International Consultant to Prepare the Report of the National Study on Violence Against Women in Politics (VAWP) in Cote d’Ivoire and related advocacy materials

Background

UN Women, created by United Nations General Assembly resolution 64/289 (2010), is the United Nations organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. Its mandate is to support UN Member States as they set global standards for achieving gender equality and works with governments and civil society to design laws, policies, programmes and services needed to ensure that the standards are effectively implemented and truly benefit women and girls worldwide. UN Women is also mandated to lead, promote and coordinate the work of the UN system on gender equality, and to promote accountability, including through regular monitoring of system-wide progress.

In line with its triple mandate (normative, operational and coordinating), UN Women implements interventions articulated around 4 thematic areas: Governance and participation in public life; Economic advancement of women; Elimination of violence against women and girls; Women, peace and security, humanitarian action and risks and disasters. UN Women’s support for strengthening women’s leadership and their meaningful participation in politics is one of the major thrusts of its “Governance and participation in public life” thematic area. Within this framework, it works with key partners (civil society organizations, electoral management bodies, ministerial departments, parliamentarians, women leaders, political parties, the media, other UN agencies, international NGOs, etc.) to ensure that women can participate fully and equitably in decision-making, and that women and girls benefit from gender-sensitive laws, policies, budgets, services, and accountable institutions.

In Côte d’Ivoire, this fruitful collaboration has strengthened the gender sensitivity of electoral legislation with the adoption of Law no. 2019-870 of October 14, 2019, promoting the representation of Women in elected Assemblies and Decree no. 2020-941 of November 25, 2020, on the implementation modalities of Law no. 2019-870 of October 14, 2019, promoting the representation of Women in elected Assemblies. It has also fostered improved gender sensitivity in the country’s institutional and operational election management framework, with the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) increasing its capacity to integrate gender into electoral processes, notably through the adoption of a Gender Strategy, the formal establishment of a Gender Thematic Commission within it, the strengthening of the gender dimension in the electoral tools used and the systematization of sex-disaggregated electoral statistics during the various polls.

In addition, with the support of UN Women, women leaders, civil society and political parties grouped together in the Monitoring Committee for Gender mainstreaming in Electoral Processes (MCGEP) are successfully ensuring accountability for Côte d’Ivoire’s commitments to meaningful political participation by women. Similarly, an early warning mechanism monitoring pre- and post-election violence, based mainly on women community leaders who are members of the network of women peace mediators of Côte d’Ivoire (RFEMPCI), has been able to emerge and work effectively to prevent tensions within their communities and denounce violence against women during elections.                                                           

A platform of youth organizations for the affirmation of women in Côte d’Ivoire (POJAFCI) has also been set up and is successfully playing an active role in preventing pre- and post-electoral violence and mobilizing young people’s participation in elections. Several training and coaching initiatives for women candidates have also been supported to give women and girls the leadership they need to make a difference in the political arena.

Despite these notable advances, many obstacles still stand in the way of women’s meaningful participation in political life in Côte d’Ivoire. Among these obstacles is the lack of harmonization between the current electoral code and the quota law, which does not facilitate the proper application of the legal quota provisions. Indeed, for parliamentary elections (particularly legislative ones), the electoral code does not require a minimum quota of 30% women on candidate lists for all constituencies – as required by the law promoting women’s representativeness – but only for the 07 constituencies with more than two seats. As a result, women’s representation fell short of the expected 30% after the National Assembly was renewed on March 06, 2022 (12.91% women in the 2021-2025 legislature).

What’s more, the various political parties are still overwhelmingly run by men. Overall, these political parties remain reluctant to place women at the head of or on their candidate lists. To this, it is important to add the low level of literacy among women (54% in 2021 versus 47% for men), their high level of poverty (51.98% poverty rate versus 49.02% for men in 2018) and the negative impact of negative gender norms, with their corollaries of stereotyped and devaluing roles, which tend to constitute both physical and symbolic barriers dissuading women from participating in political life.

It is also important to point out that since the return to a multi-party system in Côte d’Ivoire in 1990, elections have regularly given rise to major violence causing death, destruction and numerous community attacks. Indeed, the 2000 and 2010 elections resulted in 200 and 3,248 deaths respectively, according to published official data. In the 2015 elections, the Afrobarometer survey revealed that 09 out of 10 people felt that voters were threatened at polling stations. In 2020, the presidential elections were the scene of extremely violent clashes that left almost 85 people dead and 484 injured, as well as the imprisonment of several political figures, including women. As a result of this recurrent electoral violence, many people lose interest in the electoral stakes, or even fear them. This disinterest seems to be more pronounced among women and young people. Moreover, during the country’s electoral processes, women candidates have denounced having been subjected to psychological and/or physical violence, which has led some to withdraw from public life and conceal their ambitions to manage power. Overall, such political violence and violence against women remain poorly documented and poorly covered by existing national legal provisions to combat gender-based violence.

Nevertheless, the smooth running of the local elections on September 02, 2023 and the support shown for the application of the provisions instituted by the law on the quota may suggest good prospects for improving the indicators linked to women’s political participation in Côte d’Ivoire. Indeed, thanks to the application of the 30% quota for women candidates on electoral lists during the last local elections, Côte d’Ivoire recorded for the 1st time a 32.71% representation of women in municipal councils and 32.40% in regional councils. This significant increase in the number of women in these elected local assemblies, many of whom are participating for the first time in a similar body, offers an unprecedented opportunity to deepen democracy and gender-inclusive governance in the country, by working to make available factual data that will inform decisions aimed at continuing the positive evolution observed, and addressing obstacles in a relevant way, in particular those linked to violence against women in political life and during election periods.

The national study on violence against women in political life and during elections in Côte d’Ivoire is part of this context. It adopts a mixed methodology, combining qualitative and quantitative approaches. It should provide evidence on the most significant obstacles to women’s political participation and leadership in the country and make relevant recommendations to guide the efforts of UN Women and its partners to promote and support women’s political empowerment and participation as holders of public office.  The key findings of this study will also serve as a basis for future global quantitative and qualitative research on violence against women in public office.

As part of this important study, ONU Femmes Côte d’Ivoire is recruiting an international consultant to consolidate the reports of the quantitative and qualitative components of the study, identify the main lessons and formulate recommendations. He/she will work under authority´ of the Resident Representative, the coordination of the Program Manager and the direct supervision of the UN Women Côte d’Ivoire WPPSHA Program Specialist, and in close coordination with the WPP team at UN Women headquarters.

https://www.hrw.org/legacy/french/reports/ivorycoast/cotdivfr0801.htm

National Commission of Inquiry (CNE) into the 2010-2011 post-election violence.

https://www.aa.com.tr/fr/afrique/c%C3%B4te-divoire-85-morts-et-484-bless%C3%A9s-dans-les-violences-%C3%A9lectorales-/2040840

Duties and Responsibilities

 STUDY OBJECTIVES

The general aim of this study is to generate factual and contextual data on violence against women in politics, particularly as candidates in the 2023 local elections. It has four operational objectives, namely:

1. To carry out data collection on VAWP, including an intersectional mapping of experiences and obstacles to women’s political participation, in particular violence against women candidates in local elections in Côte d’Ivoire.
2. Contribute to the development of a global model for measuring and monitoring VAWP.
3. Generate knowledge on national and sub-national legislative and policy frameworks relating to political participation and violence against women in Côte d’Ivoire, including through a desk review of existing relevant research and analysis.
4. Identify entry points and provide recommendations for strengthening monitoring, prevention and response to VAWG in Côte d’Ivoire.

 KEY ACTIVITIES AND DELIVERABLES

The international consultant’s main task will be to produce the overall study report by triangulating the data from the quantitative and qualitative components. To this end, the international consultant will undertake the following tasks:

 Task 1: Elaboration of a comprehensive final report

• Develop a comprehensive final report integrating the results from qualitative and quantitative data collection and the review of legislative and policy framework made by the research company, and the national consultant.
•  Highlight short- and long-term entry points, opportunities, priority actions and recommendations for key state and non-state actors (parliament, electoral management bodies, political parties, legislative bodies, local administrations, traditional and religious leaders, elected women representatives, civil society and the women’s movement, and UN Women and other UN agencies), to better monitor, prevent and respond to VAWP.

Deliverables of the International Consultant under Task 4:

• Detailed outline for the final report, including preliminary findings, key messages, and recommendations.
• Comprehensive final report (50-70 pages) integrating evidence from qualitative and quantitative data collection and the review of legislative and policy framework.

Task 2: Elaboration of advocacy materials and knowledge products

• Development of advocacy materials including one main advocacy brief (4-6 pages) and seven short thematic, geographic and/or demographic briefs (2 pages each), based on the comprehensive report and data collected.
• Document knowledge generated from the whole initiative, specifically on its progress, design, and management in collaboration with the Technical Team.

Deliverables of the International Consultant under Task 2:

• Advocacy materials including one main advocacy brief and seven short thematic, geographic, and/or demographic briefs.
• Substantive inputs to lessons learned documentation.

The final report must be rendered publication-ready, commensurate with what an experienced professional editor can offer. The term “publication-ready” shall mean that the final report respects the formatting conventions specified by UN Women and is devoid of typographical, spelling, and grammatical mistakes. The final report must also be written in clear, correct, and readable language.

Task 3: Contribution to the technical team meetings and to the dissemination of the study’s results.

• Participation and substantial contributions to the study’s technical group sessions will take place after the quantitative and qualitative data have been collected and processed. As a reminder, the technical team will be set up at the start of the project to ensure strategic supervision and quality assurance of the study, and to undertake certain study components.
• Development of an Online presentation for the study’s results to all stakeholders during the national study validation workshop.

Deliverables of the International Consultant under Task 3:

• Substantial contribution to technical team meetings in which he/she will take part.
• Online presentation of the study’s results during the national study validation workshop.

DURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The mission will take place over 21,75 working days, spread over a period of 02 months.

Competencies

Core Values and Guiding Principles

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling UN Women values and ethical standards.
• Demonstrates a commitment to UN Women’s mission and vision.
• Able to work effectively within a team.
• Displays cultural and gender sensitivity and adaptability.
• Able to multi-task and juggle competing demands.
• Can assess and prioritize work needs quickly.
• Demonstrates integrity by modeling UN Women values and ethical standards.
• Able to relate to external partners, including other international organizations and agencies, NGOs, grassroots community groups, etc.

Functional Competencies

• Sound practical knowledge on women’s political participation and EVAW programming including on prevention and mitigation of violence against women in elections/politics.
• Previous experience in field-based women’s political participation and/or EVAW programming in a variety of cultural and political contexts, particularly in developing countries.
• Ability to work effectively and harmoniously with people from varied cultures and professional backgrounds, demonstrating excellent interpersonal communication skills.
• Results based management skills.
• Ability to produce well-written reports and/or programme documents demonstrating analytical ability.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Experience in working with UN Women or UN or international NGOs on women’s political participation, electoral assistance, or EVAW.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree (master’s or doctorate) in political science, sociology, gender, international relations, law or a relevant field.

Experience:

• At least 07 years’ experience in conducting research studies in the fields of women’s political participation, VAW, electoral assistance and gender mainstreaming in elections, including legislative and policy review.
• Demonstrable expertise on EVAW.
• Sound knowledge of international standards on human rights, women’s rights, elections, and related instruments.
• Experience working with multi-stakeholder organizations including governments, electoral management bodies, CSOs particularly women’s organizations and the UN/ multilateral/bilateral institutions in a context like Côte d’Ivoire.
• Writing skills and experience in preparing reports and advocacy materials.

Language: Fluency in oral and written French. 

Application Submission Guidelines

Interested candidates are invited to apply online by following the instructions below:

1. Detailed CV: Submit a detailed CV not exceeding 5 pages, including references for similar assignments and contact information for the organisations where the evaluator has previously worked.
2. UN Women P11 Form: A completed and signed copy of the UN Women Personal History Form (P11) ..
3. Technical Proposal: A technical proposal indicating the understanding of the Terms of Reference (ToR) and a detailed work plan.

Please note that these documents must be submitted as a single PDF file.

The preselection will be based on: i) Qualifications and experience, ii) Evaluation of technical proposals.

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. In the case of equal qualifications, female candidates will be given preference.

In accordance with Article 101, paragraph 3, of the United Nations Charter, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. UN Women does not charge any application, processing, or training fees at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing, or training). UN Women does not request bank information from applicants.

Diversity and Inclusion

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment, ensuring respect for all. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes without discrimination based on ethnicity, religion, colour, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability status, national origin, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. All employment decisions are based on the assessment of qualifications, competence, and integrity, and organisational needs.

If you require reasonable accommodation to participate in the recruitment and selection process, please specify this in your application.

UN Women does not tolerate any behaviour inconsistent with the purposes and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. All selected candidates will be required to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures, as well as the expected standards of conduct of UN personnel. Therefore, their references and background will be thoroughly checked (including academic credentials and professional background). Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information for background verification.