Provision of Consultancy Services on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Study and... Tender

Procurement Summary

Country : Afghanistan

Summary : Provision of Consultancy Services on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Study and Training

Deadline : 28 Apr 2022

Other Information

Notice Type : Tender

TOT Ref.No.: 65565201

Document Ref. No. : RFQ-AFG-007521

Competition : ICB

Financier : Other Funding Agencies

Purchaser Ownership : Public

Tender Value : Refer Document

Purchaser's Detail

Purchaser : DANISH REFUGEE COUNCIL
Country Office, DRC Afghanistan, Project Area, Kabul, Nangahar, Herat, Kandahar
Afghanistan

Tender Details

Quotation are invited for Provision of Consultancy Services on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Study and Training as per attached TOR Annex A.

Terms of Reference for Danish Refugee Council (DRC) Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Consultancy, Afghanistan

Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) consultancy to identify how DRC programmes and organizational policies can mainstream GESI considerations to maximise positive impact by determining key gender advances, constraints, inequalities, and opportunities, offer conclusions and specific recommendations, and provide tailored capacity building opportunities to DRC staff and strategic partners.

Country Office

DRC Afghanistan

Project Area

Kabul, Nangahar, Herat, Kandahar

Consultancy timeline

3 months from the signature of the contract*

Introduction
Project
Decades of conflict, natural disasters and economic shocks have resulted in spiralling humanitarian needs and increasing inequalities along key vulnerability factors such as gender, ethnicity, social status, etc. In line with DRC Afghanistan Strategy 2025 and to uphold accountability commitments towards its staff, DRC Afghanistan will conduct a Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) study of its programmes and organizational processes/policies with the aim of promoting equal opportunities for women, men and special interest groups to participate in, contribute to, and benefit from DRC-s work. The study will be followed by tailored training opportunities for DRC staff and its strategic partners, which focus on addressing identified capacity gaps and on promoting the implementation of key recommendations.

In light of DRC Afghanistan-s programmatic focus and leadership in the humanitarian mine action sector, a key priority of the consultancy will be increasing GESI outcomes on DRC Humanitarian Disarmament & Peacebuilding programme and provide capacity building to national mine action partners on GESI mainstreaming across the humanitarian mine action project cycle.

Context
The current complex crisis in Afghanistan has had a disproportionate impact on women and other special interest groups, including ethnic and religious minorities. This is due to the intersection of sometimes greater impact of the crisis on these population groups and of greater limitations on their capacity to cope with shocks due to structural barriers.

For women previously engaged in a range of socio-economic activities and sectors, their ability to participate in Afghanistan social life, pursue work and earn an income has been severely hampered. Various restrictions are being put on women, creating an increasingly restrictive social environment, including: notices being posted around cities on the need for women to wear burqas or chadors; requiring women to be in the backseat of taxis (and if you are the only women then you must pay for all seats, so there is an added financial burden on the passenger); taxi drivers instructed to not give rides to women who are not ‘appropriately- dressed; gender segregated public spaces such as parks; and, prohibitions on women traveling without a chaperone (maharam). Access to services and employment are more frequently reported to be predicated on women being accompanied by a male relative, indicating greater access limitations, economic insecurity, and infringement of rights of female-headed households. Restrictions imposed on women also had an impact on women-s work in the humanitarian sector. These were met with vocal advocacy efforts by Afghanistan-s civil society, leading to hard-won gains that enable women to continue working, yet these efforts are often at great personal risk.

The impact of the economic crisis disproportionately affects women. Women were over-represented as salaried employees working in the health and education sector. Because of this, the collapse of government services has hit this population group particularly hard. In addition, the 2021 Whole of Afghanistan assessment shows that 28% of women in Afghanistan lack national identification (Tazkira), despite being entitled by law. Without this proof of identity, women are inhibited from pursuing employment opportunities, accessing services and basic rights.

Greater impact of the current crisis and political changes is also felt among other special interest groups, including ethnic and religious minorities. Since the IEA takeover in August 2021, there have been credible allegations of enforced disappearances, unlawful detentions, and extrajudicial killings of personnel from the previous government, human rights defenders and civil society activists, journalists and media workers and persons belonging to minority groups, including minority religious and ethnic groups. These groups have experienced decades long systematic discrimination, including in relation to employment opportunities and access to social services, and this discrimination continues. They are also among the population groups that most commonly chose migration to third countries as a strategy to cope with the current crisis.

Finally, the impact of conflict, as well as a deteriorating healthcare system means that a shocking 80% of Afghan adults experience some form of disability, with women more likely to have a severe disability. This same assessment found that the chances of severe disability increase with age, again highlighting the intersectional nature of barriers and vulnerabilities faced in country.

DRC in Afghanistan
DRC has worked in Afghanistan since the 1990s, through Humanitarian Mine Action, and expanded its scope and reach of programming in 2011 to provide multi-sector and holistic packages of assistance. We currently work in four regions of the country (West, East, South and Central), focusing on the most vulnerable and at-risk of conflict and natural disaster-affected populations, including IDPs, host communities and documented/undocumented returnees.

Under the Strategy 2025, DRC Afghanistan will implement a comprehensive programme aimed at increasing protection and enhancing inclusion across Emergency, Protection, Economic Recovery, Shelter & Settlements, Camp Coordination and Camp Management, and Humanitarian Disarmament & Peacebuilding sectors. Due to the unpredictability of the Afghan context, DRC will maintain capacity to respond to sudden and large-scale emergencies, while also promoting the transition to long-term recovery programming.

The key focus of the mission for the period 2022-2025 is multi-sectoral integration. DRC Afghanistan is uniquely positioned to leverage on complementarities of its complex portfolio to strengthen the impact of its programming on hard-to-reach communities. The overall goal of DRC Afghanistan-s multi-sector programme is to promote favourable conditions for shock and displacement-affected communities to seek safety, claim their basic rights and pursue self-reliance.

DRC mission in Afghanistan currently operates across 12 provinces from four Area Offices and one Country Office. The mission includes more than 600 staff, for a projected portfolio of approximately 50 million USD for 2022.

Closing date: 28 Apr 2022

Documents

 Tender Notice