Job Description

Terms of Reference

To conduct a research study on the effect of male engagement for changes of social norms against SGBV

Project: Reduce the negative impact of COVID-19 on gender-based violence in Zone 4 of Afar, Ethiopia 

 Introduction

Gendered power-imbalance, inequalities, harmful gender stereotypes, impunity and discrimination remain the root causes of GBV. According to EDHS in 2016, among women age 15-49:23% have experienced physical violence, 10% have experienced sexual violence , 4%  have experienced physical violence during a pregnancy 65% have undergone female genital cutting , Only 23% of women, who experienced physical/sexual violence sought help ,4 in 10 young women in Ethiopia were married or in union before 18.

Afar Regional State has a patriarchal society in which men hold primary power in private and public life. This social system influences cultural norms, practices and traditions and has rooted gender stereotypes regarding the roles and responsibilities of women and men in the family and in society. While men are involved in activities outside of the home, which are valued most, women’s role is limited in the household which is not valued. As the result, most important decisions are made by men. This has led to the lower position of women in the society which also exposes them to different forms of violence.

In line to this Amref health Africa in Ethiopia is about to commence a project entitled ‘’Reduce the negative impact of COVID-19 on gender- based violence in Zone 4 of Afar, Ethiopia’’ in Afar region in three districts such as Ewa, Gulina and Teru Woredas of Zone four. Through gender transformative programming the project aims to create critical awareness amongst all stakeholders at all levels on the health and social costs of harmful gender norms and replace these harmful norms with ones that promote inclusion, equality and human rights. Engagement of men and boys is part of this strategy, so that boys and men are no longer seen as the problem, but as part of the solution. Engaging men and boys will be important to open a dialogue among boys/men, girls/women about their rights, expectations, responsibilities and specific issues in relation to GBV and COVID-19.

Background and Rationale

Violence against women and girls is both a cause and consequence of unequal gender relations. In virtually all aspects of human life, women and girls are explicitly or implicitly considered to be inferior to men and boys. Since SGBV is a complex phenomenon, it requires multi-faceted response. The sociocultural factors, particularly social norms that are shared beliefs about the typical and appropriate behavior of the people in social group highly influencing individual attitudes towards SGBV. Certain forms of masculinity and gender-related social norms are deeply implicated in violence, particularly SGBV.

Gender-related social norms are also held by women, and contribute to women’s acceptance of violence against them. Evidence shows that social norms justify certain behaviors, and that behavior is unlikely to change without understanding social norms. Research on the effectiveness of interventions suggests that those that address gender-related social norms and challenge dominant ideas of masculinity linked to controlling and aggressive behaviors are more effective at reducing SGBV than those that do not.

Therefore, mitigating Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and promoting Gender Equality and Women Empowerment cannot be done in an efficient manner without the active involvement of men, male youth and boys. Men often wield power over critical aspects of women’s lives, as heads of government, leaders of religious or faith based institutions, judges, militaries, community leaders or as husbands, fathers and brothers. They tend to be disproportionally in control of the access to information and services, finances, transportation and other resources. Too often men alone make decisions regarding the priority of the couple and/or the households, which perpetuates traditional gender roles and power imbalances

To address these inequalities, the gender stereotypes and persisting discriminatory social norms, men, male youth and boys have a critical role to play. Their position as caretakers makes their engagement along with women and girls is essential.

Amref health Africa seeks to engage a highly qualified and experienced consultant to conduct a study that will inform and provide the necessary information on masculinities and social norms and their implication on SGBV in the intervention districts. The research will reveal how SGBV is understood and normalized in pastoral context, which type of SGBV and related social norms ought to be the focus of our intervention to end SGBV. The project seeks to lower social acceptance and prevalence of gender based violence against women and girls by addressing discriminatory social norms, which reflect the unequal gender power relations that are at the root of the problem.

Research Objective

The general objective of the research is to capture necessary information on masculinities and social norms and their implication on SGBV thereby provide critical information for the project implementation and design to end sexual and gender based violence in the intervention districts. Specifically it aims,

• Male knowledge and perceptions in Gender based violence
• To identify male behaviors that is related to SGBV.
• To identify barriers to transforming social norms and masculinity which perpetuate violence;
• To identify existing male engagement strategy on SGBV.

Research Methodology

The consultant is expected to come up with a profound and logical methodology whereby the study can be able to dig deeper in to the source of SGBV. The methods should be sensitive to the target population, and robust enough to provide adequate responses to the stated study objectives in the prevailing context. It should employ in-depth qualitative methods but may also include quantitative information. Overall, the methodology section should cover details of study design and approaches, sampling, sample size determination, data collection methods/instruments, data analysis techniques, plan for dissemination of study findings and a statement on quality assurance and ethical considerations during the study. Overall, the section should outline how the study will be conducted.

The consultant will prepare or adopt applicable tools, which covers the key areas identified in the key tasks of the study. The tools should be seen and discussed with Amref health Africa Ethiopia and Amref Spain staffs before fieldwork starts.

Job Requirements

Extensive skills, experiences and qualification in conducting research methods, data analysis skills and facilitation skills and other relevant competencies - such as language proficiency for locally spoken languages required to conduct this Study. Specifically;

• At least Master’s Degree in Public health, Sociologist epidemiology, Demography or related field and demonstrated experience in household data collection related to SRH,
• A renewed professional license for consultancy in similar tasks,
• At least five years of experience in undertaking similar studies of health projects.
• Good knowledge with demonstrated practical working experience or research,
• Experience of effective interaction with local non-government organizations, government departments, and international organizations,
• Excellent spoken and written communication skills in English,
• Evidence of similar work in the recent past will be a key requirement.
• Local Language skills of data collectors,
• Minimum75% of the research team composition is expected to be part of data collection
• Expertise in ODK, statistical software, SPSS, STATA, R etc

How to Apply

Potential consultants are invited to collect TOR free of charge from our office or through one of the below email address until May 21, 22021 and can submit the proposal till May 24, 2021. Eyerusalem.Ketema@Amref.org , Molalign.Mekonnen@Amref.org or Semhar.Debru@Amref.org or in person at Amref Health Africa, Ethiopia Office, located behind Bole Medhanialem Church, near to Abyssinia Building or mail through: P.O.Box 20855, Code 1000 AA