Animation Consultant to Develop an Educational Video on Feminist Peace and the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda

Job Description

Location	Remote
Timeline	8-9 weeks, From June 1st to August the 7th

A. ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND

The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network is a civil society coalition bringing together grassroots women’s rights organizations from Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, and Uganda. Established in 1995, SIHA aims to strengthen the capacity of women’s rights organizations in the Horn of Africa, contributing to the empowerment of women and advocating for effective change. SIHA operates as a regional platform for mobilizing activists, vulnerable groups, and marginalized women, men, and girls to challenge the root causes of problems faced by women and girls in the Horn of Africa Region. More information about SIHA is available at www.sihanet.org  

B. BACKGROUND OF THE CONSULTANCY

The ongoing conflict since April 2023 has had a devastating impact on women’s lives, safety, and well‑being. Unprecedented levels of violations, primarily committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as well as the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) continue to be documented, underscoring the urgent need to center the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda in current and future peace efforts. While discussions around WPS resurfaced in the public sphere following the 2018 revolution, the agenda remains complex and insufficiently understood, particularly at the grassroots level. 

In this context, SIHA is implementing an activity aimed at distilling the WPS agenda through a feminist lens. The activity seeks to explore the meaning of women, peace, and security in both conflict and post‑conflict settings, while strengthening the capacities of feminist groups and women‑led initiatives working at the grassroots level. Particular emphasis is placed on feminist approaches to peacebuilding, as well as on negotiation and mediation skills that support inclusive and gender‑just peace processes. 

The urgency of feminist peacebuilding lies in its direct connection to transitional justice and the sustainability of any peace agreement. Women’s priorities and demands must be clearly articulated and reflected in peace processes to ensure accountability, justice for survivors and their families, and improved safety and well‑being. In response to this need, SIHA has developed a feminist WPS training manual, which will serve as the primary content resource for this activity. 

Given the complexity and multi‑layered nature of the WPS agenda, especially in contexts such as Sudan, animation has been selected as the primary medium for this activity. The use of an educational animation video allows complex concepts to be unpacked in an accessible and engaging manner, without relying on technical or exclusionary language. The video will clarify what feminist peace entails, how it differs from peace approaches that disregard the WPS agenda, and what this means for future peacebuilding and transitional justice efforts.  

The role of the animation consultant is therefore to develop an educational animation that presents the WPS agenda at an accessible level, while clearly illustrating its relevance to current and future advocacy. The video should demonstrate how women‑led initiatives, and feminist groups can integrate and advocate for WPS principles in their ongoing work. This activity draws on SIHA’s existing feminist training manual and broader knowledge‑production efforts, with the aim of expanding accessibility, strengthening outreach, and filling a critical gap in feminist peace education.

C. OBJECTIVES OF THE CONSULTANCY

This consultancy aims to produce a 7-9 minutes long educational animation video that translates complex feminist and WPS concepts into clear, accessible, and context‑responsive narratives. The video will serve as a learning and advocacy tool to support inclusive peace efforts from a feminist perspective.  

Specific Objectives:

• Translate complex feminist and WPS concepts into clear, accessible narratives rooted in local contexts, ensuring they are understandable to grassroots audiences from diverse socio‑economic and educational backgrounds.
• Demonstrate practical entry points for feminist groups and women‑led initiatives to integrate, apply, and advocate for the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda through their existing work.
• Highlight the interconnections between the WPS agenda, feminist peace, transitional justice, and sustainable peacebuilding, showing how these frameworks reinforce one another in conflict and post conflict settings.
• Ensure the content is contextually sensitive and animation ready, by providing technical and creative feedback on the script while safeguarding politically and socially informed visual representation.

D. SCOPE OF WORK

• Pre‑Production: SIHA will provide content direction and key messages to guide the consultant’s script development, ensuring alignment with the organisation’s feminist and programmatic framework. The consultant will develop the script based on this guidance, and SIHA will issue written approval before production commences. The consultant will then propose a visual direction based on SIHA’s preferences, drawing inspiration from clear, educational explainer formats while remaining flexible to alternative accessible styles, and develop a detailed storyboard covering all key messages. Sample visual frames or style illustrations will be shared to support alignment. SIHA approval of the script feedback outcomes, visual direction, and storyboard is required before proceeding to production.

• Production phase: The consultant will produce the full animation video, including visual design, animation, editing, and integration of audio elements. The main video will be approximately 7–9 minutes in length and will be accompanied by a shorter 2–3-minute adapted version suitable for social media dissemination. The consultant will be responsible for producing a professional voice‑over in an appropriate language and accent aligned with the target audience, subject to SIHA’s approval, as well as selecting and integrating suitable background music that is non‑distracting and rights‑cleared. SIHA will provide script and content guidance, while the consultant will be responsible for visual interpretation and technical execution.

• Post‑Production: The consultant will submit a full draft of the animation for review and incorporate feedback through up to two rounds of revisions, covering visual elements, timing, and audio integration. These revision rounds apply to the animation draft and do not include script review or storyboard approval stages. Minor technical adjustments will be made prior to final delivery. Final outputs will include the completed full‑length animation and the shorter version in standard digital formats suitable for online dissemination. The consultant will deliver all agreed files to SIHA, with SIHA retaining full rights to use, adapt, and disseminate the final products.

E. METHODOLOGY

The consultancy will begin with a collaborative process between SIHA and the animation consultant to ensure early alignment on objectives, content focus, and visual direction. The work will then follow an iterative approach, with feedback incorporated at each stage of development. 

The consultant is expected to apply a feminist and context‑sensitive lens throughout the process, engaging with the content thoughtfully rather than executing visuals mechanically. This includes ensuring political, social, and conflict sensitivity in both the narrative and visual representation. 

The animation will be developed as a knowledge‑translation tool, with an emphasis on clarity and accessibility. Complex WPS and feminist peace concepts will be presented in a clear, non‑technical manner suitable for diverse audiences. 

A clear review and approval process will guide the work, with SIHA providing feedback and approval before moving between phases to ensure alignment with the activity objectives. 

F. DELIVERABLES

Deliverable	Description	Due Date
Script (draft & final)	Review SIHA materials (manual, content direction, key messages) and develop a script aligned with the intended educational and feminist framing; submit draft for feedback and finalize upon approval	Within 1 week of contract signing
Visual direction & storyboard	Develop visual approach inspired by clear, educational explainer formats, including style references and sample visual frames; produce a detailed storyboard covering all scenes and key messages for approval	Within 2 weeks of script approval
Draft animation video	Produce a full draft animation (7–9 minutes), including visual design, animation, preliminary Arabic voice-over, embedded English subtitles, and background music for review; key audio elements (voice-over style and music direction) may be shared for early alignment if needed	Within 3 weeks of storyboard approval
Revised animation	Revise animation based on SIHA feedback (up to two rounds), including adjustments to visuals, timing, voice-over, subtitles, and music integration	Within 10 days of receiving feedback
Final animation package	Submit final approved animation, including: (1) full-length video (7–9 min) and (2) short version (max. 2 min) adapted for social media, with subtitles embedded; deliver final files in standard formats suitable for digital dissemination	Within 10 days after final approval

G. KEY COMPETENCES AND QUALIFICATIONS

Demonstrated understanding of gender equality, feminist advocacy, and human rights principles, including the ability to apply a gender-sensitive and intersectional lens in content development. 

• Proven experience in translating complex social or political concepts into accessible and engaging visual narratives.

• At least 3–7 years of experience in animation, visual storytelling, or audiovisual content production, preferably in advocacy, educational, or social impact contexts.

• Proficiency in animation and design software (e.g., Adobe After Effects, Premiere Pro, Illustrator, or equivalent tools).

• Ability to reflect diverse perspectives and lived experiences in storytelling, considering factors such as gender, age, ethnicity, and socio-economic context.

• Ability to produce content that is clear, engaging, and accessible to diverse audiences.

• Ability to work collaboratively and incorporate feedback across multiple review stages.

• A degree in media, animation, design, communications, or a related field is desirable.

H. SELECTION CRITERIA

Interested applicants should submit a technical proposal that combines the requested documents below.  

1. CV(s) of no more than three pages that demonstrate relevant experience in animation, visual storytelling, or audiovisual content production.
2. A financial proposal outlining total costs for the duration of the consultancy.
3. Portfolio of previous animation or audiovisual work, preferably demonstrating experience in advocacy, educational, or socially driven content. Samples should highlight the applicant’s role in concept development, storyboarding, visual design, and production.
4. Fluency in Arabic and English (spoken and written) is required, including the ability to develop content in Arabic and ensure accuracy and consistency in English subtitles.

I. APPLICATION

Interested individual consultants or consultancy firms should submit their application packet by COB on 26 May 2025 to the link: >> https://airtable.com/appHNyMhgTH7cHVt3/shrd5klf4aYvzBJjP providing 

• Technical and Financial Proposals
• Resume(s) of consultant(s)
• 02 Samples of previous projects/products

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Shortlists will be done on a rolling basis.