TOR Consultancy Service Call for Strengthening the Capacity of Elected Women, Women Politicians and Media outlets on the International, Regional, and National Legal Frameworks of Women’s and Persons with Disabilities Rights

Organizational Background

Network of Ethiopian Women’s Associations (NEWA) is one of the pioneer national civil society networks in Ethiopia working for the respect of women’s political, economic, social, and legal rights. Currently, NEWA has 49 member associations/organizations operating all over the country whose primary objective is creating an enabling environment for the empowerment of Ethiopian women and girls. Its member associations/organizations aim to advance women’s rights, gender equality, and women’s empowerment in Ethiopia. NEWA has experience in leading women’s rights issues in the country through advocacy, research, capacity building, and monitoring government compliance with Gender Equality. As a network organization, NEWA has been advocating for the development and proper implementation of gender-sensitive policies, laws, and programs at the national and regional levels.

NEWA has been contributing a lot and still keeps mobilizing its constituencies and works in collaboration and coordination with stakeholders. NEWA as a national network envisions rebuilding/strengthening its own and its members’ internal technical and institutional capabilities and revitalizing internal systems to effectively and efficiently implement projects. Starting from the project design to its implementation and monitoring the performance of member organizations, NEWA plays a major role.

To enhance women’s political participation, NEWA has organized various capacity-building trainings and workshops for women’s political candidates and political party leaders, launched civic education with CSOs, women’s associations, and university students lobbied for the amendment of electoral legal provisions in relation to women candidates, and launched media campaigns to change the societal attitude towards women in leadership.

Currently, NEWA is executing a project funded byPolitical Parties of Finland for Democracy- Demo Finland entitled “Inclusive Women’s Political Participation in Ethiopia”. This project has been implemented in Oromia, Benshangul Gumuz Regional States, and Addis Ababa (with national political parties). The overall objective of the project is The political structures consider and take further measures to increase diversity in political participation, particularly the share of women and persons with disabilities. To achieve this, Demo Finland together with NEWA works to strengthen inclusive multi-party democracy in Ethiopia with the following intermediate outcomes.

Intermediate outcome 1: Women’s participation in key decision-making positions including political party structures, regional councils and HoPR is enhanced

Intermediate outcome 2: Political arenas are more accessible for persons with disabilities

Therefore, this assignment is given to shed some light on the stated long-term and intermediate outcomes of the project. Accordingly, NEWA is looking to engage a facilitator/trainer to provide the following two similar activities stated below:

1. Awareness Creation training to media outlets on international, regional and national legal frameworks focused on women’s and persons with disabilities rights (at Adama),
2. Strengthening for the newly elected women & women politicians on international, regional and national legal frameworks on women and disability rights (at Assosa)

After the training the elected women and women politicians from Benshangul Gumuz region and media outlets will meet following objectives:

• To improve their understanding and knowledge of elected women and women politicians and media outlets on the international, regional, andnational legal frameworks of women’s and persons with disabilities rights,
• To ensure the meaningful participation of women political party leaders, members, and elected women in their political party and regional councils respectively.
• To consider the issues of women and persons with disabilities specifically in politics and cover by the media outlets
• To change the attitude and behavior of the political parties and media outlets regarding the rights of women and persons with disabilities and their role as decision-makers

Objectives of the Assignment

The general objective of this assignment is to prepare a concise and comprehensive powerpoint presentation, present it to the audience, and facilitate discussions on the international, regional, and national legal frameworks of women’s and persons with disabilities rights to enhance the awareness of elected women and women politicians and media outlets regarding their involvement and impact in promoting women’s political participation, thus enabling them to play a significant role in the political arena.

Scope of the Assignment

The main purpose of this assignment is to sensitize elected women, women politicians and media outlets, on the International, Regional & National Legal Frameworks of Women’s and persons with disabilities Rights to Ensurethe Meaningful Participation of Women and persons with disabilities. The training will to strengthen the leadership skills of female politicians, empowering them to have a greater impact on the political landscape within their parties and the nation. The training is expected to be given in Adama, and Assosa for media outlets, elected women, and women politicians. This training will be organized for a total of four days that is two days for each area. The participants of this training are a total of eighty four elected women (regional council members of Benshangul Gumuz Regional State), Women politicians drawn from all political parties operating in the region and media outlets (44 in Assosa and 40 in Adama).

Methodology of the Assignment

The training will be organized for two days in each area and it is expected to prepare a presentation paper on international, regional, and national legal frameworks of women’s and persons with disabilities rights. Then it will be delivered in an interactive and approachable manner, utilizing lectures, group discussion, presentation, and participatory methods to engage all the participants.

Duration and place of the workshop

Participants of the workshop

The training will be carried out in Assosa and Adama, and the tentative schedule is on the 28-29 May and 5-6 June 2025 respectively.

The participants of this training will be drawn from Benshangul Gumuz regional council, women politicians from Benshangul Gumuz political parties operating in the region, and media outlets from Addis Ababa, Benshangul Gumuz and Oromia. The expected number of participants will be a maximum of 84 (eighty four).

The facilitator’s/trainer’s deliverables/assignments

The following will be the expected deliverables of the facilitator/trainer:

• Submit a brief technical and financial proposal to deliver a four-day training that is two day for each area on international, regional, and national legal frameworks of women’s and persons with disabilities rights in politics with a detailed work plan and content of the training,
• Prepare PPT for successful facilitation of the training in a participatory and friendly approach
• Submit a report for each area on the implementation of the workshop which shall be submitted three days after the workshop.

Qualifications, Experience, and Skills:

Education: The consultant/facilitator/trainer must have a post-graduate degree in law, human rights, political science , sociology, and other related fields on the subject matter

Experience: Practical, demonstrable, and relevant experience in providing trainings for elected women, women politicians and media outlets on the stated training title with concrete evidence. Besides,

• Understanding the political landscape of Ethiopia is very crucial
• Familiarity with international, regional, and national legal frameworks of women’s and persons with disabilities rights, politically related issues, concepts, and gender equality,
• Very good communication and writing skills in Amharic, and English,
• Ability to comply strictly with deadlines and work in a timely manner,
• Demonstrated a high level of professionalism and an ability to work independently,
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills including experience in facilitation/provision of trainings/workshops.

Offer expected;

• Technical proposal including their CV and One or two pages on the content of the workshop the presenter will use to run the workshop
• Cover letter
• Financial proposal (including unit price per day)
• a testimonial certificate on his/her experience directly related to this assignment