Research Consultancy Tender in Liberia - 23774711

Procurement Summary

Country: Liberia

Summary: Research Consultancy

Deadline: 08 Jun 2018

Posting Date: 31 May 2018

Other Information

Notice Type: Tender

TOT Ref.No.: 23774711

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Competition: ICB

Financier: Other Funding Agencies

Purchaser Ownership: -

Tender Value: Refer Document

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38970000 - Research, testing and scientific technical simulator

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Tenders are invited for Research Consultancy.
Formative Research on Masculinity and Gender-Related Social Norms and their Implication in Violence Against Women and Girls in Liberia.
1. BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE
In December 2015, Oxfam Denmark (ODK) and Impunity Watch were awarded a grant by the Government of the Netherlands under the Funding Leadership and Opportunities for Women (FLOW) Framework 2016 – 2020 in Liberia, Burundi and Guatemala. Under the grant, Oxfam in Liberia has been working with five local partners for the implementation of the FLOW programme in Grand Gedeh and Sinoe counties, and in Montserrado at the national level. The FLOW Programme’s overall goal is for women, adolescents and girls in Guatemala, Burundi and Liberia live a life free from violence and participate in democratic processes. The programme focuses on two strategic interventions: 1) Reducing sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls 2) Promoting women’s participation in in politics and public administration.
Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is both a cause and consequence of unequal gender relations. In virtually all aspects of human life, women and girls are explicitly or implicitly considered to be inferior to men and boys. Since VAWG is a complex phenomenon, it requires multi-faceted response. Interventions to end violence against women and girls (EVAWG) tend to focus on the individual (attitudes and beliefs), economic (access and control of resources) and structural factors (legal and institutional frameworks). What get less attention are the sociocultural factors, particularly social norms. Social norms are unwritten rules or expectations of behaviour for members of a group. Specifically, they are shared beliefs about the typical and appropriate behavior of the people in a cultural or social group. Gender-related social norms (also gender ideology) refer to attitudes regarding the appropriate roles, rights and responsibilities of men and women in society. Some examples of gender-related social norms that sustain violence against women and girls include: Rape and sexual assault are taboo subjects (especially for men); sex is a man’s right in marriage; women who are not circumcised are promiscuous; girls and women are responsible for causing and controlling a man’s sexual desire; divorce is shameful; and sexual conquest is a sign of manhood.
Certain forms of masculinity and gender-related social norms are deeply implicated in violence, particularly VAWG. To be sure, not all men are violent nor are they predisposed to be. There are various contributing factors, and a significant factor is gender ideology. There are multiple forms of masculinity in a given society, but there is also a dominant form which is generally accepted and aspired to by most (heterosexual cis-) men, which is sometimes characterized as “hegemonic masculinity, ” “dominant masculinity, ” or “traditional masculinity” among others. These beliefs about manhood can have harmful psychological and social effects, including violence done to oneself and to others. For example, men who are unable to fulfill their role as “provider, ” and who have learned not to show weakness or seek emotional or psychological support, are more prone to depression, substance abuse, suicide, and aggression. If they have also learned that men are to dominate or control “their” women, and if they have experienced violence themselves, they are significantly more likely to commit VAWG.
Gender-related social norms are also held by women, and contribute to women’s acceptance of violence against them. For example, in Liberia as elsewhere, men are expected to be the head of the household and women are expected to take care of the home and her family. If she does not conform to this gender role in some way or behaves “incorrectly” (if she burns the food, if she goes out without telling him, if she neglects the children, if she argues with him, or if she refuses to have sex with him) an estimated 43% of Liberian women compared to 24% of Liberian men believe that wife beating is acceptable.1, 2, 3
Evidence shows that social norms justify and uphold certain behaviours, and that behaviour is unlikely to change without understanding and deconstructing social norms. Research on the effectiveness of EVAWG interventions suggests that those that address gender-related social norms and challenge dominant ideas of masculinity linked to controlling and aggressive behaviours are more effective at reducing VAWG than those that do not.4 Moreover, social norms around gender, power and violence are adhered to by both men and women and boys and girls; thus it is critical to involve both sexes in interventions that are “gender transformative, ” which is an approach that explicitly challenges social norms around gender, power and violence, as well as gender ideology around male superiority and what it is to be a “real man” or “real woman”. 5 EVAWG requires addressing the promotion of positive social norms and new types of masculine identities with emphasis on men’s shared responsibility for denouncing and ending violence against women and girls.
To ensure that the FLOW programme’s EVAWG campaign and advocacy will be effective, Oxfam in Liberia now seeks to engage a highly qualified and experienced consultant to conduct a study that will inform Oxfam’s intervention and provide the necessary baseline information on masculinities and social norms and their implication in VAWG in Liberian settings. The research will reveal how VAWG is understood and normalized in Liberian contexts, which type of VAWG and related social norms ought to be the focus of our advocacy and Enough! Campaign to end VAWG, Oxfam Liberia is implementing the Enough Campaign, which is an Oxfam worldwide gender justice campaign on ending violence against women and girls. The campaign seeks to lower social acceptance and prevalence of violence against women and girls (VAWG) by addressing discriminatory social norms, which reflect the unequal gender power relations that are at the root of VAWG. The research will therefore form the foundation of Enough Campaign in Liberia by identifying how VAWG is normalized in the Liberian context.
How dominant or traditional masculinities (ways of being “real men”) contribute to VAWG in Liberia, and the barriers and bridges to transforming harmful gender norms and masculinity to empower men and boys, women and girls to act as partners for change in ending VAWG. As part of ensuring impact and sustainability of our EVAWG interventions, the consultant should conduct participatory action research which includes selected FLOW partners, particularly Women’s Rights Organizations (WROs) and networks, to increase their understanding of the links between gender-related social norms, masculinity, and violence, as well as to strengthen their capacity in conducting qualitative research, and in evidence-based, gender transformative community advocacy, which includes the effective engagement of men and boys.
2. AUDIENCE AND USE OF FINDINGS
Formative research is a methodology that is implemented prior to designing a project or campaign. Oxfam and her implementing and strategic partners will use this research for more effective project and Enough! campaign design and implementation. The research will be used to identify the reference group(s), target group(s), and key stakeholders for our interventions; better understand the incidence of VAWG and identify more effective strategies to address VAWG in Liberia, including the development of an effective, coordinated campaign and communication strategy. The research report may be published online and shared with WROs and networks and others. Key findings and recommendations (including the executive summary) will also be shared externally. Any media produced (e.g., video footage or PowerPoint/SlideShare presentation) may be adapted and shared in regional or global learning events, and used in workshops and trainings of trainers in Liberia. Overall, the research will be used to raise the consciousness of men and boys, girls and women so that they challenge and change gender-related social norms that perpetuate violence and oppression.
3. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The general objective of the research is to inform the FLOW project implementation and design the Enough! Campaign to end violence against women and girls in Liberia.
Specific objectives

• To identify the most pervasive forms of VAWG in the target areas (Southeastern Liberia and Montserrado county – especially “slum” communities i.e., densely populated and neglected areas that experience high rates of violence and VAWG);
• To identify the existing and most prevalent social norms and gender ideologies (especially traditional or hegemonic masculinity) that perpetuate VAWG in the target areas;
• To identify positive norms that challenge or can challenge the negative social norms.
• To specify the key target populations and their reference groups6 for FLOW EVAWG interventions and Enough! Campaign.
• To identify barriers to transforming social norms and masculinity which perpetuate violence;
• To explore strategies for changing social norms and make specific recommendations for improving behavioral change communication in the FLOW project and Enough! campaign design and implementation.
• To identify the most appropriate channels (e.g. mass media, community events, etc.) and agents of communication (influencers or people in the community who challenge these norms) to change gender-related social norms and masculinity that perpetuate VAWG
• To help develop key messages to address the most significant high-risk behaviors
• To transfer knowledge and skills on qualitative research methods and analysis to selected WROs and youth groups and strengthen their thematic competency in social and gender norms so they will lead in promoting social norm change and ge

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