Women Legislators in Liberia Promoting Voice, Leadership, and Gender-Responsive Governance for Sustainable Development

Annex 1: Terms of Reference for Needs Assessment Consultant

1. Background

CareFund Liberia, with support from UN Women Liberia Country Office and in collaboration with the Women’s Legislative Caucus of Liberia (WLCL) and relevant government institutions, is implementing a project to strengthen women’s economic empowerment as a pathway to leadership and political participation.

The project will deliver integrated training on adult literacy, entrepreneurship, financial and digital literacy, agricultural value chains, and market access, while also strengthening women’s collective economic structures such as Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) and cooperatives. These interventions target rural women, young women, women with disabilities, and women in or aspiring to leadership roles across eight counties (Bong, Gbarpolu, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Bassa, Grand Gedeh, Lofa, Margibi, and Montserrado).

Despite progress, women in Liberia continue to face structural barriers, including limited access to finance, weak market linkages, low financial literacy, and restrictive gender norms that limit their economic participation and leadership. Existing interventions remain fragmented, highlighting the need for integrated, community-based approaches that link economic empowerment with leadership and governance outcomes.

To address this, the project will conduct a comprehensive needs assessment to generate evidence that will inform the design and targeting of integrated interventions.

1. Purpose of the Assignment

The purpose of this consultancy is to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment to generate sex-disaggregated, context-specific data on women’s economic empowerment, informal education, and leadership opportunities. The assessment will identify key barriers, gaps, and opportunities to inform the effective implementation of integrated training programs and the strengthening of women’s economic groups as pathways to political empowerment.

• Objectives of the Assessment

The specific objectives are to:

• Assess the socio-economic conditions of rural and young women, including livelihoods, income levels, and participation in informal and formal economic activities
• Analyze women’s access to financial services, savings mechanisms, markets, digital tools, and agricultural value chains
• Identify barriers to financial inclusion, business development, and participation in cooperatives and VSLAs
• Examine the role of unpaid care work and social norms in limiting women’s economic and leadership participation
• Assess women’s participation in community decision-making and local governance structures
• Map existing women’s groups (VSLAs, cooperatives, Peace Huts, etc.) and assess their capacity in governance, financial management, and market engagement
• Generate recommendations to strengthen integrated programming that links economic empowerment with leadership and political participation

1. Scope of Work

With the supervision of the Program Manager and in consultation with the Executive Director, the consultant will:

• Conduct a desk review of relevant policies, project documents, and previous studies
• Design and implement data collection tools aligned with project indicators (e.g., training uptake, financial inclusion, leadership participation)
• Collect primary data across the eight target counties using participatory and inclusive approaches
• Engage diverse stakeholders, including women’s groups, community leaders, government institutions (MGCSP, MoA, MoE, Central Bank, NIR), and CSOs
• Assess the functionality and capacity of women’s economic groups (VSLAs, cooperatives)
• Analyze linkages between economic empowerment and women’s leadership and decision-making
• Produce a comprehensive report with actionable recommendations

1. Methodology

The consultant will apply a mixed-methods approach, including:

• Quantitative surveys to generate baseline data aligned with project indicators
• Qualitative methods (FGDs, KIIs) with target groups (rural women, young women, women with disabilities, traditional leaders)
• Gender-responsive and intersectional analysis

All methods must integrate:

• Participatory adult-learning principles
• Social norms analysis
• Survivor-centered and safeguarding approaches
• Disability inclusion and Do No Harm principles

1. Key Deliverables

• Inception Report (methodology, tools, sampling framework)
• Data Collection Tools
• Preliminary Findings Presentation
• Final Needs Assessment Report, including:
  • Baseline data aligned with indicators (e.g., training participation, financial inclusion, leadership engagement)
  • Analysis of gaps in economic empowerment and leadership pathways
  • Mapping of women’s groups and institutional actors
  • Recommendations to strengthen Outputs 1.1.1 and 1.3 and achieve Outcome 1

• Education requirement
• Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, Development Studies, Gender Studies, Economics, Public Policy, or a related field.
• At least 1–3 years of relevant experience in research, data collection, assessments, or community-based projects, with a focus on women’s economic empowerment.
• Demonstrated experience working with women’s groups, including VSLAs, cooperatives, and rural women farmers across counties, with an understanding of their socio-economic realities and livelihoods.
• Basic training or certification in research methods, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), or data analysis is an asset.
• Demonstrated understanding of gender equality, women’s empowerment, and financial inclusion is desirable.
• Familiarity with participatory approaches and community engagement is preferred.
• Basic knowledge of safeguarding principles, including PSEA/SEAH and ethical data collection, is an advantage.

Submit a letter of application to the administrator-Carefound-Liberia;carfoundation73@gmail.com on or before May 15, 2026 at 5:00p.m.; Subject: Needs Asseeement