Terms of Reference for the Development of SOGIESC Hand Guide

Terms of Reference for the Development of SOGIESC Hand Guide

Project Name: The Six Agencies for Equity and Resilience in Health, Education, Economic and Livelihoods (SAFER HEELs)

Project Title: Development and Dissemination of a Hand Guide on Inclusion, Gender, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) Hand Book, Unsafe Abortion, Abortion Rights, Equity, and Other Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Pertinent Issues.
Implementing partner:   Alliance of Women Advocating for Change (AWAC
Type of Assignment: Development and Dissemination of SOGIESC Hand Guide
Duration: One months

Background of the Assignment

Access to accurate, inclusive, rights-based, and stigma-free Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)  information remains limited among marginalized and vulnerable populations, including women and girls, refugees,  persons with disabilities, adolescents and young people, and gender expansive persons. Harmful social norms,  stigma, discrimination, restrictive legal environments, and misinformation continue to undermine equitable access  to SRHR services and information.

Unsafe abortion remains a major public health and human rights concern, contributing significantly to preventable  morbidity and mortality among women and girls. In addition, discrimination related to gender identity, sexual  orientation, disability, and socioeconomic status continues to create barriers to accessing comprehensive SRHR  services and information.

In response to these challenges, AWAC seeks to develop and disseminate a practical and user-friendly hand guide  aimed at increasing awareness and understanding of inclusion, gender, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC), unsafe abortion, abortion rights, equity, and other pertinent SRHR issues. The hand guide  will serve as an educational, advocacy, and community engagement resource to strengthen awareness, reduce  stigma, promote rights-based approaches, and enhance access to SRHR information and services among targeted  communities.

Purpose of the Assignment 

The purpose of this assignment is to develop, design, and disseminate a simplified and context-appropriate hand  guide that promotes awareness and understanding of inclusion, gender, SOGIESC, unsafe abortion, abortion rights,  equity, and other key SRHR issues among targeted communities and stakeholders.

Objectives of the Assignment 

• The specific objectives of the assignment are:

• To develop a comprehensive and simplified hand guide on inclusion, gender, SOGIESC, unsafe abortion,  abortion rights, equity, and other SRHR-related issues.

• To ensure the hand guide is rights-based, culturally sensitive, accessible, and appropriate for diverse  audiences.

• To strengthen awareness and understanding of SRHR rights, services, and referral pathways among  community members and stakeholders.

• To support advocacy and stigma reduction efforts related to SRHR and gender equality.

• To disseminate the hand guide among targeted communities, peer educators, service providers, and  relevant stakeholders.

Scope of the Assignment 

The hand guide shall cover key themes including but not limited to: 

• Inclusion and diversity

• Gender and gender equality

• Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC)

• Equity and non-discrimination

• Unsafe abortion and associated risks

• Abortion rights and legal considerations

• Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)

• Access to SRHR services and referral pathways

• Prevention of stigma and discrimination

• Rights-based and survivor-centered approaches

• Community awareness and advocacy approaches

Target Participants

The hand guide will target:

• Adolescents and young people

• Women and girls

• Refugees and displaced populations

• Persons with disabilities

• Gender expansive persons

• Peer educators and community mobilizers

• Community leaders

• Health workers and service providers

• Civil society organizations and community-based organizations

Methodology 

The assignment shall employ participatory and consultative approaches to ensure inclusivity, relevance, and  ownership of the final hand guide.

The consultant/team shall undertake the following:

Desk Review 

Review relevant literature, existing SRHR materials, legal and policy frameworks, and organizational resources  related to inclusion, gender, SOGIESC, unsafe abortion, abortion rights, and SRHR.

Stakeholder Consultations

Conduct consultations with key stakeholders including community members, peer educators, SRHR practitioners,  health workers, and implementing partners to gather perspectives and contextual insights.

Content Development

Develop simplified, user-friendly, and contextually relevant content suitable for community-level understanding and  advocacy.

Validation Meetings 

Facilitate stakeholder review and validation sessions to ensure accuracy, appropriateness, and inclusivity of the  guide.

Design and Dissemination 

Design and format the hand guide for print and digital dissemination and support dissemination activities within  targeted communities and stakeholder platforms.

Expected Deliverables 

The consultant/team shall deliver the following:

• Inception report including methodology, work plan, and timelines.

• Draft hand guide for stakeholder review.

• Final hand guide incorporating stakeholder feedback.

• Professionally designed and print-ready version of the hand guide.

• Dissemination report documenting dissemination activities, stakeholders reached, lessons learned, and  recommendations.

Assignment Time Frame 

The assignment is expected to be conducted over a period of one month, including inception, consultations, content  development, validation, design, dissemination, and submission of final deliverables.

Roles and Responsibilities 

The Consultant/Team Shall: 

• Lead the development of the hand guide content.

• Conduct consultations and validation meetings.

• Ensure quality, accuracy, inclusivity, and ethical standards throughout the assignment. • Submit all deliverables within the agreed timelines.

Ethical Considerations

Given the sensitive nature of SRHR and SOGIESC-related issues, the consultant/team shall ensure:

• Confidentiality and privacy of participants.

• Respect for diversity, inclusion, and human rights principles.

• Use of non-stigmatizing and gender-sensitive language.

• Informed participation during consultations and engagements.

• Safeguarding and protection of vulnerable groups.

Key Qualifications and Experience 

The consultant/team should possess the following qualifications and experience: 

• A minimum of masters’ degree in Public Health, Gender Studies, Social Sciences, Human Rights,  Development Studies, Communications, or related field.

• Demonstrated experience in SRHR programming, advocacy, and community engagement.

• Strong understanding of gender, inclusion, SOGIESC, abortion rights, and human rights-based approaches.

• Proven experience in developing IEC materials, advocacy tools, training manuals, or community hand  guides.

• Excellent writing, editing, communication, and facilitation skills.

• Experience working with marginalized and vulnerable populations, including sex workers, refugees and  key populations ie the Gender Expansive Persons.

Application Procedure 

Interested consultants/teams should submit: 

• Technical proposal

• Financial proposal

• Updated CV(s)

• Samples of previous similar work

• References from previous assignments

Applications should be submitted to awacprogrammes@gmail.com by 10th/07/2026.