TERMS OF REFERENCE

DEVELOPMENT OF A NATIONAL WOMEN’S MANIFESTO 2026 – 2030

(Short Term Consultancy)

 

Uganda Women's Network (UWONET)

Plot 710, Block 216, Mirembe Close, Bbuye Kigowa - Ntinda

P. O. Box 27991 Kampala, Uganda

Phone: +256-414-286-539 / +256759330000

Email: info@uwonet.or.ug

Website: www.uwonet.or.ug

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uwonet Twitter: @uwonet

 

• INTRODUCTION

Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET) is implementing a 2-year project focusing on strengthening the leadership and civic participation of women to promote participatory democracy, public policy and decision making for the country’s prosperity. The Her Voice project is implemented with support from USAID/ Uganda Civil Society Strengthening Activity (USAID/CSSA). The consultancy seeks to consolidate glaring and emerging core gender concerns / issues specific to women and girls in the social, economic and political spheres and key recommendations for action for advancement of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Uganda to foster sustained development.  These Terms of Reference (TORs) serve as guidelines to the development of a National Women’s Manifesto 2026 – 20230 and invited parties are therefore asked to tender for this work in accordance to the provided terms of reference.

• ABOUT UGANDA WOMEN’S NETWORK

 Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET) is an advocacy organization that exists to coordinate collective action among women’s rights and gender equality stakeholders for the attainment of gender equality and equity in Uganda. UWONET was born out of the East African Women’s Conference held in Kampala in 1993 in preparation for the UN World Conference on Women in Beijing, China in 1995. Uganda Women’s Network’s membership is comprised of 24 National Women’s Rights Organizations and institutions, and 9 individuals.

UWONET is a registered Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with a Secretariat in Uganda. UWONET’ envisions a Ugandan society free from gender discrimination. UWONET’s mission is to transform the unequal gender relations through collective visioning and action. Additional information about the organization can be accessed on the website via https://www.uwonet.or.ug.

• BACKGROUND TO THE ASSIGNMENT

Over the past three decades, UWONET has played a pivotal role in promoting women's participation in leadership and civic processes. Specifically, coordinating the process of documenting women’s demands based on priority gender issues that continue to impede women of Uganda from attaining full dignity and equality with men in all spheres lives (National Women’s Manifesto).

Government of Uganda has put in place various legal and policy frameworks including programmes and initiatives to promote the fulfillment of the rights of women and girls in Uganda. Overriding of these is the 1995 Uganda constitution reinforced by other laws enacted to promote and protect the rights of women. At the global level, in 2015, the 193 member countries of the United Nations including Uganda came together to commit to 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Goal 5 is focused on gender equality and sets the ambitious target of achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls everywhere by 2030.

Whilst an enabling legal and policy environment for the promotion and protection of women and girls rights exists to a large extent, the state of women’s rights across social, economic, cultural and political sphere remains of concern in Uganda as major gender gaps persist.

UWONET over the years has coordinated the development of the Women’s Manifesto every election cycle (every after 5 years) through a participatory approach and influenced stakeholders  especially political parties, candidates for prioritisation gender concerns for advancement of women’s rights, Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. The current manifesto runs for a period 2021 – 2026 titled "Her Voice, Your Mandate".  A midterm assessment of the 2021–2026 National Women’s Manifesto revealed advancements in fulfilling the commitments made by various political parties. Nonetheless, persistent challenges and barriers continue to hinder women and girls from realizing their full potential across social, economic, and political spheres. Additionally, emergence of new concerns that require attention for the advancement of Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment (GEWE).

2.0.1 WHY THE WOMEN’S MANIFESTO 2026 – 2030

The Women’s Manifesto is a political document that sets out the concerns of women and girls in Uganda and demands for accountability by political parties, candidates and ultimately the ruling party / government. Every election cycle (every 5 years), UWONET since 1996 had developed a women’s manifesto through a participatory approach. The Women’s Manifesto beyond stating women’s demands, is also a tool for holding leaders accountable for advancing gender equality because it is only when women and men in Uganda have equal access to opportunities that the country experiences sustainable development. The main aim of the women’s manifesto is to;

1. Contribute to the legacy of good governance through providing a guide to voters, candidates and political actors towards prioritizing women’s concerns, interests and aspirations
2. Persuade government, political parties and organizations as well as all stakeholders to prioritize people centered democracy and the interest of women in the development process
3. Raise awareness about gender issues among the various political players
4. Provide a platform for negotiation between women and the various political candidates, parties and organizations with an agenda on priority issues affecting women and transforming gender parity.

 

• PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The main purpose of the consultancy is to consolidate the glaring and emerging core gender concerns / issues specific to women and girls in the social, economic and political spheres and key recommendations for action for advancement of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Uganda to foster sustained development. This is aimed to advance good governance through providing stakeholders (voters, candidates, political parties and actors) with a guide towards prioritizing women’s concerns, interests and aspirations to ensure inclusivity.  Specifically;

• Examine the persistent barriers of women and girls in the social, economic and political spheres: The consultancy aims to identify the existing challenges that impede women and girls from attaining their full potential. This involves identifying the structural and systematic factors that continue to hinder women and girls.
• Identify the critical issues for the advancement of women and girls’ rights in Uganda for the next five (5) years 2026 – 2030: The consultancy aims to explicitly identify the critical issues in the social, economic and political spheres for the next five years. And develop key demands for action for each identified area.

During the assignment, the consultant / consultancy firm should.

1. Ensure that the manifesto reflects the current socio-economic and political landscape addressing the evolving needs and concerns of women and girls in society.
2. Ensure incorporation of new insights and research to enhance the effectiveness of proposed policies and initiatives aimed at advancing Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment.
3. Ensure the manifesto is aligned with the latest data and trends related to gender issues, ensuring that it remains relevant and responsive to the changing environment.
4. Key stakeholders are engaged including voters, candidates, political parties and women’s rights advocates, in the development process to promote inclusivity and garner support for the updated manifesto.

• APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY

 UWONET believes in innovation and as such, the consultant (s) is encouraged to suggest the most suitable methodology for this assignment. The assignment will be undertaken for 15 days.

The Consultant(s) will be required to illustrate an appropriate methodology with a clear sampling approach showing how they intend to collect and analyze data from the different stakeholders including online approaches. The choice of method must consider the capacities of the different target groups and stakeholders in the different locations / districts and National level with minimal financial requirement in the shortest time period. A detailed methodology and data collection methods must be included in the technical proposal detailing how data will be collected in the different locations considering diversities. The methodology will be discussed and finalized in consultation with UWONET by the selected consultant(s).

The consultant shall commit to abide and protect the rights and confidentiality of informants and abide by “do no harm” principles. All data and information collected in the course of the study will be used only for the purpose of the assignment and handed over to UWONET once the assignment has been completed.

• DELIVERABLES

Consulting firm/ consultant is to produce the following:

1. An inception report (with an interpretation of TORs and financial statement)
2. Conduct the assignment as stated and submit a draft manifesto for review and validation by UWONET.
3. A final version of the Women’s Manifesto 2026 – 20230 in soft copy for printing written in Arial and font size

• TIME FRAME

The assignment is expected to last not more than 15 (fifteen) days from the date of signing the contract of engagement. The applicant (s) must be available and willing to work within the stated timeframe for the assignment.

• WORK ARRANGEMENTS

The consultant (s) during the course of the assignment will report to the Executive Director of Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET). Day to day support will be provided by the Program Coordinator and Program Officer, Women’s Leadership. UWONET will provide relevant documents necessary for the assignment and any other resources deemed necessary.

8.0 EXPECTED QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND CORE COMPTENCES OF A CONSULTANT

• Academic Qualifications

The required qualifications are;

At least a Master’s degree in the field of Gender, Political science, Human rights, Law, Governance, Development Studies, or any other relevant field from a recognized University.

8.2 Experiences and core competencies

1. Experience of not less than 10 years in working on gender, women’s rights and political representation.
2. A clear understanding of the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, local leadership and national issues.
3. Excellent research, analytical, interpersonal, communication and report writing skills
4. Demonstrated ability to complete complex assignments in a timely manner and delivery of quality results.
5. In-depth knowledge of the socio-cultural, economic and political context of Uganda
6. Good communication and writing skills in English. Ability to produce concise, readable and analytical documents.

APPLICATION

Interested consultancy firms or individuals should submit an expression of interest, technical and financial proposal and resume(s) to the UWONET Secretariat via email or hand delivery by Monday July 22, 2024 by 11:59 pm: via email at info@uwonet.or.ug cc. consultancy@uwonet.or.ug cc. UWONET1@gmail.com. Alternatively, hand delivery at the UWONET offices.

N.B: - Please note that UWONET will not be responsible in any way for any costs incurred in preparation or submission of the documents. Submission of a proposal does not give any guarantee of award of this consultancy. - Only those selected will be contacted.