04/27/2021
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
CAPACITY-BUILDING AND MENTORING FOR WOMEN MPs IN IRAQ
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR AN EXPERT TO
Conduct a training and develop a paper on Gender Analysis in Legislation in Iraq and the MENA region
Background
The Iraq Foundation (IF), an independent NGO working in Iraq since 2003, is supporting the women’s committee of the Iraqi Parliament and women MPs in a 3-year-project funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), which aims at making the policy and legislative process in Iraq more responsive to the needs of Iraqi citizens, and at strengthening women’s political leadership and improving gender equality in policies and legislation. To achieve this aim, IF is organizing capacity-building workshops for women MPs’ leadership and consultative sessions with women MPs and experts on legislation with impact on women’s rights and on UNSCR 1325 and its implementation through the second National Action Plan in Iraq. With regard to advancing gender-sensitive policy-making in Iraq, the project seeks to promote gender analysis as standard within the policy and legislative process. This work was started with a consultative session with women MPs in Year 1 of the project, which included a review of laws with an impact on women’s rights, and was followed in Year 2 by a webinar-conference and online skills development sessions for women MPs on the Domestic Violence Law. Year 3 aims to provide women MPs including the women’s committee with further and comprehensive knowledge on a gender and human rights perspective in legislation, skills for its application in the legislative process, and guidance on how to mobilize support in Parliament for laws that meet women’s needs.
The Iraq Foundation seeks to contract an Arabic-speaking Expert to develop a paper and conduct a related 2-days training on Gender Analysis in Legislation in Iraq and the MENA region. A first version of the paper would be the basis/material for the training; the outcomes of the training are expected to inform an expanded version of the paper, which will be published and sent to women MPs before the end of this legislative session. As an outcome of the training and the material provided, women MPs are expected to better understand and be able to apply a gender-perspective on specific legislation, including a background on how gender-sensitive legislation is being addressed in other countries of the MENA region (see Scope of Work, below).
Specific Terms of Reference & Deliverables
1. Develop an outline for the paper and training, submit for prior review to IF in May 2021.
2. Create an agenda and training material, submit for prior approval to IF in early June.
3. Hold the two-days training in Suleimania in late June 2021 (preliminary date June 26-27).
4. Develop an expanded version of the paper and submit draft by July 23, 2021.
5. Revise paper for publishing and submit final version by July 31.
Scope of Work
1. The training agenda should be designed to provide knowledge, methods and skills, include interactive elements, practical exercises and time for Q&A.
2. The paper and related training should discuss the following items, but not be limited to:
A. The gender and human rights perspective of women in legislation
• Concepts and principles (general outlook and introduction)
• The situation of gender-sensitive legislation in Iraq and in the MENA region (including examples of laws with impact on women, which need a stronger gender-perspective applied to them)
B. How to apply a gender-perspective to laws
• Aspects to consider when drafting/examining a law (for example check-list of questions; methodical guidance; etc.)
• Practical exercise/case-study of one law and how to apply the gender-perspective
C. Guidance and Reflection on how to mobilize support for laws that meet women’s needs.
• Can be informed by the final discussion during the training on opportunities, challenges and partners for women MPs to advance and support gender-sensitive legislation
3. The paper should include a case-study as an exercise on how to apply the gender-perspective in legislation and practical tools, such as a check-list of aspects or questions to use when drafting or amending legislation, and other.
4. The expanded paper is expected to include: executive summary, content table, methodology, conclusion, reference section.
Required Skills and experience
1. Proven track-record of projects and publications related to gender equality and women’s rights in the MENA region. Please attach documentation of 2 projects.
2. Previous experience in research and training on gender analysis in legislation.
3. Demonstrated knowledge and skills in providing training for policy-makers from the MENA region.
4. Preferred: previous work with UN agencies or international NGOs.
5. Fluency in Arabic.
Deadline for receiving applications: May 1, 2021.
Please respond to: [email protected]
