Uganda: Research Consultancy TOR
SIHA Regional Women’s Rights Programme; towards Solidarity and Inclusion of Women’s Movement in the Horn of Africa.
Terms of Reference (ToR) for research assignment
Organisation Profile: The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) is a civil society coalition bringing together grassroots women’s rights organizations from Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Uganda. It was established in 1995 by a group of women’s rights activists, with the view of strengthening the capacity of women’s rights organizations to combat all forms of violence against women and girls.
SIHA aims to contribute to unlocking the massive potential of women’s rights movements in the horn of Africa, by improving the capacity of local organizations, and to build a strong network of grassroots civil society members that are able to interact and support one another in advocating for effective change. SIHA operates as a regional platform for the mobilization of activists, vulnerable and marginalized groups of women, men, and girls to harness resources that include, but are not limited to knowledge and information, capacity building and financial support aimed at challenging the root causes of problems and challenges faced by women and girls in the Horn of Africa Region.
Background to the assignment:
The prevalence of armed conflicts across the Horn of Africa sub-region has resulted in a massive influx of rural to urban migration and displacement of communities; this burden is largely shouldered on women, who typically have to assume additional economic roles while adjusting to the challenge of new livelihoods or location contexts. Women’s strongest engagement in the Horn is within the subsistence and informal economy, yet such sectors are neither recognised nor adequately supported by national, regional, or international institutions or policies. The reality is that Horn of Africa countries are increasingly crowded with numerous women living on the peripheries striving to survive undertaking livelihoods that are not recognised or fairly regulated by police or laws, such professions include street vendors selling tea or perishable goods, alcohol brewers, and domestic workers. These women are exposed to unfathomable levels of violence and persecution; poor women are easy targets under the application of ill-defined standards. Such women are invisible, yet the work they carry out day in and day out supports the economy around them, it is their voices SIHA wishes to amplify, to such ends to make their plight known regionally and internationally.
Publications and documentaries have proven to be an excellent avenue for SIHA to engage in advocacy and create awareness and understanding of the plight of these women and girls, so that societal shifts can occur and can be recognised in the future.
As a part of the SIHA Regional Women’s rights programme under a project titled Solidarity and inclusion of women’s movement in the Horn of Africa, funded by the OSI, SIHA intends to undertake a series of initiatives on behalf of informal sector labourers, also referred to as invisible labourers. These efforts are aimed at improving the ability of the informal sector labourers to exercise their economic, social and cultural rights as defined in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966), particularly aspects related to labour rights, standard of living, and participation in cultural life.
Core to this assignment is a research assignment set in three (3) locations in the Horn of Africa, aimed at bringing greater visibility and support to these women in the informal sector.
Purpose of the research assignment:
Through the undertaking of an in-depth research exercise, SIHA intends to engage informal sector workers, women activists and organisations in the peripheries across the Horn of Africa to bring voice to these invisible labourers.
The research assignment will be focus on women active the informal sectors of Uganda, Somalia and South Sudan and as a result, three (3) papers will be developed to present the challenges (economic , socio-legal, political and cultural) encountered by these laborers in the identified locations. In addition, the 3 papers will qualitatively reflect the conditions of women in the informal sector by developing case studies on identified women in each country. These studies will reflect their day to day experiences with their customers and the authorities, as well as their general social and political interactions with the various actors (policy makers, among others) in their different contexts. Further to this, the papers will examine the backgrounds of these women in an effort to trace underlying causes for their reliance on the informal sector as their main source of livelihood. Lastly, the papers will also capture the strategies employed on ground to navigate the identified challenges in order to achieve sustainable livelihoods.
As a result, the 3 research papers will allow SIHA to feed into the regional analysis of issues faced by women informal sector workers in the Horn, and will better position SIHA and her member organisations to assist these populations. This will lead SIHA to advocate better, on behalf of this large population for better labour rights and positions within society.
The specific objectives of the research:
Provide a strong analysis and present case studies on the dynamics within the informal sector; how and why it is evolving and how it positions women in 3 contexts with a focus on existing laws, policies and practices, or lack thereof, and details on the various professions of these women.
To document the challenges/opportunities, strategies and coping mechanisms encountered and adopted by women invisible laborers in Uganda, Somalia and South Sudan. While at the same time, looking at the impact of their work on their families and communities against the social, political and cultural challenges.
To explore initiatives undertaken by women activists and informal sector associations to promote economic and social rights of the invisible labourers in the three different contexts. And what effect, if any, it has had on the status and recognition of invisible labourers.
To specifically pin point successful and effective strategies undertaken by these invisible labourer associations and organisations to deal with identified challenges.
To identify the lessons learned from the activities undertaken by the existing women activists and labour associations.
To suggest potential entry points for SIHA, policy makers and donors to support and bring further visibility to groups of invisible labourers in the 3 research locations.
Tasks under the research assignment and expected outputs:
Presentation of detailed research methodology plan to SIHA staff.
Undertake field research and provide transcripts of data and information collected including names, locations and contact details of all interviewees.
Design questionnaires and guidelines for FGDs and share with SIHA team.
Carryout an extensive literature review andidentify similarresearch papersand relevant information recourses.
Produce 3 comprehensive edited research papers, each paper will be between 35 -40 pages long inclusive of reference lists. The researchpapersshould incorporate all the areas detailed under the specific objectives of the assignment.
Provision of clear and concise recommendations based on the documented findings. These recommendations are subject to review by the SIHA Programmes team.
Involvement in all review, editing and revision process of the 3research papers.
Timeline for assignment:
· The assignment will commence during the week of 25th -29th July 2016
· The researcher will undertake a total of 28 days to complete the field data collection exercise. 7 days (including travel days) for each location.
· 15 days will be allocated for report development after which SIHA will be provided with a draft for review and comments.
· 1 day will be allocated for SIHA to share an overview of feedback and comments and questions after review of the research draft report.
· 3 days will be allocated for the researcher to incorporate SIHA comments and feedback, after which a final draft will be submitted.
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