Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI

POSITION TITLE: Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) Consultant

REPORTS TO: Chief of Party/Deputy Chief of Party

LOCATION: Vientiane Capital, Laos

EXPECTED LOE: 10 days

STARTING DATE: Mid-October, 2024

BACKGROUND:  

Since 2017, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Laos Counter-Trafficking in Persons (Laos CTIP) Project has worked closely with the Government of Lao People’s Democratic Republic (GOL), civil society organizations (CSOs), and private sector to reduce the instances of trafficking in persons (TIP) in Lao PDR. The Activity contributes to GOL’s national response to TIP, especially in the areas of prevention and protection.

During a three-year extension from October 2024 – September 2027, the project will build on its strengths and lessons learned from the first seven years of implementation to sustainably reduce the risk of trafficking and unsafe migration and ensure increased access to protection services. Laos CTIP will implement activities in five target provinces: Bokeo, Luangnamtha, Oudomxay, Salavanh, and Vientiane.

Laos CTIP is committed to ensuring gender equity and social inclusion in its CTIP interventions at the national, provincial, and local levels. Specifically, the Project will ensure that activities mitigate power imbalances between diverse groups of people and are sensitive to their unique needs. Laos CTIP developed a Gender and Social Inclusion Analysis and Gender and Inclusive Development Action Plan (GIDAP) in 2021 and has since been using those documents to guide its GESI practices. With the start of the extension and recent changes in the context of human trafficking, Laos CTIP intends to review and update the Gender and Social Inclusion Analysis and GIDAP by reflecting the latest information and analysis.

SCOPE OF WORK

Winrock International seeks a Gender Equity and Social Inclusion Consultant to update Laos CTIP’s Gender Analysis Report and update the Laos CTIP Gender and Inclusive Development Action Plan (GIDAP). The Gender and Social Analysis Report should be updated to reflect the current GESI situation in Laos, latest information about TIP in Laos, and the design of the project’s extension. Winrock International anticipates that the current structure of the report will be maintained unless a significant change is required. In addition, the GIDAP should include:

1. A specific section highlighting the situation of online scamming in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone in Bokeo and other hot spots in Laos , and its respective impact on diverse populations highlighting as applicable, i.e. girls, boys, women, and men, as well as LGBTQIA+, people with disability, and minorities.
2. Recommendations for how the project can prevent and protect specific populations from negative impacts identified in #1 above.
3. A description of how GESI considerations can be integrated into the project implementation and monitoring and evaluation to help inform the design of affirmative practices and empowerment activities.
4. Mitigation measures and indicators using the findings from the Gender Analysis Report.

Specific duties for this position are described below:

1. Conduct a desk review of the current USAID Laos CTIP Gender Analysis Report, Laos CTIP project documents, and other relevant GESI-related documents in Laos to identify information gaps.
2. Conduct focused and limited interviews with key informants, as necessary, in consultation with the Chief of Party (COP) and Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP).
3. Analyze all information collected from desk review and limited interviews.
4. Update the Gender Analysis Report based on the analysis and findings from #3 above while also ensuring that it includes the latest information on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) and gender-based violence (GBV) in Laos.
5. Using information from the updated Gender Analysis Report and other reference materials, update technical and formatting components of  Laos CTIP’s Gender and Inclusive Development Action Plan (GIDAP). The GIDAP should include a summary as well as recommendations for outreach to ensure messaging is inclusive and reaches target at risk populations .

Deliverables: 

Deliverables and the estimated time for each include the following:

1. Review current Gender Analysis Report, GIDAP, Program Description, Annual Work Plan, and other relevant documents, and identify areas to be updated/revised: 2 days
2. Update Gender Analysis Report and submit first draft for review: 2.5 days
3. Update the GIDAP and submit first draft for review: 3 days
4. Incorporate comments and additional issues from Laos CTIP and USAID into both the Gender Analysis Report and GIDAP: 2 days
5. Present the Gender Analysis Report and GIDAP to Laos CTIP, and finalize the documents and submit to Winrock: 0.5 days

QUALIFICATIONS AND BACKGROUND: 

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree in gender and development, social sciences, international development, migration, or a related field. Master’s Degree preferred.

Work Experience and Skills:

• At least 6-7 years of demonstrated experience in the areas of gender, development, and gender equity and social inclusion;

• At least 5 years of experience conducting situation analyses, assessments, research, or academic papers on gender equality issues using qualitative data.

• Strong understanding of gender equality and demonstrated experience in applying gender tools and conceptual frameworks.

• Gender related work experience in Laos or Southeast Asia context strongly preferred.

• Excellent English writing skills. Experience writing deliverables for USAID-funded projects and/or gender analysis reports strongly desired.

Strong preference will be given to a Lao National or an international professional based in Laos.

HOW TO APPLY:

Qualified candidates should apply via e-mail to: LaosCTIPJobs@winrock.org, indicating only “Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) Consultant” in the subject line, by October 13, 2024. The e-mail should contain your CV, cover letter, and three professional references. Winrock will only contact candidates qualified for the position.