National Consultant on Protection, Gender and Accountability to Affected Population 67 views0 applications

Background

Ethiopia has a long-standing history of hosting refugees. The country maintains an open-door policy for refugee inflows and allows humanitarian access and protection to those seeking asylum on its territory. As of 31 December 2019, Ethiopia hosted 735, 204 registered refugees and asylum seekers in the 26 camps located in five regions (Tigray, Afar, Beneshangul Gumuz, Gambella, Somali) and urban areas and settlements in Ethiopia. The refugee populations are mostly composed of South Sudanese, Somalis, Eritreans and Sudanese. Most refugees are granted prima facie refugee status and are accommodated in the camps, whiles a smaller percentage of the refugee population is permitted to reside in urban areas on medical and/or protection and humanitarian grounds or on the Out-of-Camp status granted by the Government of Ethiopia (while the latter applies to Eritrean refugees only at the moment). Ethiopia also hosts 1,976,000 IDP households (OCHA, Humanitarian Needs Overview Ethiopia, 2020, p.7).

In 2004, a national Refugee Proclamation was enacted based on the international and regional refugee conventions to which Ethiopia is a party (1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, and its 1967 Protocol and the 1969 OAU Convention). Ethiopia’s parliament adopted revisions to its existing national refugee law on 17 January 2019, making it one of the most progressive refugee policies in Africa. The New Refugee Proclamation provides refugees with the right to work and reside out of camps within the bounds of its territories, fosters self-reliance and livelihood opportunities, ensures better access to social and financial services, facilitates registration of vital life events – such as births, deaths and marriages, and introduces the possibility of local integration of refugees who have been residing in the country for more than 20 years.

 The Government of Ethiopia was represented in the first Global Refugee Forum (16-18 December 2019) by its Deputy Prime Minister who announced 4 new pledges to improve the lives of refugees and their hosts. The pledges are strongly linked with Ethiopia’s existing commitments and include creating livelihoods opportunities for up-to 90,000 refugees and Ethiopians; provide quality and accredited skills training for 20,000 people; provide energy solutions for 3 million people and strengthen the country’s asylum system and Social Protection Capacity.

Rationale for Integrated Gender and Accountability to Affected Population Analysis (AAP)

Job creation opportunities and other refugees inclusion projects are expected to target and engage with the most vulnerable refugees in particular women and girls due to the realization that conflict, displacement and humanitarian crisis do not affect everyone equally, henceforth, the need to deliberately centralize gender equality and empowerment of refugee women and girls at the heart of an effective, inclusive and a right based response.

The purpose of the assignment is therefore to generate evidence on the gendered impact of displacement and humanitarian crisis, capture the changing gender roles and power dynamics among different people and communities of concern to UNHCR, including the intersections with other identity factor such as age, marital status, disability, ethnicity, religious affiliation, country of origin, migration and economic status to determine the distinct needs, capacities and vulnerabilities among the refugees and IDP women, men, boys and girls.

Scope of Work

The general objective of the assignment is to identify key gender dimensions of social, economic and cultural rules (policies, systems, procedures, attitudes and beliefs), and institutional barriers, opportunities and risks that affect, or could affect, the rights and livelihoods of refugees, IDP and host community women and men in terms of social-economic inclusion in Ethiopia. The deliverables of this service will produce a guidance document to promote women’s rights, ensure the enjoyment of equal rights to and benefits from inclusive development, enhance accountability to affected population and mitigate any protection and gender related risks.

The specific purpose of this assignment is to provide an understanding of the specific needs, priorities, capacities, vulnerabilities and risks faced by women, men, boys and girls in refugee, IDP and host communities in Ethiopia through critically analysing the following.

• Percentage and profile of women, men, boys and girls, persons with disability, elderly and marginalized groups in targeted locations.
• Distinct impact and experiences of conflict, displacement and humanitarian crisis on women, men, boys and girls in the targeted refugee, IDPs and host communities with a focus on capturing the assigned division of labor, roles, responsibilities and privileges among women, men, boys and girls.
• Different needs, capacities, vulnerabilities and aspirations between and among the refugee, IDPs and host communities in relation to overall social-economic inclusion and participation with a specific focus on education, livelihood and protection.
• Critically examine the changing gendered roles, types of access, control over assistance and resources as well as perspectives, capacities and constrains relatively towards each other in accessing critical services, assistance and livelihood opportunities.
• Identify specific gender dimension in relations to access to information and rights.
• Identify trusted and preferred sources of information; information needs of women, girls, men and boys (including elderly and persons with disabilities); and preferred channels to provide feedback to GoE, UNHCR and partners.
• Identify challenges/barriers faced by women, girls, men and boys in accessing information.
• Assess and identify the different prevailing attitudes in the targeted communities that define men and women roles and the gender imbalance in access and control over resources and benefits.
• Explore and map challenges faced by women in raising their voices, influence and in accessing employment opportunities including enterprise development in the personal, social, economic and political sphere.
• Conduct a comprehensive gender-sensitive risk and threat assessment and map the coping strategies adopted individually, at household level and community in meeting their basic and long-term needs.
• Identify local capacities, potentials and opportunities that can help to promote women and girls’ participation and address key gender inequality issues.
• Identify community and household structures in place that influence community cohesion and participation of women, girls, men and boys.
•  Assess current gender and protection policies and its optimal impact on PoCs, as well as identify any gaps within the current policies, systems and procedures, including the technical capacity.
• In collaboration with ARRA, understand the current gender and protection procedures of the main line ministries including, but not limited to MOLSA, MOYWCA, MOE, MOH to support in devising actions that would enhance the protection of PoCs.
• Provide specific recommendations that will address the above and mitigate any gender differences in access, participation or decision making that may be experienced by women and girls. Including a clear Plan of Action to address the gender imbalance in access to and control over resources and decision making at household, community and national level.

 Duration of Contract: 4 months with possibility of extension

Required Qualification, Skills and Competencies

• The minimum academic qualification is post-graduate degree (Masters) in Gender studies, Law, Cultural Studies, Human Rights, Social Work, Social Science, Law or other clearly related disciplines;
• Minimum of five years of relevant professional work experience in conducting gender related work including conducting gender analysis studies and other social and anthropological research;
• Experience in conducting assignments in multi-cultural vulnerable communities (refugee and IDPs)
• Experience in working in humanitarian and development context.
• Fluency in English is mandatory.