Gender Expert

Terms of Reference Gender Expert

Organization: Gruppo di Volontariato Civile – GVC
Objective: To coordinate and expand the Gender and WASH case study of the “Emergency Supply of Water Trucking to Area C of the West Bank” programme
Position: Gender Expert
Location: Ramallah, with trips to project implementation sites

Background

Communities located in Area C are considered the most vulnerable with regards to water access, particularly women and girls, the elderly and people with disabilities due to constraints related to socially-imposed roles and duties. Households rely on rainwater harvesting during winter and the first months of spring, and then on water trucking from June to September, sometimes extending to the autumn. In the most remote communities, the water trucking service is usually only provided by private vendors profiting from the vulnerable conditions of the local population. While the cost of the water supplied from networks is about 5 NIS/m³, the service costs for that provided by private vendors varies according to distance, and reaches peaks of ten times the cost of piped water. The poorest households in Area C pay at least three times as much as the ordinary household in Area A or B supplied by Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) networks. Women who are heads of households are therefore significantly more vulnerable. According to GVC assessments, 74 communities are dependent on the direct purchase of water for around seven months/year, and rely on water trucking for 84% of the summer period. These water purchases can account for up to 50% of family monthly expenses and so far it is not actually clear how it is impacting on women’s and girl’s lives, and on their fulfilment of needs.

Women and children spend a considerable part of their time and effort fetching water from distant sources, exposing themselves to serious protection risks related to their journeys, while men invest time and effort to order water from vendors, bring it to cisterns using tractors and when taking care of animals. A context with significant water scarcity intensifies the burden on families, especially for women who are the heads of the household, and exacerbates the precarious health/hygiene conditions for family members, especially women and girls, and for men in dealing with water required for animals.

GVC recognises that in past/ongoing water trucking programmes, there is a serious gap in the availability of detailed analysis of the gender-differentiated impact of water scarcity and the resultant humanitarian situation on the lives of women, girls, boys, men, the elderly and people with disabilities.

Objective of the study and outputs

The goal of this study is to increase the capacity amongst humanitarian actors to enable a better gender equitable response and strengthen understanding of gender specific needs.

The expected outcome is to better understand the gender-differentiated impact of WASH programming using the programme “Emergency Supply of Water Trucking to Area C of the West Bank” as a case study to understand the different impact of this emergency action on women, girls, boys, men, the elderly and people with disabilities in the communities targeted by the action.
The outputs of this project are:

Output A: Conduction of participatory research;
Output B: Elaboration of the case study;
Output C: Publication and dissemination.

Methodology

The project will follow a participatory and inclusive approach to develop a case study focusing on the impact of the programme on all inhabitants (women, girls, boys, men, the elderly and people with disabilities) within the five selected communities. The most crucial aspects to be highlighted, notably from a gender-sensitive perspective, are the differences in the uses of water, the time consumed for water-related activities, the changes in social roles due to water availability, the status of hygiene conditions, and the generation of financial savings from water trucking and relative use, etc.

The case study aims to:

-    Identify gender-differentiated restrictions to access water resources;
-    Identify the extent to which the specific interests and needs of different groups will be affected; and,
-    Identify concrete recommendations to better mainstream gender throughout the different stages of the “Water Trucking Programme” programme cycle and eventually throughout the design and implementation of all WASH programmes in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).

Output A: Conduction of participatory research

A.1 Selection of communities   

The five targeted communities will be identified during the first phase of the project. Suggested criteria, among others, and to be confirmed with the PWA at the beginning of the project, are: (i) locations in Area C and/or sensitive areas; (ii) dimension of the communities; (iii) the presence of a community reservoir; and, (iv) herder/Bedouin communities.
GVC has a long and varied experience of working in sensitive communities throughout the whole West Bank and therefore it is important to select the communities that best represent the aim of the project.

A.2 Conduction of assessment and secondary data review

The survey is planned and conducted with the aim to assess some specific indicators indicated in the Gender and WASH Toolkit, which was developed and released by GVC in 2017, to evaluate the impact of the WASH programme in the five selected communities, specifically:

-    # of households headed by women that benefited from the WASH intervention;
-    # of women reporting an improvement in their quality of life due to the ease of access to WASH facilities;
-    # of women, girls, boys, men, the elderly and people with disabilities reporting to be feeling more protected due to water availability;
-    # of women CBOs engaged in WASH activities;
-    % of women members in any WASH-related committee;
-    Time spent by women, girls, boys, men, the elderly and people with disabilities in fetching water;
-    # of women who have reported a decrease in their workload and stress due to improved access to drinking water;
-    % of households in which donkey carts are continued to be used by women and/or men to collect water from the cistern/filling point; and,
-    Time saved by women, girls, boys, men, the elderly and people with disabilities using improved water services.

The followed methodology includes the conduction of:

1-    Individual interviews through previously prepared suitable questionnaires; and,
2-    Specific gender-tailored focus groups.

A.3 Data analysis and elaboration
This phase involves desk work to analyse the collected data and elaborate representative information that will be used as the basis of the case study. If required, further field work can be conducted to fill any identified information gaps.

Output B: Elaboration of the case study

B.1 Literature review

The consultant will conduct an intensive literature review of the existing documentation related to the studied topic, such as reports and assessments produced by local/regional/national institutions, local and international organizations, UN agencies, etc.

B.2 Drafting of case study

The case study is drafted in its entirety following the table of contents indicated in the concept note. Finally, the case study is approved by the relevant stakeholders through a thorough and intensive consultation process involving all relevant stakeholders and participants.

Output C: Publication and dissemination

C.1 Translation and printing

The case study is translated into Arabic through the support of a translator.
The design of the layout is elaborated and the case study is printed out.

C.2 Dissemination

Dissemination is done through a specific conference/workshop where all the steps taken are explained to underline the development of such a case study, and to share the main findings and recommendations. Participation of all relevant stakeholders and interested organizations/agencies will be encouraged, aiming to disseminate the study to a wider audience for integration of the findings and policy recommendations of how to better strengthen gender equitability in WASH needs analysis and enable more suitable response.

Main functions and responsibilities

-    To identify gender-differentiated restrictions to access water resources; the extent to which the specific interests and needs of various groups are affected; and, provide concrete recommendations to better mainstream gender throughout the programme cycle of “Water Trucking/Water Distribution Programme”, and eventually through all WASH programmes in oPt in general.
-    To increase the availability of detailed data and analysis on the gender-differentiated impact of humanitarian WASH interventions, in particular the water trucking/water distribution programme, on women, girls, boys and men, the elderly and people with disabilities in the targeted communities.
-    To provide policy recommendations to WASH Cluster members on how to improve and strengthen gender mainstreaming throughout sub-objectives of the coordination and support services in WASH programming.
-    To enhance advocacy messaging from a gender perspective, as well as identify specific capacity building activities, including better mainstreaming gender throughout multisectoral integrated programming.
-    To build on the findings of the toolkit previously developed on gender and WASH, as well as contribute to the humanitarian programme cycle in 2018, especially for WASH partners when strengthening gender-sensitive analysis and enhance response to gender-differentiated needs in 2018. If required, to disseminate and  increase outreach of the Gender and WASH toolkit (workshops, conferences, etc.).

Qualifications required

-    Master’s Degree in a subject relevant to the study.
-    Fluency in English (written and verbal). Knowledge of Arabic is preferred.
-    Extensive and proven knowledge of the oPt and the WASH sector.

Timeframe and remuneration

Timeframe for the consultancy is 2-3 months (starting in ASAP).
Remuneration is in line with GVC salary scale in oPt

Application process

Starting date:    As soon as possible (2-3  months position)
Application:     Interested candidates should submit their CV along with a cover letter, both in English to:
 

[email protected]

Please indicate the reference “GE/GVC-2017” in any correspondence.
Only the short listed candidates will be considered and informed of the recruitment process. 
Due to the urgency to fill the position, GVC reserves the right to recruit a candidate before the below mentioned deadline.
Application deadline:    From 02/10/2017- till 9/10/2017

 

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