The Lutheran World Federation: Action for Justice
Project Terms of Reference and Call for Proposals:
“30 years of Lutheran World Federation engagement with the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action 1995-2025”
ATTN: Deadline for Technical Proposal Submission: July 19, 2024
Concept Note
In March 2025 the United Nations will hold a 30-year review of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA) during the annual gathering of the Commission on the Status of Women in its 69th session.
The Lutheran World Federation, (LWF) has been engaging with the BPfA since its inception at the 1995 World Conference on Women, in Beijing, China. This engagement has been in our programmatic efforts, delivered by our 150 Member Churches (MC) and 25 Country Programs (CP) (2024 statistics) as well as in our advocacy from the local to global level.
The “Local to Global: 30 years of Engagement with the BPfA” project presents an opportunity for LWF to tell the stories of these programs and the impact they have had on the communities they serve, as well as the broader impact of this work on the global implementation of this multilateral agreement.
About the LWF
The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is a global communion of 150 churches in the Lutheran tradition, representing over 77 million Christians in 99 countries. LWF strives to put faith into action within and beyond the communion. This action takes a variety of forms from theological reflection and dialogue with other churches and faiths, to deepening relationships, sharing about our faith, serving those in need through humanitarian and development action, and advocating for a more just, peaceful, and reconciled world.
Terms of Reference (ToR)
1. Introduction
Gender justice advocacy and policy engagement is a key priority in the current Strategy of the Lutheran World Federation (2019 – 2024) as well as the New Strategy 2025-2031. The LWF has engaged with the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) for more than thirty years as an observer, contributor and participant in gender policy negotiations and advocacy towards the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action (BPFA).
The Action for Justice Unit is the advocacy hub of the LWF and accompanies member churches, World Service Country Programs, and collaborates closely with ecumenical and faith-based organizations, likeminded civil society, as well as women in all their diversity. The LWF local to global advocacy methodology is essential to accelerate actions needed to set up a pathway for a safe, equal, sustainable and resilient society and economy where we protect, value and celebrate women.
2. The Beijing Platform for Action
The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA) is a global policy framework for gender equality and women’s empowerment that was adopted by 189 countries at the United Nations (UN) World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. The BPfA is considered to be the most comprehensive policy framework of its kind and explicitly recognizes women’s rights as human rights. It also sets out a roadmap for achieving equality between women and men and identifies 12 key areas where urgent action is needed to ensure greater equality and opportunities for all. The BPfA also calls on governments and other actors to apply gender mainstreaming to all policies and programs as a key strategy for realizing gender equality.
The BPfA’s strategic objectives and specific actions are intended to improve the situation of all women and girls, without exception, while giving special attention to groups that are the most disadvantaged. The BPfA also recognizes that women’s daily existence and long-term aspirations are often restricted by discriminatory attitudes, unjust social and economic structures, and a lack of resources. Most of the challenges identified in the BPfA’s critical areas of concern in 1995, such as the gender pay gap and women’s disproportionate burdens of unpaid care, remain relevant today.
3. The overall goal:
– Take stock of progress made on gender equality and women’s empowerment since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (focus on 12 countries)
– Reflect on and celebrate the contribution of LWF towards the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action for each of the 12 critical areas of concern over the last 30 years
– Explore how the BPfA has influenced LWF advocacy on Gender Justice and Women’s empowerment
– Make recommendations from a faith-based perspective to strengthen the implementation of the BPfA.
4. Expected deliverables:
A well written publication comprising the following elements:
– 12 LWF promising practices that respond to the 12 Critical Areas of Concern within the BPfA. (as identified by LWF)
– 12 one page of infographics/fact sheets that demonstrate the statistical realities facing these priority areas and the urgency for action required in 12 selected countries.
– 12 Profiles of Lutherans who participated in the 4th World Conference in Beijing as well as past delegates to the UN Commission on the Status of Women (as identified by LWF)
These deliverables are to be:
− Prepared in English
− Submitted to the LWF Senior Advocacy Officer for Gender Justice via email: sikhonzile.ndlovu@lutheranworld.org and Daniel Pieper LOWC Program Director on daniel.pieper@elca.org
5. Outcome publication
– Publication title: “Local to Global: 30 Years of Lutheran World Federation engagement with the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action 1995-2025”
– Each of the 12 critical areas of concern in the BPfA will represent a chapter in the LWF publication.
– Each of the critical areas of concern will be introduced with a one-page infographic with relevant open access statistics elucidating the priority area.
– The remainder of the chapter will be a narrative telling the story of an LWF member church (MC) or Country Program (CP) implementing a program to address the identified critical area of concern as well as a profile from a past Beijing or CSW participant.
– 12 past LWF delegate profiles will be created- each of the 12 interviewees will reflect on the status of women in the chosen area, highlight their experience, work and engagement on one of the critical areas of concern.
6. Suggested time frame and period of the assignment
– ToR circulated: July 4, 2024
– Deadline for technical offer: July 19, 2024 – The estimated number of consultant working days is 35 between late July, August and September 2024. – Methodology workshop with LWF staff and consultant- August 2024 – First draft report October 12, 2024 – Second draft report November 15, 2024 – Final validation and joint drawing of recommendations- December 2024
– Final Project deliverables due January 30, 2025.
7. Methodology
To be developed by the consultant in consultation with LWF.
8. Qualifications and Experience of the consultant(s)
− Proven experience in gender justice and women’s human rights related work.
− Proven track record of conducting similar research work.
− Experience in conducting remote research (online interviews, surveys etc.)
− Excellent writing skills in English. Fluency in Spanish will be an added advantage
− Data visualization and infographic design is an added advantage
− Experience in working with faith-based organizations is an asset;
− Knowledge of LWF is an advantage.
How to apply
9. Request for Proposal (RfP):
Interested candidates who fulfill the above qualifications should submit the following:
A technical and financial offer according to the present terms of reference;
− The technical offer shall contain a summary presentation of the proposed approach and the suggested methods to be used.
− The financial offer shall contain the costs for honorarium (including taxes) based on a daily rate as well as any other costs.
− CV(s) of all consultants involved.
− A written sample of previous similar work.
Technical proposals should be submitted by email to lwf.pmer@lutheranworld.org by July 19, 2024 COB.