Summary
| Project Name | Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights Strategies for Universal Health Coverage in Africa |
| Target Location | Africa |
| Project Goal | For women, girls, adolescents, and persons with disabilities to hold systems accountable and ensure access to universal health coverage for all |
| Project Outcomes | – Outcome 1: Women, girls, adolescents (including adolescent boys and young men), and young people are capacitated to lead and support network and movement building. – Outcome 2: Communities are engaged and sensitized on SRHR rights, policies, and legal environments. – Outcome 3: Service delivery systems are strengthened and inclusive to diversity. |
| Direct beneficiary | Women, girls, and young people in all their diversities, with priority to vulnerable and marginalized groups |
| Project deliverables | – Inception report (30% fees disbursed upon approval of inception report) – Draft policy analysis report and brief (40% of fees disbursed upon submission of report) – Final policy analysis report and brief (30% of fees disbursed upon submission of report) – A powerpoint presentation providing a summary of the findings |
| Project lifespan | 2023-2027 |
| Purpose of the policy analysis | The assignment should provide an overview of SRHR policy framework in Africa, highlighting gaps and viable solutions to address them. |
| Start and End Dates | 01 March 2024 – 15 June 2024 |
Project Overview
Only five out of 60 African countries permit abortion on demand. Legal reforms, such as access to safe legal abortion and considering exceptions to a standard age of consent policy are critical enablers that can change a hostile environment to a supportive environment for all women and girls. Supporting enabling legal and social environments are key to advancing gender equality and attaining sexual and reproductive health and rights outcomes in Africa. Despite tremendous progress in respect of the inclusion of gender equality as a global goal – including in numerous UN conventions, the SDGs, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the African Agenda 2063 – gender inequalities continue to undermine women’s rights, gender equality, and the enjoyment of human rights by all women and girls, to impede development and democracy building, and to compromise people’s lives in dramatic and devastating ways. Deeply rooted structural obstacles such as the unequal distribution of resources, power, and wealth, combined with social institutions and norms that sustain inequality, are holding African women and girls, and as a result the rest of the continent, back.
The Norwegian government has pledged support for international sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) initiatives, aligning with commitments made at the ICPD + 25 Nairobi Summit, and emphasized during the Generation Equality Forum (Beijing + 25). This commitment falls under the Bodily Autonomy and SRHR coalition, encompassing financial backing for comprehensive sexuality education. NORAD, acting on behalf of the Norwegian government, has engaged regional and international SRHR organizations. It has also established SRHR funds, providing direct grants to local, national, and regional civil organizations, and networks with documented SRHR expertise. The chosen implementation partner, Sonke Gender Justice (Sonke), is sub-granting organizations in Ethiopia, Malawi, and Uganda to execute the Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights Strategies for Universal Health Coverage in Africa. The project’s overarching goal is to empower women, girls, adolescents, and persons with disabilities to hold systems accountable and ensure universal health coverage access for all. This involves strengthening the organizational capacity of three local MEA partners through sub-grants. The focus includes enhancing grantees’ skills and competencies, fostering greater agency in movement building, and promoting access, advocacy, and accountability actions in areas such as Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), comprehensive and safe abortion, and access to SRHR services. This initiative aligns with continental protocols/frameworks such as the Maputo Protocol, SADC SRHR, AU Agenda, ESA CSE Committee, and WCA CEI Commitment, reflecting a holistic commitment to advancing SRHR in the African context. The initiative corresponds with the Maputo Protocol, as it emphasizes empowering women, girls, adolescents, and persons with disabilities to hold systems accountable, aligning with the protocol’s objectives of promoting and protecting women’s rights, including SRHR. Within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) SRHR framework, the initiative’s regional focus on Ethiopia, Malawi, and Uganda aligns with the SADC region, contributing to the collective efforts in fostering comprehensive SRHR strategies and universal health coverage. In conjunction with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) SRHR framework, the project contributes to advancing comprehensive SRHR services in the Southern African region. Moreover, the initiative aligns with the African Union (AU) Agenda, specifically Agenda 2063, by addressing SRHR challenges and promoting universal health coverage, which are integral components of the AU’s vision for a prosperous and united Africa. The Eastern and Southern Africa Comprehensive Sexuality Education (ESA CSE) Commitment is further supported through the project’s focus on Comprehensive Sexuality Education, contributing to the ESA region’s efforts to ensure a holistic approach to sexuality education. Additionally, in West and Central Africa, the initiative mirrors the commitments outlined in the Comprehensive Education and Information (CEI) framework, reinforcing the region’s dedication to ensuring access to comprehensive SRHR education and information. The initiative supports the West and Central Africa Comprehensive Education and Information (CEI) Commitment by promoting access, advocacy, and accountability actions related to thematic areas of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) and safe abortion, which are critical components of the CEI Commitment in the region
Outcome 1: Women, girls, adolescents, and young people are capacitated to lead and support network and movement building.
Outcome 2: Communities are engaged and sensitized on SRHR rights, policies, and legal environments.
Outcome 3: Service delivery systems are strengthened and inclusive to diversity.
Objectives
To conduct a comprehensive regional policy analysis of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) framework in Africa. The primary aim is identifying gaps, discriminatory provisions, and challenges within the SRHR policies. The analysis will generate actionable recommendations and propose viable solutions to foster non-discriminatory access to SRHR for women, girls, adolescents (including adolescent boys and young men), and persons with disabilities in Africa. This overarching objective aligns with the broader project goal of empowering diverse populations and ensuring their ability to hold systems accountable for achieving universal health coverage. The findings will inform strategic interventions, advocacy initiatives, and policy reforms, advancing gender equality, human rights, and comprehensive SRHR in the targeted African regions.
- Conduct a meticulous review of regional policy documents and reports, identifying gaps and discriminatory provisions within the existing SRHR framework. This involves critically analyzing the content and pinpointing areas hindering non-discriminatory SRHR access.
- Perform a desk review of global and regional SRHR practices, focusing on successful models that can be replicated and scaled up in the African context. This includes identifying practical strategies and interventions that have proven effective in improving SRHR outcomes.
Purpose of this Consultancy
Sonke seeks to recruit a consultant to conduct a regional policy analysis of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights framework in Africa that will provide strong recommendations in mapping the way forward towards non-discriminatory access to SRHR for all Africans.
Scope of Work
Selected candidate is expected to deliver on the following.
- Develop and propose a methodology and framework of analysis in the inception report
- Identify and present themes of analysis in the inception report
- Review available regional policy documents, policy reports and other policy briefs prepared by critical stakeholders such as unilateral organisations.
- Identify the gaps and discriminatory provisions that need to be addressed.
- Review available reports to establish regional challenges in accessing SRHR.
- Desk review of global and regional SRHR access practices that can be replicated and scaled up.
Time schedule
The estimated duration of the policy framework analysis is 3 months, starting 1 March 2024 and ending 30 May 2024, when the final report and policy brief will be submitted. Within the first 2 weeks of the consultancy, the consultant is expected to produce an Inception Report, including a detailed work plan and methodology. The consultant is expected to convey the main findings and recommendations in a meeting with Sonke staff before the finalization of the report.
Budget: ZAR 150,000
How to apply
Should you wish to apply, please send as five separate documents to Runyararo Mutariswa by COB 23rd February 2024. If selected, induction will start on 28 February 2024.
Email: runya@genderjustice.org.za
- Brief 1-1.5-page cover letter citing your relevant expertise for the consultancy.
- Detailed CV including examples of similar evaluations completed (4 pages maximum)
- Detailed quotation
- Short proposal including work plan and budget.
- Example of similar work completed.
Key Activities
The main activities for the baseline evaluation can be seen from the table below.
| Evaluation Phase | Role | Primary Task |
| Planning | Project team | – Conduct project introduction meeting with the consultant – Submit project documents to external research team |
| External research team | – Develop policy analysis methodology-Delineate key informants | |
| Technical team | – Provide technical inputs to improve methodology – Give the final approval to the consultant team to commence policy analysis | |
| Data Collection and Analysis | External research team | – Fully facilitate the data collection – Fully responsible for quality assurance – Present and validate findings to the technical team. |
| Project/Technical team | – Link the research team with the local MEA partners | |
| Reporting and follow up | External research team | – Prepare draft report in English – Discussion with Sonke on findings and reflect the feedback in the final report – Final report submission |
| Project and Technical team | – Participate in a discussion meeting and provide feedback on draft policy analysis report/brief. |