Consultancy for gender analysis and gender programming training in Lebanon At Caritas Austria

Terms of Reference: gender consultancy

A. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

Project title:

PHASE: Protection and health assistance in emergencies for vulnerable girls, boys, women and men in Lebanon

Country:

Lebanon

Partner organizations:

Caritas Austria, Caritas Lebanon

Tentative timeframe of assignment:

February 2024 – March/ April 2025

Closing date

14th April 2025

Lebanon ranks 108th in the Gender Inequality Index (out of 170) and 119th in the Global Gender Gap Index (out of 146)[1]. Women in Lebanon face a number of factors which constrain their ability to fully contribute to the society. These are institutional, legal, cultural, familial, communal, and personal in nature. In summary, women’s ability to contribute is constrained and their ability to maximize their potential is hindered. Although the burdens on women have increased (as a result of becoming heads of households, having to earn income, etc), the structures and cultural factors which constrain them continue. In addition, gender-based violence (GBV) has increased and women face more dangers in the current context. Moreover, Lebanon is going through an unprecedented political and economic crisis, compounded by multiple shocks that hit the country throughout 2019 and 2020 – the October 2019 uprising, the onset of COVID-19 in February 2020 and most recently the August 2020 Beirut Explosion.

Analysis of data shows that vulnerable women, girls, men and boys in all their diversity from the host, refugee and migrant community in Lebanon face the following key problems:

• Limited access to health care
• Limited access to mental health and psychosocial support
• Lack of adequate treatment for pregnant and lactating women
• Lack of access to safe and accessible protection services

As the developments in Lebanon are leading to a range of critical issues that negatively impact the protection situation of especially women, Syrian refugees, migrant workers, & vulnerable Lebanese. Therefore, the project will provide safe & accessible protection services, including shelter services to vulnerable girls, boys, women & men in all their diversity from the host, refugee & migrant community in Lebanon to reduce immediate protection risks.

Caritas Austria and Caritas Lebanon are implementing the PHASE project Protection and health assistance in emergencies for vulnerable girls, boys, women and men in Lebanon, funded by the Austrian Development Agency and Caritas Austria.

The project contributes to relief of immediate health and protection needs and building resilience against health and protection risks of vulnerable girls, boys, women and men in all their diversity from the host, refugee and migrant community in Lebanon.

The project interventions aim at promoting access to assistance for both girls and boys, men and women. However, with the differentiated conditions, situation and abilities to exercise rights of access and control, among and between diverse groups of girls and boys, women and men, the gender analysis will be conducted to better understand the gender barriers as well as opportunities. It will also clarify the gendered power relations among and between men and women to refine the project design, implementation strategies and ensure their responsiveness to the needs and interests of targeted groups, particularly girls and women. Intersectionality is core to the analysis. Girls and boys, women and men are of diverse background and understanding the interconnectedness of variables and their experiences in their daily lives and in exercising their rights, is at the core of proposing more transformative solutions that bridge gender gaps, decrease inequalities and amplify local ownership and voices in defining change.

B. OBJECTIVES

The main objective of the intersectional gender analysis is to provide information to the project team and Caritas Lebanon overall on gender gaps, inequalities, as well as needs, constraints and opportunities of women and men, girls and boys in Lebanon. The analysis should also support the project team to understand root causes of inequalities through defining the social, cultural, political and economic factors that perpetuate them, it should also contextualize the impact on the outcomes of the programme, and give recommendations to address them.

The findings of the intersectional gender analysis will support the team in:

• enhancing project impact, efficiency and effectiveness from a gender perspective,
• defining more gender responsive strategies to reach out to the most vulnerable, particularly women and female headed households,
• identifying solutions to overcome and address gender related barriers that influences ability of women to access and control resources and decision making,
• understanding gender power dynamics and their impact on relations between and among women and men, including safety and protection issues,
• defining opportunities for challenging gender inequalities, stereotypes while ensuring safety and protection of all,
• defining mitigation strategies to avoid potential negative impact from project implementation and strategies and ensure the alignment with the project’s ‘do no harm policy’.

Furthermore, the objective of this consultancy is to build capacities of Caritas Lebanon through an action plan and a training, for future gender-responsive programming (e.g. how to address gender issues in implementation, etc.).

C. SCOPE AND FOCUS OF WORK

The consultant should provide an intersectional gender analysis which is capturing the different gender specific constraints related to age, residential status/refugee, disability status etc. and allows for the identification of appropriate response measures based on gender diversity.

The gender analysis should focus on 4 different levels: the country (Lebanon), the regional (Akkar, the North, Beirut, Mount-Lebanon), the community and the individual level, taking into account gender equality in the fields of protection (e.g. SGBV) and health; (including cash distribution as a tool, e.g. cash for protection) across all levels.

Furthermore, a training will be conducted to build capacities of Caritas Lebanon for future gender-responsive programming (e.g. gender mainstreaming, how to address gender issues in implementation, etc.).

At minimum the intersectional gender analysis should include the following aspects:

1. An overview of the gender equality situation in Lebanon with particular focus on protection and health. This would include:
   • Presenting key recent statistics on the situation of women and girls, men and boys in Lebanon with emphasis on gender gaps,
   • Mapping of knowledge / information gaps (e.g. sex-age disaggregated statistical information),
   • Analysis of the legislative environment from a gender perspective to define constraints, discriminatory articles and or opportunities,
   • Outlining the social norms, gender power dynamics that impede/ facilitate realization of gender equality,
   • Analysis of gender components in regards to cash for protection.
   • A mapping of relevant key actors with mandate and capacity to act for gender equality (NGOs, donors, International Organizations, line ministries, gender equality national machineries, etc.), this would include:

• Overview of projects activities to address gender inequalities,
• Potential areas for collaboration, and
• Lessons learned in addressing gender gaps and challenges.

1. Defining intersectional variables that impact women and men’s interaction, power relationships, roles and abilities to access resources at community and household levels and outline the differences, in their:

• Roles, responsibilities in community and households: Who is responsible for what? What are the different roles and responsibilities?
• Constraints: different gender specific constraints related to age, residential status/refugee, disability status etc.
• Ability to access and control resources and decision making processes: What resources do men and women have to work with? Who uses/owns/controls each of these resources? Who is excluded from use/ownership/control? Who benefits from resources accessed and or attained and who uses them?
• Enjoyment of rights and protection: What are the differences between women and girls, men and boys’ ability to exercise their rights? What rights are undermined for either women, girls, men and boys? How are the most vulnerable protected? What measures are made at legal, social and economic levels to protected victims of gender based violence?
• Ability to participate in decision making processes and voice their needs and interests: Who is represented in decision making processes? How are women’s’ voices accounted for in decision taking? Who takes what decision at household level?

1. Describe social, culture, political, economic factors that influence gender power relations, ability to access resources and control them, level of realization of rights. This would include:

• Assessment of vulnerability to protection concerns of women activities, including sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and defining barriers and constraints; capturing the different gender specific constraints related to age, residential status/refugee, disability status etc.
• Identifying the different capacities
• Outlining the particular advantages
• Characterizing attitudes and perceptions, including stereotypes of gender roles and aspirations, that impeded men’s’ and women’s’ participation

1. Identify possible recommendations and solutions and develop an action plan for Caritas Lebanon to enhance project integration of gender equality perspective, through providing clear and tangible suggestions that emerge from the findings to:

• strengthen the project’s gender responsiveness in the project implementation
• enhance the inclusion of women in the areas of intervention,
• overcome key barriers and potential risks that might hinder the participation of men and women in project activities (including social norms, legislative, institutional capacity, political will etc.) and
• support the achievement of project results and optimize, where possible, the realization of gender equality and paves the way towards transformative change.

E. METHODOLOGY AND APPROACH

The research methodology for the gender analysis will include a desk study and field research. The detailed methodology will be outlined in the inception report, and will include as a minimum:

• Desk review of selected and relevant documents available on national and local level. This should also include a compilation of a list of reference documents as extensive and detailed as possible and required.
• Primary data collection (qualitative), might comprise KII, FGDs etc. and include private sector, relevant government bodies, agencies and institutions, NGOs, women’s groups, experts, implementing partner staff and beneficiaries. Data collection and access to the target group can be facilitated by Caritas partners.
• Mapping of key informants covering a wide range of stakeholders (e.g. government, CSOs, academic institutions, private sector) in capital and/or provinces.
• Workshop with Caritas Lebanon on the findings of the analysis and how findings can be incorporated in future implementation of projects and mainstreaming gender-responsive programming, including an action plan

D. DELIVERABLES

1) Inception report: Including a detailed outline of the methodology to be used (main research methods, data collection tools, proposed sources of data, procedures for data collection and analysis, and detailed table of contents. The report should outline how the methodology will protect women and men while ensuring that their voices are reflected in the recommendations and outcomes. The proposed methodology will be discussed and approved by Caritas in a meeting before data collection commences.

2) Draft Report: To be reviewed by Caritas

3) Final Report: The final output will be an analytical and operative document based on qualitative and disaggregated quantitative documentary review and fresh new field research / analysis. The methodology will be explained concisely. All the instruments used such as interview guide, focus group guide, list of documents and institutions/ persons involved in the analysis, agenda of the meetings (if applicable), and mapping of key actors will be placed in annex.

4) Electronic copy of all data collection tools and raw data set.

5) Training for partners on findings and build capacities for future gender-responsive programming (e.g. gender mainstreaming, how to address gender issues in implementation, etc.) Including a training report for all the sessions held.

6) Action Plan for Caritas Lebanon and Caritas Austria: derived from the gender analysis to inform the gender responsive implementation of the project

E. DURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The duration of the assignment will be from February 2024 until March/April 2025 with an estimated work load of approximately 20 – 30 days (to be outlined in the offer).

Phases/ Timeline

Timeline

Actions

Procurement Phase

February

• Publication of ToR
• Submission of proposals by applicants
• Assessment of proposals and selection by Caritas
• Contracting

Preparatory Phase

March

• Kick-off meeting
• Desk review of existing project documents and data

Inception Phase

April/ May

• Submission of inception report

Research/Field Phase

April/ May

• Field research and data collection

Report Writing, Feedback Phase, Preparatory Phase for Training

July

• Preparation and submission of draft report
• Feedback by Caritas
• Incorporation of feedback
• Preparation of the training
• Submission of final report

Closing Phase

March/April

• Submission of final report
• Presentation workshop on findings by consultant
• training for future gender-responsive programming

F. DATA OWNERSHIP AND CONFIDENTIALITY

Ethical standards& quality: All consultants for Caritas, should maintain high standards on ethical issues, respect and apply basic human and social rights. Caritas reserves the right to reject quotations provided by applicants not meeting these standards. Caritas shall ensure that the gender analysis is designed and conducted to respect and protect the rights and welfare of their target communities, and to ensure that the research and analysis is technically accurate, reliable, and legitimate, useful and conducted in a transparent and impartial manner, and contributes to organizational learning and accountability.

Confidentiality of information: All documents provided to the consultant(s) and all data collected during field research (e.g. through interviews) must be treated as confidential and used solely for the purpose to facilitate analysis. Respondents shall not be identified or quoted in reports without their explicit written permission. Photo, video, and other research data that can be traced back to individual participants shall be anonymized unless agreed otherwise, in writing, with the person concerned.

Ownership of data, findings, products: Caritas retains full ownership of all data, findings, and products produced as part of this gender analysis. However, Caritas is committed to disseminating findings and contributing to debates on gender related interventions in general, and in Lebanon in specific, and is principally open to suggestions by the consultant(s) on ways to jointly disseminate findings.

Support by Caritas and partners: Caritas as a national partner, will support consultant(s) in logistics where requested and facilitate field research based upon agreed methodology and approach. Relevant contacts of other stakeholders will be shared upon the consultant(s)’ request. The consultant(s) will manage its/their own schedule and make appointments for interviews with external stakeholders where necessary, while keeping Caritas in copy.

Access to project data: All relevant documents including narrative proposal, reports, etc. will be provided for the consultant(s).

Safeguarding and protection: Since data collection might involve interactions with beneficiaries, the evaluator commits to safeguarding and protection policies and procedures as well as complaint handling policies and procedures that are shared and reiterated during the preparatory phase.

Distribution policy: Intended users of deliverables are Caritas, as well as the wider sector. All deliverables generated through this gender analysis will be subject to approval by Caritas before public dissemination.

G. REQUIRED QUALIFICATION, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• An advanced degree in social sciences, gender, or another relevant field;
• Minimum of 5 years’ relevant professional experience in research (including data collection) and in gender analysis and gender mainstreaming in humanitarian and development programs.
• Strong background and demonstrable experience in qualitative data collection and analysis.
• Technical expertise in assessing gender related issues and the ability to draw strong and valid conclusions.
• Strong analytical skills
• Ability to travel in Lebanon
• Excellent communication and report writing skills in English and Arabic