Consultant to Conduct the Regional Business Case for GAA Tender, United Kingdom - 26937926

Procurement Summary

Country : United Kingdom

Summary : Consultant to Conduct the Regional Business Case for GAA

Deadline : 28 Sep 2018

Other Information

Notice Type : Tender

TOT Ref.No.: 26937926

Document Ref. No. :

Competition : ICB

Financier : United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

Purchaser Ownership : -

Tender Value : Refer Document

Purchaser's Detail

Purchaser : PLAN INTERNATIONAL
Attn: Iris Caluag / Supornchai Dukes Court, Block A, Duke Street, Woking, Surrey GU21 5BH Tel: (+44)1483 755 155 Fax: (+44)1483 756 505
United Kingdom
Email :iris.caluag@plan-international.org / supornchai.nawataweeporn@plan-international.org

Tender Details

Tenders are invited for Consultant to Conduct the Regional Business Case for GAA.

Cashing In: The Business Case for Women-s Economic Empowerment in Asia

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Girls- Advocacy Alliance Asia

Asia Regional Office

1. Background and Rationale for the Research

1.1. Background

Women-s equal participation in full and productive employment is essential to expand economic growth and promote social development. The World Economic Forum states that if the gender gap is reduced by 25 percent by 2025, as much as US$ 5.8 trillion dollars can be added to the global economy, of which US$3.2 trillion would accrue to the Asia-Pacific alone. Empirical studies from the IMF suggest that gender equality increases income equality in society as a whole as well. Besides these sizable economic benefits, engaging women in the world of work have major impacts on the well-being of women and the next generation. In fact, the economic empowerment of women have been known to result in women undertaking higher-value economic activities, higher investments on the education and health of children, and contributing to building a competitive labor market.

Various studies, however, have also shown that sociocultural norms, behaviors and attitudes can limit the opportunities for girls and women. To date, East and South Asia remain as the two regions in the world with declining female labor force participation rates. Less than one in three women in South Asia are active in the labor market. The gender gap has also widened over the last decade more than any other region. In order for women to be economically empowered, an integrated approach that addresses the underlying structural barriers in the household, community and the workplace is necessary. This requires concerted efforts from all stakeholders, including the private sector.

Plan International-s Girls- Advocacy Alliance (GAA) program aims to contribute to building a society where young women are free from gender-based violence and economic exclusion. In the Asia regional program, GAA encompasses activities with the private sector, civil society organizations, Asian Development Bank, ASEAN and SAARC to deliver policy and practice changes specifically supporting young women-s economic empowerment, safe economic migration, and protection from commercial and sexual exploitation.

In 2018, the Asia Regional Office (ARO), in coordination with Plan Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Philippines, is developing a 2-part regional business case arguing for the economic empowerment of young women in selected industries. Entitled “Cashing In: The Business Case for Women-s Economic Empowerment in Asia”, the research synthesizes the findings of on-going country research on the topic in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Philippines, as well as document good practices and their costs, benefits and impact on businesses and young women workers alike. The research is intended to support Plan International-s increasing work in influencing private sector actors in the region to foster an enabling environment where young women can competitively participate in the labor market, and unlock their full potential as economic actors in their own right.

1.2. Rationale for the Research

Ensuring young women access and thrive in the world of work requires investments from the private sector, which, as the IFC (add in full) has remarked, “may take time and resources. As with other investments, companies need to understand how (these) interventions impact their key performance indicators”. Thus, while taking the rights-based approach has significant value and contribution to Plan-s engagement with the private sector, effectively influencing businesses necessitates an honest discussion of how upholding the rights of women in the workplace translate to economic benefits for employers as well.

Several studies exist, which identify corporate programs that have supported women and gained benefits as a result. In the IFC-s report, companies reported gaining a competitive advantage due to having women workers, significant savings from reduced absenteeism and staff turnover, increased productivity and innovation, social acceptance with the local community, and broader strategic gains. USAID echo this in the six primary types of incentives that they identified as drivers private sector-led changes: accessing untapped employee talent, improving supply chain reliability, reaching female customers, opening new distribution channels, enhancing brand and reputation, and furthering social impact.

There is very little research available that is nuanced, however, to the actual costs and benefits of industries that Plan International intends to engage in. In Bangladesh, despite overwhelming interest in the RMG sector, literature on the perspective of businesses and the actual considerations that they make in deciding to invest (or not) on and uphold the rights of women are scant. Similar research about the hospitality sector in Nepal, BPO (in full)/travel and tourism industry in the Philippines, and business associations in India simply do not exist.

This is a clear knowledge gap that Plan International-s research could provide in addition to confirming the findings that other research studies have made in relation to the challenges and opportunities, including the costs and benefits, of investing on young women-s economic empowerment.

1.3. Defining Concepts

· Women-s economic empowerment refers to the “ability of women to choose whether to work, how much to work, and how to spend or save their incomes” (BSR, 2017, Empowering Female Workers in the Apparel Industry: Three Areas of Business Action)

· Decent work refers to “opportunities for work that is productive and delivers a fair income, security in the workplace and social protection for families, better prospects for personal development and social integration, freedom for people to express their concerns, organize and participate in the decisions that affect their lives and equality of opportunity and treatment of all women and men” (International Labor Organization, The Decent Work Agenda)

· Investments will vary per company and industry. However, company interventions can come in the form of (1) improving gender diversity in jobs with historically low levels of female employment; or (2) responding to women workers- needs. (IFC, 2013, Investing in Women-s Employment: Good for Business, Good for Development)

2. Research Objectives and Questions

2.1. Research Objectives

The broader objective of this research is to develop a regional business case for investing on the economic empowerment of young women (18-24 years old) in selected industries/business associations in Asia. The business case will provide evidence and analysis of good corporate practices in the topic, along with associated costs, benefits and impact to business and workers, from Bangladesh, Philippines, Nepal and India.

The specific objectives of this research are:

· To distill common key learnings, including prevailing social norms, attitude and behaviors that reinforce gender and work place stereotypes, from the four countries and four industries, : the RMG sector (Bangladesh), BPO/travel and tourism industry (Philippines), hospitality sector (Nepal), and industries represented in business associations in India;

· To outline the costs, benefits and impact of corporate investments on women-s economic empowerment based on select good practices in four industries;

· To provide a case study of the Bangladesh RMG sector, which includes a cost-benefit analysis quantifying costs and benefits of investments made to empower women workers in factories; and

· To determine and recommend Plan-s value proposition and private sector engagement approach in relation to the identified industries.

2.2. Research Questions

The main research questions are:

· What are the challenges and opportunities that young women workers (18-24 years old) face in the garment, hospitality, BPO/travel and tourism industries, and other industries[9], particularly in accessing recruitment, training and career advancement opportunities, equal pay, maternity leave, and safe women-friendly working environments?

· How is women-s economic empowerment perceived by:

o Employers, supervisors and male colleagues;

o Women workers of different age groups;

o Families and community members; and

o Global retailers (when applicable)[?

· How are employers empowering (or disempowering) women workers, and particularly young women, in their workforce? How have these impacted women workers?

o Of the identified ‘empowering- practices, if any, which could be replicated or moved to scale?

o What made these practices successful in empowering women?

· What has incentivized employers into investing on their women workers?

· What have been the costs and benefits of these good practices to businesses themselves?

· What are the recommendations for effectively and efficiently empowering women workers in these industries?

· What is Plan International-s value proposition in engaging private sector in these industries? How can Plan effectively influence businesses?

3. Methods and Stakeholders

3.1. Locations

The research will focus on pre-identified companies in select industries. Therefore, the locations will vary and be dependent on the recommendations of Plan country offices. The industries, and consequently the stakeholders, have been selected for this business case as follow:

· 4 factories selected in the Ready Made Garment industry - Bangladesh

· 2 members each from the Hotel Association of Nepal and Trekking Association of Nepal - Nepal

· 2 companies in the BPO and/or travel and tourism industry - Philippines

· 2 CSR-oriented companies - India

The researchers will need to coordinate with the relevant Plan country offices who are conducting p

Documents

 Tender Notice