Background Information

Cheshire Ethiopia (CE) is a pioneer non-governmental Disability and Development organization registered as Local Civil Society Organization committed to the provision of rehabilitation services to PwDs in Ethiopia since 1962. CE has been re-registered and accorded legal personality with Registry Number 0505 on 12/07/2019 as local organization in accordance with the Civil Society Organization No. 1113/2019.

CE explores innovative areas of comprehensive rehabilitation to ensure its growth and sustainability. The thematic programs during the new strategic period are the following;

• Center Based Services/Program
• Mobile Outreach Program
• Community Based Rehabilitation Program 
• Health
• Education
• Livelihoods
• Social, and
• Empowerment 

The overall goal of CE is to contribute to the national efforts in improving the quality of life of PwDs.

Parents, mainly mothers of children with disabilities are ashamed of their children with disabilities and are equally discriminated and stigmatized in the family and the community. Not only this blamed for giving birth for a disabled child and abandoned by their husbands. As most women are uneducated and dependent on their husband’s income, they are forced to live with their children in abject poverty. The fate of girls and women with disabilities is worse than the parents.

Violence against women is a universal phenomenon that affects the lives of women and girls in terms of access to education, health, socio-economic and power. In all societies, with a varying degree, women and girls are subject to physical, sexual, psychological and economic abuse that cuts across lines of income, class, and culture. Gender-based violence (GBV) is expressed also as one of the highest prevalence sexual and physical violence inflicted by an intimate partner and close family members. The existing gender-related inequalities and marginalization within the community in Ethiopia do perpetuate and putting women and girls particularly women’s and girls with disabilities with the fate of poverty, social, political and economic exclusion, and deprived community groups. Gender equality is not the only fundamental human right but also a fundamental foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable community development in the country. As in the case of the proposed project sites, violence against women and girls is much more aggravated through attitudinal barriers, religious and cultural practice, and silence to respond is also the root cause of the existing gender inequality and women disempowerment.

As most women are uneducated and dependent on their husband’s income, they are forced to live with their children in abject poverty. The fate of girls and women with disabilities is worse than the parents. In line with this, CE in partnership with the funding agency, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) through the Ethiopia Canada is implementing project entitled ‘Women and Girls Empowered in Ethiopia’.

This initiative works to address and mitigate problems mentioned above related to women, youth and girls and/or with disabilities in Dire Dawa City Administration, and Harari Region urban villages (12) and surrounding rural Kebeles (10), respectively. The project will benefit a total 8250 target population i.e 3,000 women and girls and/or with disabilities and 5,000 partners and caregivers, men and boys directly and, 250 individuals from different institutions. In addition to this, millions of community members are indirect beneficiaries through efforts of community awareness raising, capacity building, integration and collaboration with existing women-led association, strengthening community structures and partners.

As part of the initiative, there is a need for development of an advocacy guideline focusing on addressing the SRHR needs of girls and women with/without disabilities in the project area. 

General Objective of the Consultancy

To develop advocacy guideline on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) of girls and women with/without disabilities that helps to respond to identified needs for political support and awareness-raising in targeted districts of Dire Dawa and Harari.

Specific Objectives of the consultancy:

• To make a rapid analysis of data to clearly indicate the existing gap in SRHR of women and girls with/without disabilities that need advocacy for positive change
• To identify primary and secondary targets, potential allies, and potential oppositions that need to be addressed with advocacy efforts of the WGEE project
• To develop a clear and concise SRHR advocacy guideline implementation strategy at community level to effectively address needs of women and girls with/without disabilities with a step-by-step guide
• To clearly outline ways of ensuring meaningful participation of women and girls with/without disabilities in designing, implementation and evaluation of the advocacy initiative
• To identify possible obstacles and risk factors concerning the advocacy guideline implementation with mitigation strategies to address them
• To develop a plan to monitor and evaluate the SRHR advocacy guideline implementation

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Job Requirements

Required Skills and Experience

• Commitment to Cheshire Ethiopia’s vision, mission and values as well a passion for international development
• A degree in a relevant discipline (Public Health, Statistics, Social Sciences, etc.)
• Extensive experience in guideline development and research techniques focusing on SRHR and related issues
• Knowledge of project districts and national context on situation of person with disabilities and SRHR
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills in English
• Strong teamwork and effective cross-cultural interpersonal skills
• Experience working with persons with disabilities and institutions representing them (DPO’s)
• Demonstrated high level of professionalism and an ability to work independently and under pressure with tight deadlines

How to Apply

Interested candidates (Individual Consultants are Encouraged to Apply) are invited to submit their application package to Cheshire Ethiopia by emailing yesigat@cheshireservicesethiopia.org on or before October 30, 2021.