Terms of Reference (ToR) for Rapid Assessment

Introduction:

Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association has been established at the federal level in 1995 by Women lawyers and re-registered as Local Organization in accordance with the Civil Society Organization. It has been working for 30 years to promote women’s social, economic, political and legal rights to help women exercise their constitutional and other rights. The aim of the association is to promote equal participation of women in all sectors and to prevent sexual violence against women and create a safe environment for women through its three programs: Legal Research and Advocacy, Public Education and Capacity Building, and Free Legal Aid service.

The association is head quartered in Addis Ababa and has opened its regional offices in seven regions and one city administration namely Adama, Hawassa, Bahir Dar, Gambella, Asosa, Jigjiiga, Semera regions and city administration of Dire Dawa. In order to make the service accessible to all, the association is working to continue its service in the zones and woredas under its regional and city administration branches and has so far established 55 volunteer committee centers across the country. Besides, it has established a hotline service (7711) which operates in 3 local languages: Amharic, Afan Oromo and Tigrigna.

The enforcement of law and order is a fundamental responsibility of police officers, and it must be carried out with a commitment to human rights. The treatment of detainees and prisoners is a critical area where police conduct can significantly impact human rights outcomes. In response to this critical issue, EWLA is committed to empowering law enforcement bodies with basic human rights trainings. And one of the projects aimed in achieving this is the Enhancing Access to Legal Aid for Vulnerable Women in Ethiopia’s criminal Justice System” financed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), seeks to address the access to justice through legal aid provision for a project period of eighteen (18) month project operating in two federal cities, Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa, and two regions: Amhara and Benishangul-Gumuz.

Thus EWLA has planned to conduct a rapid assessment in these areas to use the findings to identify and understand existing practices, challenges, and barriers to accessing justice within Ethiopia’s criminal justice system. Additionally, the findings will serve as baseline data for the project’s final results, requiring the development of a Logical Framework Matrix to measure and triangulate baseline and end-line outcomes at the project’s conclusion. The target groups include women detainees/prisoners in police stations and correctional facilities, women in IDP camps, police officers in these institutions, and host communities; the study aims to engage these populations directly.

To ensure the quality and consistency of the rapid assessment, EWLA intends to collaborate with highly qualified and knowledgeable consultants. This approach marks the organization’s commitment to generating actionable insights that address systemic justice gaps while adhering to international standards.

The Objective of the Assessment –

To understand the awareness of targeted vulnerable women regarding their rights and the legal process and identify the challenges and gaps of access to proper legal assistance and representation among targeted groups, in four project’s implementation’s areas (Addis Ababa, Dire-Dawa, Amhar and Benshanguil-Gumuz)

Specific Objective of The Assessment

• To identify major gaps, challenges, and barriers to access to justice in criminal justice systems.
• To understand the practices of human rights and women prisoners’ rights within justice systems.
• To examine the practices of psychosocial support and trauma healing in IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) and criminal justice systems.
• To assess the practices and understanding of Mobile Legal Aid Services in IDPs and host communities.
• To develop and review the logical framework based on the findings of the rapid assessment.

Location of the Assessment

The assessment will be conducted in Addis Ababa, Dire-Dawa, Amhar and Benshanguil-Gumuz regions

Methodology and Scope of Work

The study employs a structured questionnaire-based approach to collect data from a sample size of 200 respondents across all project implementation areas (e.g., Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa, Amhara, and Benishangul-Gumuz). To streamline efficiency and accuracy, mobile data collection tools (e.g., platforms like KoBoToolbox or Google Forms) will be used. Data collectors will share digital survey links with participants, enabling real-time data entry and minimizing errors associated with manual transcription.

This approach ensures rapid, scalable, and geographically inclusive data collection, critical for reaching dispersed populations such as women in IDP camps, detainees, and host communities. The use of mobile tools also facilitates instant data synchronization, allowing project teams to monitor response rates and address gaps proactively.

The collected data will be analyzed using statistical software (SPSS or STATA) to ensure rigor and reproducibility. The analysis focuses on descriptive statistics, such as frequencies and percentages, to summarize key variables like demographic profiles, access to justice barriers, awareness of legal aid services, and attitudes toward psychosocial support. For example:

• Frequencies will quantify how many respondents reported specific challenges (e.g., lack of legal representation).
• Percentages will highlight proportional distributions (e.g., 60% of women detainees faced delays in court proceedings).

This design aligns with the study’s specific objectives, which prioritize mapping existing practices and measuring the reach of interventions among target groups (e.g., women prisoners, police officers). Descriptive statistics are ideal for this scope, as they provide a clear, accessible snapshot of the population’s experiences without requiring complex inferential techniques.

Interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs): The rapid assessment employs qualitative data collection methods, including interviews and FGDs, to explore the nuanced awareness and understanding of women detainees’ rights within criminal justice systems. Interviews will be conducted with key stakeholders, such as legal professionals, law enforcement officers, and women detainees themselves, to gather individual perspectives on systemic barriers, cultural attitudes, and personal experiences related to access to justice. FGDs, involving groups like community leaders, NGO representatives, or detainee families, will facilitate dynamic discussions to uncover shared beliefs, social norms, and collective challenges that may not emerge in one-on-one settings. These methods aim to reveal subjective practices, such as biases in judicial processes or gaps in legal literacy, and assess how deeply institutional actors comprehend women’s rights protections. By capturing lived experiences and contextual knowledge, interviews and FGDs provide rich, narrative-driven insights that quantitative surveys alone cannot achieve, helping to contextualize statistical findings and identify root causes of systemic inequities.

Document/Desk Review: The assessment will include a comprehensive review of international and national legal frameworks to evaluate alignment between policy and practice. Key documents include international treaties (e.g., CEDAW, UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners) and national laws (e.g., Ethiopia’s Criminal Code, gender equality policies) to determine how well they safeguard women detainees’ rights. The desk review will also analyze implementation guidelines, judicial precedents, and government reports to identify discrepancies between legal provisions and on-the-ground realities. This process clarifies whether existing laws are adequate, enforced equitably, or undermined by cultural or institutional barriers. By synthesizing legal analysis with qualitative findings, the review bridges theory and practice, offering actionable recommendations to harmonize policies with human rights standards and improve justice outcomes for women detainees.

Duration and Time Frame

The assessment shall be expected to be completed within 1 month.

Qualification, Experience and Skill Requirements:

• Minimum university degree or MA degree in Law, Social Science or other relevant field;
• Extensive experience (at least 6 years) experience in research studying.
• Extensive experience on Participatory Assessment Approach Research
• Extensive knowledge of civil society sector in Ethiopia
• Extensive experience working with women’s detainees.
• Demonstrated high level of professionalism and an ability to work independently and in high pressure situations under tight deadlines;
• Excellent inter-personal communication skills including experience of facilitation of trainings/workshops and presentation;
• Proven and demonstrated broad knowledge of and ability to utilize principles, methods, techniques and systems of project management;
• Excellent communication and written skills in English.

Applicants Should

• Oversee the selection criteria that meet.
• Concept note on their understanding of the ToR
• Only short-listed applicants will be contacted.
• EWLA reserves the right to cancel all or any part of the bid.
• Fulfill all legal requirements such as license, TIN and any other legal requirements
• Fluency in English and Amharic is a strong advantage