National Consultant-A perception study on women and community’s attitude towards accessing rehabilitation and reintegration services in Afar and Somali regions (re-advert)

According to the EDHS 2016, nearly one-quarter (23 percent) of women have experienced physical violence and one in ten women (10 percent) has experienced sexual violence. Over one-third (34 percent) of ever-married women have experienced spousal violence, including physical or sexual or emotional violence. The prevalence of spousal violence (physical, sexual, and emotional) is low in Afar and Somali, 9 and 20 percent,

respectively. Among women aged 15-49, there is also low prevalence of emotional (6.9 percent) and physical (6.9 percent) violence in Somali, while in Afar emotional violence stands at 14 percent and physical violence at 11.6 percent. Marital control in Afar is 48.8 percent, while in Somali 28.2 percent. However, caution should be applied as many regions have inadequate sample size for the comparison3. Localized studies in the two regions such as the Assessment on the general socioeconomic status of women and girls in Afar and Somali regions identified that there is a much higher percentage of sexual violence in the two regions.4 Similarly, the 2016 EDHS found that only 23% of women who experienced physical and/or sexual violence sought help. Of these women, only 8% have sought help from the police. The general trend in the regions is that most women do not report incidents of VAWG to the police. Among women who ever experienced intimate partner violence, only 29.4% reported that they tried to seek help. More specifically, 20.1% sought help from their own family, and very few battered women sought help from formal sources, such as the police (5.2%) and doctor/medical personnel (2.6%).

Successful response to VAWG requires an integrated and multi-sectorial approach to rehabilitation and reintegration, including physical, sexual, and psychological support. This entails provision of health and psychosocial services, shelter/, legal, social, and economic empowerment schemes, etc., and requires action by all sectors to avail legal, health and social services. Women shelters play a crucial role in providing physical and psychosocial services and resources which enable women and girls who have experienced violence to recover from the traumatic experiences and obtain knowledge and skills to regain a self- determined and independent life. Shelters provide basic support such as safe accommodation, food, clothing, sanitary items, different therapeutic activities, skills training, legal and medical aid supports. Shelters also assist survivors to reintegrate to their families and communities after being rehabilitated, gain necessary skills to support themselves. There is a high demand for shelters across all parts of the country, and especially higher demand in Afar, and Somali where women and girl survivors of violence had no access to rehabilitation and reintegration services by either governmental or non- governmental organizations.6

Despite the importance of establishing and strengthening rehabilitation services for women and girls subject to violence, UN Women finds it critical to conduct a perception study on women and community’s attitude towards rehabilitation and reintegration services for survivors of VAWG in Afar and Somali. The study is intended to explore the attitudes of the community and survivors of violence towards accessing services including social, justice and health and, also explore the help seeking behaviors of survivors, the kinds of services available, and barriers in accessing these services. UN Women is thus seeking to hire a national consultant to undertake the intended perception study in Afar and Somali regions.

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The overall purpose of this perception study is to explore attitudes and perceptions of the communities in Afar and Somali regions towards help-seeking behaviors, particularly in accessing available justice, social, health, rehabilitation, and reintegration services for survivors of VAWG.

The specific objectives are:

• To identify attitudes, beliefs, values, and norms towards survivors of violence at community and individual level
• To identify the level of women’s understanding and knowledge on rehabilitation and reintegration services for VAWG survivors
• To examine the attitudes, beliefs, values and norms of women and the community towards help seeking behaviors to access rehabilitation and reintegration services in Afar and Somali regions
• To assess the community’s awareness of rehabilitation and reintegration services for VAWG survivors in the two regions
• To explore the need for such integrated services (justice, health, and social services) by the community as well as survivors of VAWG
• To assess factors hindering women’s access to rehabilitation and reintegration services in Afar and Somali regions
• To recommend context specific acceptable ways to provide rehabilitation and reintegration services for VAWG survivors in the two regions.

SCOPE OF THE WORK

In consultation with Regional Bureau of Women, Children and Youth Affairs, the perception study will be carried out in selected districts of Afar and Somali regions.

Therefore, the assessment will:

• Identify and analyze beliefs, attitudes, and practices of the community towards survivors of VAWG.
• Explore and identify women’s understanding and attitude towards VAWG and rehabilitation and reintegration services to survivors.
• Analyze and explore existing trends of the community in responding to VAWG and assess acceptable ways.
• Consult and gather suggestions from various sample groups of people categorize by age, sex, economic status, decision making status, marital status, women with disability, refugees and IDPs in the regions on how to implement rehabilitation and reintegration services for VAWG survivors.

• The main expected activities to be undertaken by the national consultants include:
• Develop inception report and submit to UN Women Ethiopia.
• Present the report at the inception meeting and incorporate feedback.
• Submit draft of the perception study with full content mainly including findings, proposing good practices and recommendations in relation to providing rehabilitation and reintegration services for survivors of VAWG.
• Incorporate inputs and submit the revised study report to UN Women Ethiopia.
• Present the revised report in the validation workshop.
• Integrate inputs and submit final report of the perception study to UN Women in both hard and soft copies.

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

Core competencies

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
• Accountability
• Creative Problem Solving
• Effective Communication
• Inclusive Collaboration
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Leading by Example

Functional Competencies:

• Strong knowledge of gender equality and women’s rights issues
• Excellent level of conceptual and analytical capacity
• Ability to work in a team
• Ability to write in a clear and concise manner and to communicate effectively
• Demonstrates use of initiative and ability to make appropriate linkages in work requirements
• Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback
• Meets deadlines for delivery of products or services
• Able to work virtually, using communication technologies
• Strong interpersonal skills

Education

• The lead consultant must have master’s degree in Social Sciences, Gender/Women’s Studies, Law, Human Rights, Political Science and related fields

Experience

• The consultants must have a minimum of Eight years of relevant experience in research, analysis and data collection and particularly on issues of women’s empowerment and gender equality, human rights and/or sexual and gender-based violence
• Substantive knowledge and understanding of gender and development, ending violence against women and girls and human rights issues of the country
• A proven track record in designing and conducting analyses that use participatory methods
• Experience in conducting quantitative and qualitative data analysis and synthesizing information into concise, analytical written documents.
• Ability to carry out gender focused research and analysis that are able to contribute to the formulation of policies, procedures and guidelines on gender equality and the empowerment of women.
• Ability to conceptualize and analyse problems and to identify key issues and underlying action-oriented recommendation
• Ability to establish and maintain productive relationships with partners and other stakeholder’s and responds positively to critical feedback and differing points of view.
• Strong background in participatory approaches and facilitation
• Excellent reporting writing and presentation skills
• Willingness and ability to travel to the different targeted districts in Afar and Somali regions.

Language and other skills:

• Excellent knowledge of written and oral communication in Amharic and English, and the understanding of Afar and Somali will be a benefit including the ability to set out a coherent argument in presentations and group interactions.
• The team members’ knowledge of the context of the two regions through previous experience is an advantage.
• Data collectors must have excellent knowledge of written and oral communication skills in the local languages of the respective regions.
• Capacity to communicate fluently with different stakeholders (civil society, government authorities, local communities, project staff).
• Computer skills: full command of Microsoft applications (word, excel, PowerPoint) and data encoding software.
• Please note that applications without a completed and signed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment
• UN Women Personal History form (P-11) can be downloaded from http://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment