[1] UN Women Africa, Bridging the Gap: How Kenya’s National Care Policy Can Drive Gender Equality (UN Women, 2024), https://africa.unwomen.org/en/stories/news/2024/11/bridging-the-gap-how-kenyas-national-care-policy-can-drive-gender-equality

[2] International Labour Organization, Quality Childcare Services and Decent Work for Women (WIEGO, 2020) https://www.wiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/PB01_Quality_Childcare_Svs_EN_ILO-WIEGO.pdf

[3] Uthabiti Africa, Status of Female Childcare Workers in Kenya Report 2023 (ECDAN, 2023) https://ecdan.org/resource/state-of-female-childcare-workers-in-kenya-report-2023-uthabiti