Desk study and systemic review of Islamic Relief Sweden’s gender mainstreaming approach and scope for advocacy At Islamic Relief

TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR)

Desk study and systemic review of Islamic Relief Sweden’s gender mainstreaming approach and scope for advocacy

1. Background

Islamic Relief Sweden (IRS), established 1992, is a partner organization to the international humanitarian and development non-governmental organization Islamic Relief Worldwide, operating in more than 36countries globally. IRS has partnerships with Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) Radiohjälpen and ECHO for humanitarian assistance and ForumCiv for right based long-term development projects Supported by IRS, Islamic Relief country offices have implemented numerous humanitarian and development interventions in countries such as Yemen, Syria, OtP (Gaza), Jordan, Tunisia, Lebanon, South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Niger, Mali, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, India, Iraq and Myanmar. Within these interventions, gender has been, and continue to be, one of the core thematic perspectives; mainstreamed through integrated gender mainstreaming, targeted action, or a mix of both. Governed by Islamic Relief Worldwide’s Gender Justice Policy (2015) and GBV policy briefs on Early and Forced Marriage (EFM), Domestic Violence and Female Genital Mutilation/cutting (FGM/), as well as technical tools for programmatic integration of gender, inclusion and protection, Islamic Relief is fully committed to upholding the dignity of all people and eradicating poverty and suffering through promoting justice, equity and the equal value of women, girls, men and boys.

2. Rationale

Islamic Relief Sweden is currently aiming to strengthen its programmatic and advocacy related work on gender justice. Besides some key steps already taken, such as developing a comprehensive gender justice policy framework which requires gender to be mainstreamed in all humanitarian and development cooperation, and the outsourcing of a gender audit in 2019-2020[1][2], IR is currently spearheading a landmark initiative on gender justice – the Declaration of I stand for justice. With the view to be launched in February 2022, the DGJI presents some key faith principles of gender justice to proactively challenge negative cultural practices, political and economic injustices and engrained social traditions that are leaving women and girls of various diversities disadvantaged, marginalized and vulnerable. The declaration also aims to complement and build on important preceding international normative declarations, frameworks and conventions on gender equality and women’s and girl’s rights, towards which many Muslim-majority countries, as well as stakeholders who work with Muslim communities, have committed to[3]. The declaration is structured around six calls to action: economic justice; education; justice and equity in family; civil, political and digital rights; protection and health; and transformative leadership, and has been developed in partnership with national and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), academia, and Islamic scholarship – including Muslim female scholars, activists and women’s groups, local communities and UN bodies.

The launch of the DGJI, and this study, is another step in IR(S)’s commitment to gender justice. The rationale behind the study is to map, explore and review the gender mainstreaming approach of IRS funded projects – whilst also connecting the findings to any untapped opportunities in terms of linking IRS’ projects and programmes to its and the wider IR-family’s advocacy work. In addition, the purpose of this study is to explore opportunities to further strengthen IR’s gender mainstreaming approach with that of the Swedish policy framework on gender equality: the Strategy for Sweden’s Development Cooperation for Global Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Rights (2018-2022) and Strategy for Sweden’s Humanitarian Aid (2021–2025).

3. Objectives

The main objective of the study is to inform where IRS stands in terms promoting gender inclusive and responsive programming, in the strive to strengthen rights-based gender justice outcomes in line with the Swedish policy framework on gender equality and the DGJI. The study has a two-fold objective with an overall goal of improving programmatic results on gender equality and women’s empowerment through evidence-based learning, as well as documenting windows for untapped advocacy opportunities in the country contexts analysed (in line with the DGJI and the Swedish policy framework on gender equality). The study’s main objectives are outlined below alongside suggested areas of examination:

Objective 1 – improved programmatic results on gender equality and women’s empowerment through evidence-based learning:

Under the first outcome, the study will focus on reviewing IRS’ funded gender justice and women’s and girls’ empowerment programming. This objective will seek to answer the following key questions:

• How and to what extent has gender been mainstreamed in IRS funded projects?

a. How do the projects, as well as IR policy framework, operationalize the notion of ‘gender’ and ‘gender mainstreaming’?

b. To what extent are gender needs and gender injustices identified, translated into the different phases of a project cycle and acted upon, i.e. from problem and needs analysis, to the design and implementation and to that of M&E and sustainability?

c. To what extent are IRS’ funded humanitarian responses and development cooperation interventions tailored to build the rights, capacities and resilience of women, girls, men, and boys?

d. Which are the attitudes and norms towards gender mainstreaming among different levels of IR staff in selected countries? Do staff members at different levels of seniority and at different thematic departments have the necessary technical skills and knowledge to adopt a gender perspective?

• How effective are existing IR promoted efforts to strengthen gender justice and the empowerment of women and girls in IRS funded humanitarian and development projects?
• How consistently are existing policies, programme guidance and tools on gender mainstreaming, gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls implemented among IR country offices?
• To what extent are IRS’ funded projects aligned with that of Swedish as well as national gender justice commitments, frameworks and priorities in selected countries?
• To what extent, and in what way, are national and local actors working with gender justice and women’s and girls’ empowerment involved in (or planning to be), have partnership agreement with, and/or are able to influence IRS’ funded projects? (programmatic localization efforts at IRW and country offices)
• Formulate actionable recommendations on how IRS’ ought to strengthen its gender justice and women’s and girl’s empowerment approach and programming

Objective 2 – strengthened linkages between gender-responsive programming and advocacy

This outcome focuses on the ways in which IRS’ programming could strengthen its rights based gender justice mainstreaming approach in humanitarian and development cooperation by focusing on the linkages between programming and advocacy, and their connection to the Swedish gender policy framework and the DGJI. This objective will seek to analyse the following key areas:

• Analyse selected country offices’ capacities and competencies within advocacy and communication
• Explore what windows of opportunity to strengthen IRS funded programming by adding an advocacy aspect in line with priorities in the Swedish gender policy framework and the DGJI. This could include, but is not limited to:

a. Exploring potentials of strengthening coordination mechanisms and building of strategic alliances between IR country offices and other key national and local actors working on gender justice and women’s and girls’ empowerment;

b. Assessing capacity of lobbying to advocate for gender justice programming and identifying ways to push for strategic dialogue on gender justice with national and local duty-bearers;

c. Identifying opportunities for the development of relevant advocacy and communication/information materials to address gender (in)justice issues

• Provide actionable recommendations with respect to linkages and untapped opportunities between programming and advocacy on gender justice related matters

4. Scope of Work

4.1 Two-phase process:

The study should ideally be performed and divided into two phases:

Phase 1 (Objective 1):

– Review and analyse IR’s organisational policies, frameworks, tools (including the DGJI) and approach to gender mainstreaming, gender justice and women’s and girls’ empowerment

– Analyse the alignments and misalignments between IR’s organisational policies, frameworks and tools for gender justice and women’s and girls’ empowerment with that of Sida’s and the Swedish policy framework for gender justice and women’s and girls’ empowerment, as well as national gender justice commitments in selected countries

– Desk-based program portfolio document review of a sample of IRS funded projects (applications and reports) between 2019-2022 (donors: Sida and ForumCiv) regarding the ways in gender justice and women’s and girl’s empowerment have been mainstreamed according to organisational policies, frameworks and tools, supplemented by additional KII with key representatives at IRW and IR country offices (management/head of program/advocacy, and gender, protection, inclusion focal points). The desk review is intended to supplement findings and observations from the 1-4 country case studies (phase 2) for triangulation of IRS’ funded gender-responsive programming

Phase 2 (Objective 2):

– Selected country missions to (Sweden bilateral strategies: Bangladesh, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Syria in order to provide case study examples of the linkages between IRS funded projects and their gender-responsive programming to that of exploring untapped advocacy opportunities in-country. This include, but is not limited to:

a. In-depth KII with representatives at IR country offices (management/head of program/advocacy, and gender, protection, inclusion focal points) regarding their gender-responsive programming and gender mainstreaming approach (see objective 1) as well as advocacy and communication framework and capacity

b. Mapping and analysing which are the national gender justice commitments, frameworks and actors in selected countries, and explore what windows of opportunity there exists to strengthen that work/add an advocacy aspect in line with the DGJI and Sweden’s policy framework on gender equality

4.2. The full process:

1) Preparation: consultations between the consultant and IRS

2) Inception: programme portfolio review, desk review of relevant national frameworks and strategies on gender justice and women’s and girls’ empowerment in selected countries, stakeholder mapping, production of data collection tools, conceptualizing the study’s approach and methods, and submitting inception report

3) Data collection and analysis: in-depth review of frameworks and programme documents, in-depth review of IRS portfolio and KII interviews with IR staff

4) Analysis and synthesis stage: analysis of data and interpretation of findings, session for validation of preliminary findings at the end of data collection and drafting of final report

5) Dissemination: of final report and development of an Action Plan

5. Expected Deliverables

The consultant(s) is expected to provide IRS with:

• An inception report (and data collection tools)
• A draft final report available for comments and feedback
• A final report
• A seminar/conference presenting key findings

5. Timeframe

Activity

Details

Duration/period

Preparation, desk review, and analysis, inception report

– Review of project and policy documents as well as other relevant materials from institutions and organizations working in the same field in selected countries

– Preparation of data collection tools (in consultation with IRS)

– Logistical arrangements with IRS and respective country office for travel arrangements and others.

– Inception report: After desk review, an inception report shall be prepared and submitted to IRS, demonstrating the initial findings and the plan for site visits and data collection.

Preliminary timelines: The desk review process and development of data collection tools to be completed within 2nd-3rd weeks of the initial phase of the assignment.

[4]Travel arrangements to be completed within 3rd-4th weeks of the initial phase of the assignment.

The draft inception report will be delivered in the 5th week of the assignment period.

Site visits and data collection

Data collection shall include KII interviews with project and management staff at country offices (management/head of program/advocacy and gender, protection, inclusion focal points), and ideally, with other relevant fora, networks, organisations, clusters working with issues connected to gender justice and women’s and girl’s empowerment (programming and advocacy)

The field work (data collection process) shall be completed within 1 week (6th week of the assignment period).

Data analysis

Data will be:

– Verified,

– Interpreted

– Analyzed

The data analysis shall be completed within 1 week (7th of week the assignment period)

Submission of final report

Final report submission:

– A concise, analytical, and comprehensive final report and action plan will be prepared by the lead consultant in accordance with IRS’ requirements. The report will be subject to review and commenting by IRSWE before final approval (draft report).

The draft report shall be delivered within 2 weeks (8-9th of the assignment period)

6. Consultant(s)’ Skills and Experience

The consultant(s) profile shall reflect the following competencies:

• At least Master’s degree in gender studies and/or international development (or equal) with a strong understanding of gender issues and gender responsiveness in international development cooperation and humanitarian relief
• At least 7 years of experience working in the field of gender, and/or prior working experience of mainstreaming gender in policies and programmes
• At least 7 years of experience working in the field of policy and advocacy, preferably within international development cooperation and/or humanitarian relief
• Strong knowledge of Core Humanitarian Standards, IASC gender and GBV standards and gender markers, rights-based approach, Sweden’s policy framework on gender equality and women’s and girl’s empowerment, and other relevant standards and perspectives.
• Ability and readiness to travel to medium or high-risk areas and have access to country missions
• Excellent oral and written communication in English
• Robust analytic skills
• Cultural awareness and sensitivity to gender issues

7. Application process

a) Technical Proposal The consultant(s) should present a technical proposal, including work plan/time plan

b) Financial proposal The consultant(s) should present a financial proposal, including the total cost of assignment and breakdown of the budget

8. Budget

The payment will be made in two installments (100% of the fees): payment number (1) of after 70%, and payment number (2) of 30% after validation of the final report by IRS.

The consultant is expected to be issuing two separate invoices to IRS and payment will be made to the account stated in the agreement between IRS and the consultant(s). The consultants should present their cost estimation.

9. Review meetings
At least three review meetings should be held between the consultant(s) and IRS during the assignment in order to share process update, results, key findings, challenges, and lessons learnt. After finalizing the report, a teleconference will be held with the consultant(s) and IRS in order to discuss the findings of the report.

[1] Islamic Relief Worldwide outsourced a gender mapping and audit on IR’s gender and GBV related activities and programmes between 2016-2019. Some key recommendations were brought forward on programming and MEAL, HR, funding and localisation, particularly the need to strengthen the focus on ‘empowerment’ and ‘transformation’ instead of ‘targeting’ and ‘access’ within IR’s humanitarian programming.

[2] Other key steps taken include … GBV In emergenics, disability summit 2018

[3] E.g. the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2030, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Population Conference in Cairo and their respective follow-up conferences, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women and peace and security and its succeeding resolutions, as well as the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) that was set up by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in 2011, with a Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women (OPAAW) by 2016.

[4] Depending on visa application process, IR is flexible to accommodate any additional time required for travel arrangement.