Consultant (International) 145 views3 applications

CALL FOR APPLICATION(CFA)

Open to Internal and External Candidates

Vacancy No.: IOM-CFA/0046/2024

Position Title: International Consultant – Consultancy for the development of guidelines and a checklist for gender-responsive labour migration policies

Position Grade: Consultant – Category B

Duty Station: Homebased with a possibility to travel.

Type of Appointment: Consultant

Estimated Start Date: As soon as possible

Closing Date: 7th April 2024

1. Background

Labour migration, when governed in a gender-responsive way, can be a driving force for inclusive development and gender equality in both origin and destination countries. Gender- responsive participation in the labour force fosters growth and development, and leveraging both men and women’s skills is essential for societies to prosper. Migration can be a driver of empowerment and autonomy for women and men, and provide opportunities for a shift in gender norms and stereotypes. Women migrant workers who return to countries of origin are increasingly seen as role models and contribute to changing perceptions about the role of women in the private and public sphere. Enabling safe, regular and dignified migration for women and men is therefore an opportunity to advance gender-sensitive development across the continent that contributes to both socio-economic development and gender equality. Gender equality is vital for economic growth and sustainable development.

At the same time, gender discrimination, harmful gender stereotyping and gender-based violence place women and men migrant workers in situations of vulnerability and limit the opportunities for them to contribute to social and economic development. Women and men migrants experience intersectional discrimination based on multiple factors including gender identity, race/ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, migration status, age and class.[1] Gender dimensions – i.e., socially constructed roles, expectations and power relations – impact the whole migration process and translate into inequality of opportunity and treatment for women and men migrant workers. Women migrant workers face a dual challenge: they are at the intersection of two groups – women and migrants – that are often marginalised and facing various labour market barriers.

Both men and women migrant workers are at risk of being subjected to gender-based violence and exploitation throughout the migration process, with different gender-specific barriers in accessing effective reporting, redress and justice mechanisms as well as limitations to access to health-care services, labour rights protections and other social protection benefits. Women migrant workers in particular face numerous structural barriers and mobility restrictions that disproportionately affect them, often leading to their engagement in irregular migration pathways and exacerbating their vulnerability. Discriminatory policies, cultural norms, and legal frameworks limit women’s access to safe and regular migration channels, forcing them to seek alternative and often dangerous routes. Restrictions on mobility, such as stringent visa requirements, limited job opportunities, and social norms that confine women to certain roles, impede their ability to migrate for work.

Gender-responsive labour migration policies are important as they ensure that the different experiences, needs and vulnerabilities faced by women and men migrants at all stages of migration are addressed comprehensively and equitably. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in its General Recommendation No. 26 on women migrant workers emphasizes the responsibility of countries of destination and countries of origin to formulate comprehensive gender-sensitive and rights-based policies, based on equality and non-discrimination and with the active involvement of women migrant workers and relevant non -governmental organizations.

Agenda 2030 also highlights the linkages between gender and migration. Under SDG8.8 on decent work for all, the global community committed to protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, particularly women migrants, and those in precarious employment. Significantly, the AU Migration Policy Framework for Africa and its Plan of Action (2018-2030) (MPFA) called for Member States and the RECs to strengthen responses to the particular needs of migrant women and girls, particularly ensuring that their health needs, labour rights and human rights are respected. A gender perspective should be integrated into all national and regional migration management policies, strategies and programmes, recognising the specific needs of women in migration, anchored to promote their empowerment and leadership and moving away from addressing women migrants primarily through the lens of victimhood. Furthermore, the MPFA emphasises the need to develop migration policies that allow women and men to migrate for employment through safe and regular channels.

By considering the unique experiences of women and men in the design and implementation of labour migration policies, countries can foster inclusive and fair migration systems that harness the full potential of all migrant workers, regardless of their gender. Moreover, gender-responsive policies help to combat discrimination, exploitation, and violence against women migrants, creating safer and more supportive environments for them. Ultimately, integrating gender perspectives into labour migration policies not only benefits individual migrant workers but also strengthens the social and economic fabric of both sending and receiving countries. As such, gender-responsive labour migration policies promote gender equality, protect the rights of migrant workers, and contribute to sustainable development.

However, in reality, policy-making pertaining to labour migration often fails to acknowledge and address gender dimensions of labour migration governance, policy and administration. The lack of a gender equality perspective in migration policies can have detrimental effects on women and men on the move.. Policy-making that does not mainstream gender will ultimately fail to meet the diverse needs of men and women migrant workers and to meaningfully address the inequalities and challenges they face. While various guidance materials exist on mainstreaming gender in migration governance, there are limited resources that consider the needs and challenges of men and women migrant workers in Africa. Further, there is also a need for actionable, practical and hands-on guidance outlining the key elements of gender-responsive labour migration policies contextualized to the African context.

It is against this background, and considering the JLMP project’s strong commitment to gender equality and gender-responsive outcomes, that IOM is seeking the services of qualified and experienced Gender Specialist and researcher, preferably with a working knowledge of IOM migration governance agenda, to develop practical guidelines and a checklist for gender-responsive labour migration policies for the JLMP project.

This consultancy will be conducted under the AU-ILO-IOM-UNECA Joint Programme on Labour Migration Governance for Development and Integration (better known as the Joint Labour Migration Programme, or JLMP) in Africa, to strengthen the effective governance and regulation of labour migration and mobility by developing practical guidelines and a checklist for gender-responsive labour migration policies. The JLMP is a long-term joint undertaking among the four organizations in coordination with other relevant partners operating in Africa, development cooperation actors, private sector organizations and civil society representatives. It is the instrument dedicated to the implementation of the 5th Key Priority Area of the Declaration and Plan of Action on Employment, Poverty Eradication and Inclusive Development, which was adopted by the Assembly of Heads of States and Governments in January 2015, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Its strategy focuses on intra-African labour migration and supports achievements of the First 2023 Ten Year Plan of the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 and of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition, the JLMP is a critical instrument of implementing the Migration Policy Framework for Africa (MPFA) and Plan of Action (2018-2030) adopted by the AU Executive Council from 25-26 January 2018 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

In line with the JLMP Strategic Framework, the JLMP aims to strengthen the effective governance and regulation of labour migration and mobility for enhanced sustainable development for inclusive economic growth and regional integration of the African Continent. The expected outcomes of the project are:

• Outcome 1: Strengthened effective, rights-based, and gender-responsive governance and regulation of labour migration and mobility for migrant workers of all gender identities in Africa.
• Outcome 2: Migrant workers of all gender identities in both formal and informal sectors enjoy safe, humane, and secure working environments, access to and portability of social protection and social benefits, and mutual recognition of skills and qualifications.
• Outcome 3: Improved availability and increased utilization of labour migration disaggregated data and statistics by MS and RECs for evidence-based decision-making, policy planning, formulation, and application.
• Outcome 4: Strengthened governance and accountability of the JLMP

Respect for human and labour rights as well as gender-responsiveness are two of the guiding principles of the JLMP Strategic Framework, which forms the basis of the JLMP programme. JLMP advocates for the protection, promotion and safeguarding of universal human and labour rights for all international migrants and upholds the principles of equal treatment and opportunities as well as non-discrimination. It recognizes that the needs of women, men, boys and girls differ and vary at different stages of migration and promotes advocacy for gender equality and equity as well as equitable access to resources and decision-making to empower each person to strive. JLMP has developed a Gender Analysis and Gender Action Plan (2021), which guides its implementation to prevent adverse impacts on men and/or women migrant workers and to use the programme in a transformative way to promote gender equality and equity.

Thus, as part of Outcome 1, the JLMP aims to develop practical guidelines and a checklist for gender-responsive labour migration policies.

2. Objective and Scope of the Consultancy

The objective of the consultancy is to develop practical guidelines and a checklist for African Union Member States on procedural and material elements to incorporate in a labour migration policy in Africa to ensure its gender-responsiveness. Among others, the guidelines and checklist should include the following:

• Process: recommendations on the process to follow to develop a gender-responsive labour migration policy. What steps should be followed when developing a gender-responsive labour migration policy? Which stakeholders should be included? How can a gender balance, inclusive consultation and effective participation at all levels be ensured? How are follow-ups (including implementation, monitoring, evaluation), sustainability, ownership, and accountability ensured?
• Content: recommendations on how to identify, integrate and address specific gender issues in policymaking. Possible questions include the following: what specific points should be taken into account in the labour migration policy to ensure its gender-responsiveness? What are some of the common gender-specific issues, opportunities, and challenges that need to be addressed by a labour migration policy?. What are the concrete measures to ensure gender-responsive implementation? The guidelines should include the formal and informal sector as well as skilled and unskilled, documented and undocumented migrant workers. They will cut across the entire migration cycle, from pre-departure to return.
• Incorporate good practices from Africa: analyze different existing labour migration policies in African Member States and RECs and share best practices from a gender perspective. Best practices from other regions can be added, while the focus should remain on Africa.
• Checklist combining both the procedural and substantive dimensions and offering an easy-to-follow practical step-by-step approach for the development of gender-responsive labour migration policies in Africa.

The documents will be informed by:

• Existing guidance on gender-responsive labour migration policies, as listed above.
• Existing labour migration policies from AU Member States and RECs to highlight good practices.
• Existing JLMP products, including the JLMP Gender Analysis and Gender Action Plan.
• Other resources as relevant.
• A consultative meeting with AU Member States on the draft documents to further enrich them in line with MS’s comments and feedback.

3. Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing:

The AU/ILO/IOM Joint Programme on Labour Migration Governance for Sustainable Development and Integration in Africa (JLMP).

4. Tangible and measurable deliverables of the assignment

The selected consultant will be expected to,

a. Develop an inception report, including a skeleton structure in form of an annotated outline for the draft guidelines – April 2024.

b. Revise the inception report according to JLMP feedback – April 2023.

c. Produce the draft guidelines and checklist – May 2024.

d. Incorporate various rounds of JLMP and other stakeholders’ comments and submit draft guidelines and checklist to be presented to AU Member States – May 2024.

e. Present the draft guidelines and checklist to AU Member States in a consultative meeting and integrate their comments, and draft a report of the consultative meeting – June 2024.

f. Present the guidelines and checklist to AU Member States at a validation meeting and integrate their comments, and draft a report of the validation meeting – July 2024.

g. Incorporate AU Member States’ feedback and submit final guidelines and checklist, and other materials generated from this consultancy – July 2024.

h. Submit a final report of the Consultancy work.

5. Payment schedule

The total fee, inclusive of related costs, not subject to any deductions, will be paid to the consultant as follows.

1. 30% after submission of the inception report and approval by the project team (#a, b)
2. 40% after completion and approval of draft report to be presented to AU Member States (#c, d, e)
3. 30% after the approval of the final report (#f, g, h)

   6. Education, Experience and/or skills required.

Education

• Post-graduate or equivalent degree in Gender Studies, Migration Studies, Law, Public Policy and Management, Public Administration, Human Rights, Development Studies, or any other relevant university degree.

Technical experience/competencies

• At least 5 years of experience working on gender mainstreaming and analysis, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes.
• Demonstrable technical experience in the field of gender, migration governance, migration policy, labour migration and human mobility.
• At least 3 years of experience in developing policies, guidelines and/or tools on gender equality and gender mainstreaming.
• Familiarity and demonstrated experience with gender issues in the context of labour migration in Africa.
• In-depth knowledge of gender and labour migration dynamics in Africa and other regions.
• Proven substantial involvement in gender mainstreaming and policy development.
• Previous working experience with the JLMP, AUC, RECs, the UN (in general) or the IOM and ILO is an asset.

Skills

• Strong analytical, writing, editing and communication skills.
• Skilled and experienced in research, excellent conceptual and analytical skills, excellent writing skills.
• Ability to manage time efficiently, effectively handle multiple tasks and competing priorities, and meet tight deadlines.
• Excellent analytical and organizational skills; ability to think critically and creatively.
• Attention to detail and highly organized, collaborative, and team oriented.

Language

• Excellent written and spoken English is essential. Proficiency in French is an advantage.

7. Travel required

• This is a home-based consultancy assignment. The consultant may be required to travel. IOM rules on travel will apply.

8. Competencies

Values

• Inclusion and respect for diversity: respects and promotes individual and cultural differences. Encourages diversity and inclusion.
• Integrity and transparency: maintains high ethical standards and acts in a manner consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct.
• Professionalism: demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent and committed manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting day-to-day challenges.
• Courage: demonstrates willingness to take a stand on issues of importance.
• Empathy: shows compassion for others, makes people feel safe, respected and fairly treated.

Core Competencies – behavioural indicators

• Teamwork: develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve shared goals and optimize results.
• Delivering results: produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely manner. Is action oriented and committed to achieving agreed outcomes.
• Managing and sharing knowledge: continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge and innovate.
• Accountability: takes ownership for achieving the Organization’s priorities and assumes responsibility for own actions and delegated work.
• Communication: encourages and contributes to clear and open communication. Explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way.

9. Management and Supervision

• The consultancy will work under the direct supervision of the IOM-Special Liaison Office in Addis Ababa reporting directly to IOM – JLMP Programme Coordinator in coordination with AUC JLMP Programme Coordinator and support from IOM country and regional offices, AUC, ILO, and other relevant key stakeholders. Technical oversight will also be provided by the JLMP Gender Specialist.

10. Documents to be Submitted.

The selected consultant will be required to submit the following documents:

1. Technical proposal

Submit a technical proposal which summarizes a clear understanding of the terms of reference/tasks at hand, a proposed workplan and proposed methodology for the development of guidelines and a checklist for gender-responsive labour migration policies, as well as outline the relevant experience for all experts engaged. While submitting the technical proposal, the experts shall ensure to attach the following:

i. Cover letter (max 1 page) explaining why they are suitable for the work.

ii. Relevant Experience (max 2 pages).

iii. Updated Curriculum Vitae of key individual(s) who will undertake this assignment.

iv. Sample work done, preferably guidelines and checklists on migration governance.

2. Financial Proposal- Detail budget with a breakdown including tax if applicable.

• The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount (including a breakdown of costs for deliverables, number of working days, activities in the workplan (including, where applicable, meetings, travel expenses, per diem, etc.). IOM SLO (Special Liaison Office) will facilitate logistics and payment of services according to the work plan and milestones achieved in the deliverables. The contract price will be fixed regardless of changes in the cost components in the financial proposal submitted.