Who we are:

medica Liberia (mL) formerly medica mondiale Liberia is a non-governmental women’s rights organization working in Liberia. Our Organization offers support to women and girls affected by sexual gender based violence (SGBV) and is involved with programming on women’s agency and leadership. Since 2006, medica Liberia has been implementing programs for women and girls in Liberia’s South-eastern parts and recently extended its coverage to Montserrado and Margibi Counties respectively, through funding from the German Government and other donors.

Progress and Opportunities for Women’s Empowerment and Rights-Liberia (POWER-Liberia) is a national non-governmental humanitarian organization established in 2021 by Liberian women human rights defenders and activists. The overall aim is to address gender inequality and promote women’s access to justice and services.

medica Liberia and POWER Liberia were awarded a grant by UN Women in July, 2022 to implement a project as a consortium titled: “Promoting Inclusive Political Participation and Elimination of Violence against Women in Politics” with funding from the Secretary General’s UN Peacebuilding Fund. The project is expected to increase women’s participation in elections, politics, public life, and peace building mechanisms.

Amongst other outcomes, the project aims to influence the reform and implementation of legal, policy, and institutional frameworks that facilitate inclusive political participation prevention and response to Violence against Women in Elections and Politics (VAWiE/P) and advocate for legislated and voluntary gender quota for political party leadership and candidate listings.

mL and PL are looking to hire a qualified individual for the below position; Gender Consultant to Develop Guidance Note on the Implementation of a minimum 30% gender quota for candidate listing in the 2023 elections.

Position Title: Gender Consultant

Duty Station: Monrovia

Position Status/Duration: Short-term Consultancy -20 days

Reports to: medica Liberia’s Program Coordinator

Background and Introduction:

As male dominated institutions, political parties’ tend to favor men over women candidates and are of the conviction that voters prefer men as candidates. Political parties, as gatekeepers to political entry need to strengthen intra-party democracy to create an enabling environment and contribute positively to the pool of women candidates who are willing and able to context for elected offices. In addition, Liberia as a UN State Party has signed on and ratified to international agreements that espouse affirmative action or temporary special measures for women’s participation and representation in decision-making at all levels, in both public and private institutions. These include the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and its Optional Protocol. The Beijing Platform of Action, to which Liberia is a signatory, called on Governments to “Take measures to ensure women’s equal access to and full participation in power structures and decision-making” and for political parties to integrate women in elected and appointed public positions in the same proportion and at the same levels as men. Liberia has also ratified the Maputo Protocol (Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, 2003). Article 9 requires States Parties to promote gender balance in politics and elections, including through affirmative action and enabling legislation.

There is a key recent development influenced by advocacy actions predating the project regarding policy reforms. Notably, in September 2022, the Liberian legislature passed An Act to amend certain Sections of the New Elections Law (1986) of the Republic of Liberia which includes amendments to Section 4.5 on the nomination of candidates. Section 4.5 (1b) and (1c) replaces “endeavor to ensure” and “endeavor to have” with “shall have no less than” 30% of each gender in its governing body and on its candidate listings. Moreover, the act includes much-needed accountability mechanisms to ensure adherence to the article.

Pending the finalization of the legislative process for the amendment of section 4.5, on May 11, 2023, twenty-two out of twenty-five registered political parties, alliances, and coalitions, along with the National Elections Commission, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the implementation of a minimum 30% gender quota for candidate listing in the 2023 elections.

In the last few months, mL/PL hosted several engagements with political parties, female aspirants, and other stakeholders on the amended law. Preliminary findings from the engagements suggest that while some parties are aware of the legal frameworks on women’s political participation, they lack understanding and clarity on the meaning and application of the provision. Secondly, some political parties engaged so far do not have gender policies or measures in place to operationalize commitments to increasing women’s political participation.

In this regard, the guidance note is expected to provide technical direction primarily to political parties on how they can implement their commitment for the implementation of a minimum 30% gender quota for candidate listing in the 2023 elections. The guidance note will serve as an operational document that provides practical measures for political parties to take in adherence to the amended law relative to gender parity. The note will also simplify `the amended provisions including the accountability mechanisms provided in the law. The note can also be used to guide female aspirants to claim rights under the law and as well as inform the civil society organization’s engagement with political parties.

Objective of the Consultancy

The objective of this assignment is to ensure the National Elections Law specifically provisions on gender parity is operationalized through a practical guidance note that provides direction for key stakeholder’s thereby promoting adherence to the legal framework.

Specific Objectives:

• Develop technical guidance note for political parties to promote gender balance in political party national executive committees and on candidate lists
• Support political parties to develop gender policies that, among other things, set voluntary party gender quotas for candidate listings of at least 40%

Scope of Work:

• Develop an inception report- a methodology for the development of the guidance note which shall include desk review of existing examples, analysis, amended elections law and other legal frameworks on women’s political participation. Consultations with relevant government institutions, political party executives, UN Women, medica Liberia/Power Liberia, Coalition of Political Parties Women of Liberia (COPWILL) and female aspirants.
• Organize and hold inception meetings with medica Liberia /Power Liberia, UN Women and UNDP, NEC gender/legal section, political parties, and other stakeholders to solicit inputs for the inception report/methodology for developing the guidance note and gender policy/ies
• Use findings from desk review and consultations to develop guidance note
• Lead the presentation and validation of guidance note to key stakeholders and primary beneficiaries of the note

Development of generic gender policies that can that can easily be adapted by political parties

Deliverables

Format for presentation of Guidance Note

1. Cover page
2. Table of content
3. Introduction
4. Guiding principles
5. Concept and Legal frameworks: Women’s Political Participation
6. Practical guidance for implementing amended elections law
7. Action Points Template
8. Generic gender policies that can easily be adapted by political parties
9. Stakeholder list defining roles and responsibilities of stakeholders
10. References

Profile and experience working with political parties required

• Proven experience in development of gender sensitive policies and frameworks
• Knowledge of women’s political participation – concepts, frameworks and trends
• Demonstrate previous work/success in developing guidance notes or similar knowledge product
• Knowledge and experience of applying feminist lens to development of policies and frameworks programming
• Demonstrate understanding of the women rights and gender equality landscape of Liberia

Desired Skills

• Leadership skills
• Adaptability
• Self-motivation
• Organizational skills
• Close attention to detail and the ability to plan ahead
• Ability to work under pressure
• Administrative and clerical skills
• Interpersonal skills, including excellent written and verbal communication

Start Date: IMMEDIATE

Closing date of this posting: July 6, 2023

How to Apply: Please email your application (CV, cover letter and references not

exceeding 2MB) as well as your remuneration expectations to: recruit@medicaliberia.org and copy yah.parwon@medicaliberia.org and powerliberia2021@gmail.com Please mark your application with the reference : Gender Consultant in the subject of your email or on the envelope /top of your application. For applicants based in Greenville, you may submit hard copies to medica Liberia office in the county.

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