Terms of Reference for conducting a Women Involvement in Cotton Value Chain Study

1.    Background
We Effect, founded in 1958 by the Swedish cooperative movement, operates in over 20 countries, including Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Focused on empowering vulnerable women and youth, We Effect takes a holistic, gender-transformative approach to address poverty’s root causes, with gender equality at the core of its global and regional strategies.

We Effect is implementing a regional project Women Economic Empowerment in the Cotton Value Chain (WEECVC) in Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The project is focussing on increasing opportunities for women and youth smallholder farmers to increase cotton yield, diversify their income sources in the cotton value chain as well as other economically viable antecedent value chains. Women are being supported with knowledge and skills in leadership to increase their agency and involvement in decision making at personal, community, national and regional levels. In Zambia, the project is active in Petauke, Katete and Mambwe districts.

We Effect works closely with partner organisations to strengthen capacity on gender equality and ensure that gender is mainstreamed throughout all projects. We Effect also works with technical experts at regional and country level with expertise and knowledge of working on gender equality to strengthen the work of partner organisations. We Effect believes that gender equality and equity are central tenets of ensuring sustainable and effective change in all its programmes. As such, We Effect uses the rights- based approach meaning that the organisational approach to gender is also intersectional, participatory, non-discriminatory, and inclusive.

We Effect is seeking a consultancy to conduct an evaluative study on women’s involvement in the cotton value chain in Petauke, Katete, and Mambwe. We invite consultancy firms or individual consultants to undertake this study, including strategically relevant areas like Lusaka. The study will assess the current situation and provide recommendations to inform adaptive program approaches, aligning with We Effect’s commitment to continuous learning and improvement. The selected consultant(s) will work closely with We Effect and partner project staff to ensure the study’s findings contribute meaningfully to the program’s goals.

2.    Purpose of the study
The overall purpose of this assessment is to analyse the involvement and roles of women in the cotton value chain. This includes exploring the activities, how benefits are determined and distributed with respect to women participating in the cotton value chain. The specific and structural and agency related barriers that women face to be economically empoweredusing the cotton value chain as a women economic empowerment vehicle in Petauke, Katete and Mambwe districts. This implies the . [AM1] [MK2] the assessment is supposed to engender a gender transformative approach that assess the norms, attitudes and values, elaborating how the social, political and cultural factors affect women empowerment,  and how these affect women participation in the cotton value chain. This conspicuosly speaks to the fact that power is not equaly distributed in the value chain, therefore a power analysis is integral to understanding the governance of the value chain and issues that hinder women from affirming their socio-economic rights, values and dignity appreciated in the sector. This assessment will explore the following research questions:

a)      What are the activities and roles of women in the cotton value chain and are these visible or invisible?

b)     With respect to the impacts on women, who determines the conditions under which cotton value chain activities are done, the benefits are determined, distributed in the cotton value chain? It will also analyse the invisible hand (power that the major cotton sector players influence on gender dynamics in the cotton value chain.)

c)      How do the activities of women, effect of the power yielded by other players affect the gender division of labour, assets and decision making power at household, and community? It explores spaces that exist for women to influence the governance of the value chain, are they closed, open?

d)     What are the norms, attitudes, and values about women’s roles, responsibilities at individual, household, community in the cotton value chain, and how these are affecting (enabling or constraining) women empowerment in the cotton value chain? The questions will also explore the extent to which norms, attitudes and values have shifted over the period of project implementation.

e)

f)       What strategies do women use to address/mitigate these barriers?

g)      What recommendations do women have for the project to empower women in the cotton value chain by creating a stronger gender responsive intervention?

The following are the objectives of the assessment:

a)   To understand men’s and women’s roles, benefits and relationships within the cotton value chain in Petauke, Katete and Mambwe district?

b)   To determine and analyse the norms, attitudes and values in relation to women’s economic empowerment in cotton value chain;

c)    To determine and analyse factors at individual, households, social and institutional level and material levels hindering and/enabling women economic advancement in the cotton value chain.

d)   To provide recommendations on how the project can strengthen gender-responsive interventions in the next project phase.

3.    Scope of work
The women’s involvement in cotton value chain study will be conducted in Petauke, Katete and Mambwe districts where the project is actively being implemented. It will include both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis.

The Consultant will conduct the Women’s Involvement in Cotton Value Chain Analysis and the work will consist of the following:

–          Conduct evaluative research using the following methodologies: workshops, focus group discussions and individual interviews. The data will be used to analyse the status of gender and the impact of the project on the communities in relation to women’s agency in the cotton value chain. The study will inform the development proposal for phase 3 of the project. The data will also be shared with the communities in a process of validation. We Effect has ethical research protocol that must be followed to conduct the research. The We Effect Technical Guide to Qualitative Research comprising of (1) Research ethical protocol; (2) Guide to conducting focus group discussions and interviews, (3) Key questions will be used to guide the process. The third component will be adapted to meet the needs of this project.

–          Cover norms, attitudes and values on the following topics: (1) Women’s economic empowerment including access to employment opportunities,

(2)  Women’s roles and responsibilities within the agricultural value chain

(3)  Barriers to women’s participation and leadership (including burden of care, unpaid care work etc.); (4) Women’s decision-making power at household level (to assess the extent to which women will be able to benefit from this project); (5) Climate change and environmental degradation impacts.

–          Submission of a detailed analytical report of the qualitative data.

4.    Expected outputs
The following are the expected key outputs of the work:

–          A proposal including workplan from consultant detailing understanding of the terms of reference.

–          In literature review on analysis by independent researchers, other donors, multilaterals, the government and non-governmental organisations that should be considered and referenced.

–          A detailed analytical report identifying the central norms, attitudes and beliefs and practices affecting women with analysis of what this means for the  project;

–          An action plan of recommendations for the project;

–          A workshop with rights-holders and key stakeholders to validate findings and integrate recommendations into the project activity plan and budget of the project: 1 day (conducted by We Effect)

–          A final report incorporating comments from the workshops.

5.    Time and work plan
The estimated time for conducting:

–          The Women’s Involvement in Cotton Value Chain Analysis will be conducted in 30 days;

–          A workshop with rights-holders and key stakeholders to validate findings and integrate recommendations into the project activity plan and budget of the project: 2 day (conducted by We Effect)

6.    Budget
In addition to professional fees that the Consultant should send in the bid, We Effect will take care of all reimbursable expenses such as workshop costs, travel, accommodation, per diem, stationery and communication.

7.    Expertise required
This call is for consulting firms or individual consultants. Consultants shall demonstrate the following expertise and qualifications:

• Masters degree in development studies, gender, human rights, anthropology, sociology or related relevant field;
• Minimum of ten (10) years of work experience in civil society organisations and or international development cooperation;
• Proven experience of working or researching on gender transformative programming;
• Strong communication skills, works well in a team, excellent deadline management and ease to work towards set goals;
• Excellent written and spoken English skills including knowledge of local language;
• Proficient in computer skills; and
• Able and willing to travel when required.

The selection of the successful consulting firm /consultant(s) will be based on satisfaction of qualification requirements, outcome of interviews of company representatives and/or candidates including the strength of both the technical and financial proposals.

Documents indicating “Women Empowerment in Cotton Value Chain study” should be sent before the 20th September 2024 to procurement.zambia@weeffect.org.

Only shortlisted consultant(s) will be contacted.