Background

Sexual harassment and other forms of sexual violence in public spaces are an everyday occurrence for women and girls in urban and rural areas, in developed and developing countries. Women and girls experience and fear various types of sexual violence in public spaces, from sexual harassment and attempted rape to rape and femicide whether on streets, public transport, in and around schools and workplaces, in public sanitation facilities, and water and food distribution sites, or in their own neighborhoods. Also, the global evidence has shown that sexual violence and other forms of violence are highly prevalent following major natural disasters. This reality reduces women’s and girls’ freedom of movement denying them the same opportunity and rights to the city as men and boys enjoy. It reduces their ability to participate in school, in formal or informal employment, and in public life. It limits their access to essential services, and enjoyment of cultural and recreational opportunities. While women and girls of all social and economic strata experience and fear violence in public spaces, women and girls living in poverty, or belonging to socially excluded or stigmatized groups (Indigenous, migrants, immigrant, living with disability or HIV/AIDS, displaced, sex workers, etc.) bear the brunt of risks and dangers, especially because of experiences of discrimination and inequality, and limited access to information, services, resources and justice. Although violence in the private domain is now widely recognized as a human rights violation, violence against women and girls, especially the issue of sexual harassment in public spaces remains a largely neglected issue, with few laws or policies in place to prevent and address it.

In Ethiopia, violence against women and girls continues to be a major challenge and a threat to women’s empowerment. It is a result of gender inequality and discrimination and is shaped by the interaction of a wide range of social, cultural, economic and political factors. According to the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) report, nearly one-quarter (23 percent) of women have in some point in their lives experienced physical violence while 10 per cent experienced sexual violence. Sexual violence against women and girls (SVAWG) is a growing concern in urban centres in Ethiopia. The multifaceted impacts of insecurity in the cities today can be synthesized in loss of urban development opportunities through loss of human resources, social capital, investment, and democratic space.

In November 2010, UN Women launched the “Safe Cities Free of Violence against Women and Girls” Global Programme in partnership with AECID, UN Habitat, leading women’s organizations, and over 50 global and local partners in five pilot cities Quito (Ecuador), New Delhi (India), Kigali (Rwanda), Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea) and Cairo (Egypt), and spans just over 60 cities. It is the first-ever global effort that develops implements and evaluates tools, policies, and

comprehensive approaches that can be evaluated for impact to prevent and respond to sexual harassment and other forms of sexual violence against women and girls in public spaces across different settings. These approaches and tools will be made available to local and national policymakers, and civil society for adaptation and scale up, tailored to the specificities of local contexts. The Global Programme forms part of UN Women’s Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces Global Flagship Initiative.

Expected Impact Level Results in the Safe City Sites of Interventions include:

• A reduction in sexual harassment and other forms of sexual violence (SDG 5.2, SDG 11.7, SDG 16.2)

• A reduction of fear and increased feelings of safety of women and girls

• Increased autonomous mobility of women and girls in accessing and using public spaces

UN Women Ethiopia Country Office has been implementing two safe city and safe public spaces projects in Addis Ababa and Hawassa as part the Safe Cities Free of Violence against Women and Girls Global Programme since 2019 in partnerships with government stakeholders, civil society organization (CSOs) and other development partners, the initiative expanded to Shashemene city in 2024. Through this initiative, each participating city has been advancing the creation of safe and empowering public spaces for women and girls free from SH and other forms of SVAWG.

Shashemene city is the capital of the West Arsi Zone of the Oromia Regional State located approximately 250 km south of Addis Ababa and 20km from Hawassa. The city is economically important and expanding quite rapidly compared to other towns due to its location as a crossroad and a junction point for most towns located in the southern part of the country. It serves as an international highway route connecting Ethiopia with Kenya, as well as a commercial center, where traders from nine zones in three regional states (Oromia, Sidama and Southern Nations and Nationalities Peoples’ Region (SNNPR)) come to trade, in mostly agricultural products with about 25,000 people in and out every day. It is a city where people with different religious and cultural backgrounds coexist. The total estimated population of Shashemene in 2022 was 208,368 (104,354 female and 104,014 male), the city also hosts hundreds of the Rastafari community. According to the result of restructuring of Oromia region, Shashemene city is upgraded to regiopolis. The city has been re-structured into four sub-cities and 12 city-districts by the Oromia regional government including via merging with adjacent localities. The rapid population growth and the repeated political unrest in the city and adjacent districts resulted in human rights violations and displacement which mainly affecting women and girls.

Based on this background, UN Women seeks to hire a national consultant to conduct a scoping study on sexual violence against women and girls in public spaces to identify gender-responsive locally relevant and owned interventions to address sexual violence against women and girls in public spaces. The consultant will be reporting to the EVAWG Programme Specialist, and will be supported by the Programme Analyst, who will be the point of contact on the contract and payment issues.

Duties and Responsibilities

The objective of the scoping study is to identify gender-responsive locally relevant and owned interventions to address sexual violence against women and girls in public spaces.

Specific objectives include:

• To provide the evidence-based data and information for stakeholders to identity solutions.
• To provide valid and specific data to ensure a deep understanding of local forms of sexual violence against women and girls in public spaces and the context in which it occurs; and
• To build local ownership by creating multi-stakeholder partnerships through inclusive and participatory processes.
• To assist in drafting of evidence based, locally owned safe cities interventions

Scope of Work

The scoping study will include a literature review and conducting some primary data collection through qualitative methods with local stakeholders including local authorities, civil society organizations and groups of women with particular vulnerabilities, to understand the safety concerns for women and girls in public spaces, and their experiences of sexual harassment and other forms of sexual violence.

The study may be implemented in selected areas of Shashemene (to be discussed and agreed with the local stakeholders, guided by UN Women’s Guidance on Scoping Studies in Safe Cities). The selection of the study sites will consider: the level of sexual harassment and other forms of sexual violence (areas with high rates being prioritized) socio-economic indicators – areas with characteristics of inequality and exclusion, availability of and actual or potential engagement with women’s grassroots groups, including those working with adolescent girls, existence of or the potential for effective, efficient, available and accessible referral services in the area, and local authority support for project implementation in the areas. Findings from the study will be shared with stakeholders to identify key priorities and agree on common action to jointly work together to address these priorities.

Under the overall supervision of the UN Women Ethiopia EVAWG Programme Specialist and Programme Analyst and with technical input from UN Women’s Technical Team in the Ending Violence against Women (EVAW) Section in Headquarters, the National consultant will undertake the following tasks:

• Develop a qualitative methodology for a scoping study in line with UN Women’s Guidance on Scoping Studies. The methodology should be guided by key lines of enquiry stipulated in the Guidance. Produce an annotated outline and approved methodology to UN Women for technical input and incorporate feedback in the revised tools.
• Conduct the scoping study using qualitative methodologies to gain a deeper understanding of the nature of sexual harassment and other forms of sexual violence against women and girls (SVAWG) in selected areas of Shashemene.
• Ensure WHO ethnical guidelines on researching violence against women are enforced throughout the research process.
• Conduct a desk review of materials received by UN Women Ethiopia and/or the national consultant related to legislative framework and policies available and prepare a summary to identify gaps.
• Identify any quantitative data on sexual harassment or other forms of sexual violence in public spaces that may have been conducted and incorporate in the literature review.
• Based on the field research, draft a report on the scoping study and submit to UN Women for inputs and comments, and incorporate their feedback in the submission of the final report on the scoping study in English, which incorporates all inputs and comments from UN Women.
• Present the findings during validation and programme design workshop and develop a brief programme document engaging multi-stakeholders (the local authorities of Shashemene, civil society organizations and others). This process is conducted in consultation with UN Women Guidance on Programme Design for Safe City Programme and adapts a global theory of change guided by UN Women EVAW technical team.

Competencies

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
• Accountability
• Creative Problem Solving
• Effective Communication
• Inclusive Collaboration
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Leading by Example

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies:

https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment/application-process#_Values

FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES:

• Strong knowledge of gender equality and women’s rights issues
• Excellent level of conceptual and analytical capacity
• Ability to work in a team
• Ability to write in a clear and concise manner and to communicate effectively
• Demonstrates use of initiative and ability to make appropriate linkages in work requirements
• Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback
• Meets deadlines for delivery of products or services
• Able to work virtually, using communication technologies
• Strong interpersonal skills

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Certification:

• The consultant must have master’s degree in social science (Gender Studies, Social work, Sociology and related fields)

Experience:

• The consultant must have a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in research, rapid assessment and in conducting desk reviews and producing high-quality reports.
• Having previous experience in conducting social research and its analysis related to violence against women and girls, sexual harassment, or relevant field. Experience in safe cities programming in other countries is an asset.
• Demonstrated experience in research and programme development
• Strong background in undertaking similar sensitive research with strong skills on safety and ethical considerations
• Familiarity with the socio-political context of Ethiopia
• Ability to conceptualize and analyze problems and to identify key issues and underlying action-oriented recommendation
• Previous experience working with the UN is an asset

Languages:

• Excellent knowledge of written and oral communication in English and Amharic. Knowledge of local language is an asset

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided?on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)