Unicef Jobs: Terms of Reference for Consultation in Child Protection - Comparative review of national strategies for the abandonment of FGM/C in West and Central Africa (Consultancy)

It is proposed to produce five country case studies on FGM/C abandonment and conduct a comparative review of national strategies for the abandonment of FGM/C in West and Central Africa.

The purpose of the consultancy is to provide UNICEF, UNFPA and key actors with information to strengthen their capacity to support policy makers and planners in tailoring and strengthening national strategies according to national and sub-national contexts.
Background

Issue and Action
In West and Central Africa (WCA), efforts towards the abandonment of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) are beginning to show success, as demonstrated by the comparison of prevalence rates between women aged 45-49 and those 15-19. Reductions in prevalence rates are particularly apparent in countries with low and medium national FGM/C prevalence, but also in some high prevalence countries, such as Burkina Faso.
UNICEF promotes and supports national mobilization for the abandonment of FGM/C in the 18 countries in West and Central Africa where FGM/C is practiced:
a) In Guinea, Mali and Sierra Leone, where the average prevalence rate is above 80%;
b) In Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania and Senegal, where FGM/C prevalence rates are between 25% and 79% and where only certain ethnic groups practice FGM/C;
c) In Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria and Togo, where national prevalence rates are between 1% and 24%.
In 8 of these countries (Burkina Faso, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal) the accelerated abandonment of FGM/C is supported by a UNFPA/UNICEF Joint Programme (“FGM/C: Accelerating change”), which targets 17 countries in Africa. This programme targets six blocks of African countries, which have been identified for immediate acceleration. The programme adopts a sub-regional approach, using a segmentation approach based on FGM/C prevalence at the sub-national level. West and Central African countries included in the joint programme are grouped into the following two blocks:
Block 1) The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania and Senegal. Rationale: “The abandonment process occurring in Senegal has reached a critical point in its development. Senegal’s progress indicates the likelihood of wide-spread abandonment to all regions where FGM/C is practiced, provided that adequate resources are devoted to allow for a scaling-up towards acceleration of the abandonment process.” The Senegal experience is being replicated in the Gambia, in Guinea, in Guinea Bissau and Mauritania.
Block 2) Burkina Faso and northern Ghana. Rationale: “Burkina Faso is one country where the law against FGM/C is systematically enforced, and the pace of implementation is unique in sub-Saharan Africa. A high discrepancy between prevalence and attitudes also suggests a receptive population. Burkina Faso shares ethnic groups with the northern region of Ghana, where FGM/C prevalence is estimated at 80 percent, whilst the national prevalence of FGM/C for Ghana is estimated to be 5 percent (DHS 2003). Further, Ghana has enforced legislation against FGM/C practice.”
Impact and challenges
Some of the most impressive successes have been achieved through partnerships with civil society organisations, such as in Senegal, where over the past decades 80% of the communities estimated to practice FGM/C have publicly declared its abandonment. National, international and local civil society organisations, including women’s associations, are involved in promoting social change at the community level and many governments committed themselves to create a political and juridical environment to protect girls and women and sustain the abandonment of this harmful practice.
Despite these efforts, gaps and challenges remain. Larger efforts are required to combine and harmonise approaches and to analyse in greater depth which strategies are most appropriate in which context. Little systematic analysis has been done comparing effective strategies in different country contexts according to trends, prevalence rates and the level of support or opposition to the practice. More information is available on the broad trends (MICS and DHS) and on evaluations of specific community-based programmes and projects (i.e. Tostan Programmes in Senegal and in The Gambia) or of National Action Plans (i.e. in Burkina Faso and in Senegal).
There is a need to conduct in-depth comparative analyses of different countries to which strategies have been most effective in which contexts. National strategies in situations where the practice is almost universal and the possibility of not cutting has not even been considered by communities will be different than in situations where the process of social change is well advanced and many communities have already declared abandonment.
Rationale
This study is conceived as a strategic regional activity to achieve progress toward the central goal of the Joint Programme, through a human rights-based, gender and culturally-sensitive approach in line with global UN efforts as reflected in the Interagency Statement (2008). The study aims at complementing and strengthening current joint efforts of UN, government and non-government agencies to foster an enabling environment for collective social change towards FGM/C abandonment in West and Central Africa, by:
• Strengthening national strategies for the abandonment of  FGM/C
• Providing more coherent regional leadership to support collective social change towards FGM/C social convention shift and
• Strengthening the implementation of commitments through monitoring and dissemination of evidence of effective practices in the region.
Main tasks:
1. Development of the methodology for the study
2. Data collection - including at national level by collaborating with national consultants
(draft ToR for national consultants; support for country level data collection and analysis)
3. Production of 5 case studies of national strategies and the factors that contributed to their success or failure in rural and urban areas. Identification and documentation of successful practices and failures.
4. Carrying out a regional comparative review of national strategies for the abandonment of FGM/C.
5. Presenting results, incorporating feed-back and finalizing the documents
Method:
Case studies on FGM/C abandonment will be completed for five of the countries included in the UNFPA/UNICEF Joint Programme in West Africa: The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania and Senegal, Burkina Faso and Ghana. The final selection of countries for case studies will be done after the initial literature review and as part of the agreed methodology for this study. The international consultant will ensure that the country-level studies produce comparable data and a high-quality comparative analysis that goes beyond what a single-country study could achieve on its own.
The comparative review of country strategies will compare trends and patterns in FGM/C prevalence rates and analyze the successes and failures of FGM/C abandonment strategies in particular country contexts, taking into account cultural, religious, historical and political dimensions. The review will cover rural and urban areas and will identify which combinations of approaches have (or have not) worked in which contexts. The analysis will also include national coordination mechanisms for FGM/C abandonment. The review should tell us if and why certain strategies have succeeded in certain contexts, but have failed in others.
The review will be based on information collected for the case studies, on the general literature on FGM/C, on programme documents from other West and Central African countries where UNICEF and UNFPA are supporting efforts towards the abandonment of FGM/C.
Key informants and stakeholders: population, policy makers and national institutions, civil society organizations at local, national, regional and global levels, national gender theme group where it exists, UN agencies and in particular UNICEF and UNFPA country offices focal points on FGM/C in all WCA countries, national coordinators/focal points of the FGM/C Joint programme, UNICEF and UNFPA Regional offices (based in Dakar) and headquarters in New York.
Minimum requirements
Advanced degree in social science or anthropology.
At least ten years relevant professional and research experience.
Highly developed social science analytical skills.
Experienced in preparing clear and concise reports.
Good understanding of issues related to FGM/C, social norms, gender and sexuality and child protection in Africa.
Good knowledge of West Africa.
Demonstrable working experience with large and different stakeholder groups.
Excellent writing skills in French and/or English.
Able to work independently and to meet deadlines.
Fluent in English and French.
Fees : US$ 36.500/Lumpsum
Duration : 73 days
Duty Station : Residence of the consultant, with missions in WCAR
The applications CV/P11, and the Candidate Self Assessment Form (which can downloaded here [WORD] should be sent to the email address below :
to:  scisse@unicef.org
cc:   jtheis@unicef.org
 cflagothier@unicef.org
The closing date is 16 April 2010