BACKGROUND
The AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (ARASA) was established in 2002 to galvanize a movement of progressive civil society actors to advance a human rights-based response to HIV in southern Africa. The implementation of ARASA’s Strategy for 2019-22 was anchored in the core principle of respect for and protection of the rights to bodily autonomy and integrity.
Together with ATHENA Network (a feminist network whose vision is to ensure that the agency, choice and voices of adolescent girls and young women in their diversity are supported and respected), ARASA will implement an African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) funded project to strengthen the intersectional AGYW-led movement to advocate for, monitor and analyze the realization of SRHR for their constituency and use this to influence SRHR platforms and policies, focusing on HIV and GBV. The project will leverage the disruption presented by the COVID-19 pandemic to innovate capacity strengthening, advocacy and movement building approaches, using technology, to push for the realization of SRHR and the rights to bodily autonomy and integrity for AGYW.
CONTEXT
Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in southern and east Africa are 2.5 times more likely than their male peers to acquire HIV. One in five adolescent girls becomes pregnant before the age of 19, while complications during pregnancy and childbirth are the leading causes of death for young women aged 15-19 years. 70% of hospitalizations due to unsafe abortion are among girls below 20 years of age. Programs designed to surface and address the SRHR needs of AGYW, do not adequately centre their voice, choice, agency, and meaningful participation.
ATHENA was created to advance gender equity and human rights at the intersection of HIV, women’s rights, SRHR, and GBV. Formally launched in 2005, ATHENA plays a policy formulation, capacity-building and network-convening role, working with partners at the national and regional level.
In instances where AGYW self-organize, there exists a gross under-resourcing of their organizations and movements as well as their advocacy interventions. Furthermore, the legal, political, and societal environment often fails to recognize the capacity of AGYW to make decisions about their SRHR and HIV prevention needs. There is a dearth of interventions considering the structural drivers of SRHR challenges and high HIV burden among AGYW. An underlying cause is the limitation of the rights to bodily autonomy and integrity for AGWY, due to prevailing patriarchal norms and unequal power relations that sustain multiple and intersecting forms of inequalities and discrimination experienced by AGYW. AGYW are best placed to assess their SRHR, and HIV prevention needs and to design, implement, and evaluate interventions designed to address these needs. Their expertise is critical in conceptualising an intersectional SRHR and HIV response that is grounded in their lived realities. The digital divide between AGYW living in urban and rural areas negatively impacts on the ability of rural AGYW to access information needed to address their specific SRHR needs or to lead and participate in SRHR-related advocacy interventions.
Through this project, we will employ innovative organizing strategies to ensure that AGYW are included in processes affecting them and advocacy to address SRHR-related challenges they encounter. The proposed project will target AGYW in five countries in ESA, namely Zimbabwe, Kenya, Zambia, Namibia and Tanzania. It will further prioritize AGYW most at risk of being marginalized and excluded such as: queer AGYW, AGYW who use drugs, young women sex workers (over 18) and AGYW with disabilities.
SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES OF THE TOOLKIT
ARASA and ATHENA wish to engage a consultant (s) to develop an Advocacy Toolkit on AGYW advocacy and movement building to advance the rights to bodily autonomy and integrity focusing on ASRHR, SOGI, HIV prevention, universal health care and access to safe abortion.
The objectives are:
- Together with AGYW in the 5 countries develop a toolkit on AGYW advocacy and movement building to advance the rights to bodily autonomy and integrity.
- Ensure that the toolkit is AGYW friendly, interactive and highlights the specific country issues as reflected in the Research outcome report.
- Coordinate the layout and design process with designers.
DELIVERABLES
Toolkit developed with input from ARASA, ATHENA and AGYW cohorts in 5 countries.
QUALIFICATIONS AND KEY SKILLS
- Bachelor’s degree or similar qualification in Sociology, Gender Studies, Development Studies, or similar field;
- At least 7 to 10 years’ experience in conducting research, and / or organizational development, preferably in regional, continental or international non-governmental organizations similar to ARASA;
- Demonstrated understanding of the SRHR needs of AGYW and meaningful engagement of AGYW in similar process;
- Excellent analytical, organizational and time management skills;
- Excellent human relations skills and ability to respect confidentiality and establish a safe (interview) setting and trusting relationship with respondents;
- Flexible approach to planning and responsive to contextual changes; and
- Excellent English writing, oral communication and other communication skills.
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF EOI
The deadline for submission of Expressions of Interest is close of business on 20 January 2023. Please send your EoI with a curriculum vitae, quotation and a sample of similar previous work to recruitment@arasa.info cc Catherine cathynyamb@gmail.com with the subject: EoI CONSULTANCY TO DEVELOP TOOLKIT FOR SHE LEARNS PROJECT.
The selection process will be completed by 27 January. Consultants are expected to commence work immediately following contracting.