EIO/04/2021: Call for Expression of Interest to Conduct Mapping of Women Rights Organizations in Kenya.

1.0 Introduction About FIDA-Kenya

The Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Kenya is a non-governmental, non-partisan, non-profit organization established in 1985 to promote women’s individual and collective power to claim their rights in all spheres of life. FIDA-Kenya is a membership organization with over 1,100 women lawyers and law students and is committed to creating a society that is free from all forms of discrimination against women in Kenya. The organization works towards addressing challenges facing women’s access to their social, political, and economic rights.

To address these challenges, FIDA-Kenya has two key programs; Access to Justice and Women and Governance. The Access to Justice Program focuses on providing Legal Aid, Strategic Interest Litigation, and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in the form of mediation and psychosocial support. The Women and Governance Program focuses on advocacy, policy engagement, and transformation of formal and cultural systems to ensure that they are gender-sensitive and responsive, uphold and respect women’s rights. The organization also works to combat human rights abuse and practices that perpetuate gender discrimination such as FGM, child marriage, political bias, sexual and gender-based violence. The Knowledge Management program supports the two main programs through research, learning, evaluation, and innovation to improve programming.

FIDA-Kenya, in collaboration with Womankind Worldwide, is implementing a program to advance the SDG 5: Achieve gender equality, empower all women, and build the women’s rights movement. The program aims to prevent and eliminate sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) against women and girls and strengthen women’s leadership and participation in decision-making.

2.0 The Background of the Assignment

The process of democratization in Kenya from the 1990’s up to the promulgation of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 marked an increase in the Women Rights Movement (WRM). In this formative period, women activists began lobbying for affirmative action through the parliamentary system by lobbying for legislative changes. This, however, proved to be unsuccessful in a patriarchal system. It was not until the Constitutional reform process began in earnest in the late 1990s that the WRM gained traction by shaping the women’s agenda through the Kenya Women’s Political Caucuses (KWPC). KWPC was representing 43 women’s organizations that coalesced around gender equality and affirmative action. FIDA-Kenya was an integral part of this movement and recognized the need for a multi-thronged approach in influencing affirmative action both in governance institutions and the relevant laws and policies. The approach adopted under the KWPC included: engagements through the civil rights movement; building on the technical expertise of women on key issues such as reproductive health; the use of legal knowledge to protect and advance gender issues and the existing political acumen made affirmative action key gain in the Constitution of Kenya 2010.

In recognition of the power of the movement-building, FIDA-Kenya, together with Womankind, is keen on reigniting the women’s rights movement across the country as part of the institutional reform process measures that will result in greater participation and representation of women in elective positions and the governance structures.

3.0 Scope of Consultancy

FIDA-Kenya would like to undertake a consultancy whose purpose is to: –

• To conduct an in-depth mapping of existing and operational Women Rights Organizations (WROs) and analyze media nuances across the country to create baseline information that builds explicitly on the data on the women’s rights movement in Kenya.
• To undertake an analysis of the Gender, Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) policies and laws in governance institutions, media organizations, and informal institutions.
• To carry out a conflict analysis that women, youth, and persons living with disabilities experience.

4.0 Overall Objective of the Consultancy

The overall objective of this consultancy is to build a database of the existing forms of Women Rights Organisations and CBOs and carry out an analysis of the laws and policies in public and informal institutions that touch on women’s rights and GESI principles in Kenya.

5.0 Specific Objectives of the Consultancy

More specifically, the consultant will carry out the following:

As regards Women Rights Organisations:

• Mapping existing WROs and their geographical distribution within the country.
• Ascertain the number of WROs that are formally registered.
• Mapping WROs that advocate for various categories of women’s rights, including women’s political rights, protection from Gender-Based Violence and harmful cultural rights, promotion of the rights of women with disabilities, advancing the rights of young women, amongst others.
• Assess the needs of the WRO’s including capacity building needs. Determine the extent to which women’s rights organizations have been able to adapt and build resilience in the wake of Covid19.
• Establish the advocacy models that the WROs utilize to advance women’s rights.
• Analyze the extent to which existing WROs collaborate in the promotion and advancement of women’s rights.
• Identify possible areas of partnership and joint advocacy for WROs in Kenya.

As regards, GESI carry out: –

• An update of GESI that will inform the baseline, the risk registers, and support partners to review the AWESOME planned activities.
• Conflict Analysis developed that includes Power Analysis and a light touch Political Economy Analysis (PEA).
• Analysis of existing policies and laws being developed on the GESI principles.

Media nuances categorized as follows: –

• Related to reporting of GBV.
• Coverage of the women political leaders, persons with disabilities, and the youth from 2017 to date.
• Contribution in advancing women political leaders, persons with disabilities, and the youth.

6.0 Methodology

The consultant will be expected to utilize a multi-method, qualitative, and quantitative participatory approach to carry out the consultancy. The consultant will also be expected to analyze existing literature and data on the women’s rights movement in Kenya and conduct interviews and Focus Group Discussions with key informants. The consultant must adopt an innovative methodology that adheres to the government directives on the prevention of Covid-19.

7.0 Indicative Time Frame

It is expected that the whole task should be completed within 30 days.

8.0 Deliverables and Output

The following are the deliverables: –

• Inception report detailing the methodology, work plan, and budget;
• Review and finalization of the final report in that is inclusive of the feedback and input from the FIDA-Kenya program team involved in the process;
• A comprehensive final report detailing the approach, mapping, findings, and recommendations;
• A summary professional PowerPoint presentation highlighting the main findings and recommendations; and
• Involvement in the WROs evaluation process.

9.0 Reporting and Communication

The consultant will work closely with FIDA-Kenya’s Senior Programmes Officer (Women and Governance) and the Deputy Executive Director/Head of Programmes during the execution of this assignment.

10.0 Expected Qualification of the Consultant

• A Master’s degree in Social Sciences, Governance, Gender, and Development Studies or Law. (A doctorate in the above will be an added advantage.)
• A minimum of 10 years relevant experience
• Evidence of undertaking similar work in the last five years.
• Excellent analytical and report writing skills. Appreciation and understanding of feminist principles is an added advantage.

11.0 EOI Submission Requirements

Interested individuals, companies, or research firms should submit a detailed expression of interest (technical and financial proposal):

• The technical proposal should include an interpretation of the objectives of the consultancy, a detailed methodology, and an elaborate work plan, organization/individual capacity statement, experience and activities related to this assignment, CVs of the consulting team, and their roles in the assignment’s achievement; names, addresses, and telephone numbers of three professional referees.
• The financial proposal should include a detailed budget proposal, a detailed profile of the firm, including contact and physical address, telephone numbers, and a copy of the registration certificate, VAT, and PIN where applicable.