Research Consultant (on Child Early Marriage in Bokeo Province.)

Job Opportunitie

Title

Research Consultant (on Child Early Marriage in Bokeo Province.)

Position wanted
Research Consultant (on Child Early Marriage in Bokeo Province.)
Type of Position
Not Specific
Type of Job
Consultancy
Details

Terms of Reference for Consultancy for

Research on Child Early Marriage in Bokeo Province.


Position Title: Short term Consultant. Place of Assignment: Paktha District, Bokeo Province, Lao PDR. Reporting to: Director of Gender Development Association Duration: 03 months (July-September 2020)
Organization
Gender Development Association (GDA) is a leading Gender Rights Non-Profit Association, working throughout Lao PDR since 1991. GDA works to empower women and men to achieve gender equity through joint action, knowledge sharing and ending gender-based violence and discrimination.   GDA identified specific key gender issues and challenges based on a problem analysis, observations, and achievements that will drive our work for 2018 -2022. We identified the strategic objectives as:   1) Strengthening and consolidating sustainable partnerships with Government ministries and bodies at all levels as well as with mass organizations; 2) Developing a strong resource center, and a vibrant civil society organization; 3) Facilitating stronger women’s leadership, particularly at the village level; 4) Support mainstreaming of Gender Equality into various sectors with other actors; 5) Education and Awareness Raising on prevention of violence against women and reduction of teenage pregnancy.

About the Project


Gender Development Association is implementing gender transformative activities in 2 projects: “Ethnic Girls Rights project” in Paktha District, Bokeo Province and “Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights project” in Houn district, Oudomxay Province. In these projects, we are collaborating with our partners Plan International Laos, Promotion of Family Health Association (PFHA), and Lao Women’s Union at the provincial and district level. They are the key implementing partners under the Adolescent Education and Skills Program. The Project is firmly anchored in human-rights and gender transformative approaches and reflects a comprehensive approach to inclusion, sexual and reproductive health and rights. The project contains four outcome areas. Each of the areas is focused on a specific target group: adolescents; wider communities; civil society, and: government and duty bearers.

The overall goal of this program is that adolescent girls are empowered to be free from harmful practices and to enjoy their sexual & reproductive health and rights, in societies where gender equality and inclusiveness is realized. The four outcome areas of the Program are as follows:


  • Build capacity and confidence of girls and boys to use their ‘power within’ to realize their rights and to reject harmful practices, understand, acquire life skills, seek and utilize appropriate services to prevent teenage pregnancy, keep girls longer in school and to prevent child marriage;
  • Engage parents and communities to raise awareness on the importance of sexual and reproductive health; understand the impacts of gender stereotypes, address gender and social norms and inequalities affecting girls, eradicate harmful practices such as child marriage, gender-based and sexual violence, and ensure families invest resources in girl’s education and protection;
  • Engage civil society and build its capacities to provide quality counselling to young people on SRHR, to influence and advocate for gender equality at different levels, and to build a global social movement for advancing gender equality and girls’ rights;
  • Engage with and support capacity development of government and duty bearers to provide quality SRH services and promote equality for girls; improve the policy and legal framework and increase budget allocation in these areas; and strengthen legal enforcement and national coordination.
  The Project will seek to address two key broad challenges:  
  1. High levels of adolescent pregnancy and marriage resulting from limited exposure to accessible reproductive and sexual health services and education; and
  2. Traditional gender norms, attitudes and behaviors that mitigate against girls achieving their full potential on an equitable basis with boys.

Objective   GDA is looking for a short-term consultant to conduct research on Child Marriage in Bokeo Province. During the consultancy, the consultant will:  
  1. Identify trends in the prevalence of child marriage among girls aged 10-14 years and 15-19 years in Bokeo over last ten years.
  2. Explore and document the contextual factors that promote and prevent child marriage among girls in Bokeo including implications of COVID-19.
  3. Understand and document the process by which adolescent girls get married in Bokeo (including whom they are getting married to) and identify if this has changed over the last ten years.
  4. Identify the most important direct Influencers to child marriage among girls in Bokeo, including any links to sex or labor trafficking.
  5. Understand and document factors that drive demand for child brides in Bokeo.
  6. Analyze how policies related to Child Early and Forced Marriage at the national level are understood and implemented at the provincial, district and community level.

Key Outputs  
  • The research will be led by an external consultant, including research design, questionnaire and appropriate methodology development in consultation with relevant stakeholders.
  • Facilitation of a workshop with stakeholders, to conduct relevant data collection actions and gather inputs for the research, identifying challenges, priorities and opportunities.
  • Production of a final report and Factsheet (English and Lao) with clear recommendations for further program development.
  • Work closely with GDA and Plan International Laos staff members to develop research tools and support the capacity strengthening of staff in research design, methodology, data analysis and reporting.
    Timeline The assignment is expected to last about 03 months, from July to September 2020. Actual dates to confirm with consultant availability, but below is the proposed schedule.  
    Desired Qualifications and Key Competencies:  
    • Master’s degree or equivalent in political science, economics, international development, gender studies, law, social science or relevant field;
    • Extensive experience in participatory qualitative research / formative research in gender equality, GBV, and social norms, or a related area. Experience in Lao PDR preferred;
    • Strong technical expertise and knowledge in gender equality and women and child’s rights as reflected in national development plans and legislation is required;
    • Experience in developing plans and tools for the collect the data to analyze;
    • Ability to work efficiently and responsively within a multicultural environment and in a team;
    • Strong commitment to gender equality, human rights and respect for diversity;
    • Excellent written and verbal English language skills and demonstrated ability to represent an organization to local and national government level;
    • Capacity to deliver high-quality outputs in a timely manner, be self-directed and efficient, accountable and responsive to GDA’s brief and oversight.

Application Submission: Submit your complete application by no later than 8th July 2020, including CV (with 2 referees) and Letter of Interest. Applications must be submitted by e-mail only and as a single PDF file to email: t.tukhps@gmail.com The only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interview. For any questions regarding this advertisement, please email: t.tukhps@gmail.com
Deadline for application
July 8, 2020
Name of Organisation
Gender Development Association
Type of Organisation
NPA
Contact Person
Toukta
Email Address
Telephone