About Rural Women Cultivating Change (RWCC)

Implemented in Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia, the RWCC project aims to shift the cultural attitudes and structures that limit young and adult rural women (particularly women smallholder farmers, female heads of households, and survivors of Sexual Gender Based Violence – SGBV), allowing them to take control of their own lives, advocate for themselves and others and take leadership within communities and beyond.

Using gender transformative, participatory agroecological, women leadership approaches and reinforcing interventions aimed at preventing SGBV, the project focuses on the intersection between women’s rights and climate adaptation to better support sustainable and equitable resource management, agricultural production and access to markets. It further alleviates poverty through reduced personal and collective vulnerability to social, economic, and climate shocks. The project is also providing mentorship for women-led SMES and incubators through GALS trainings and investment forums.

The assignment       

In the recent past, Hivos sought a consultant to conduct a mapping exercise to identify policy issues relating to women in climate resilience and local food systems in communities in the four project counties in Kenya (Baringo, Kituis, Laikipia and Nakuru). Hivos has recognized that gender inequality coupled with climate change has been branded one of the greatest challenges of our time. It poses threats to ways of life, livelihoods, health, safety and security for women and girls around the world.

The study has exposed glaring barriers that have hampered women’s empowerment in climate justice and agriculture. Key among the challenges is the invisibility of the impact of climate change on women. Women are often absent from hard news stories on politics, the economy, and environmental issues yet they bear the harshest brunt of bad governance.

Capacity building and training initiatives on media coverage of climate change and agricultural issues will promote the visibility of its impact on women and children and consequently promote gender equality. Raising the awareness of journalists on their role as agents of change will help them move away from news that fails to portray the true travail of women in the different areas of social life.

In light of this, Hivos will engage journalists on gender, climate, and agriculture issues to promote gender-sensitive media coverage of the issues, fighting stereotypes, prejudice, and bias against women in the four counties.

The specific objectives

1. Increase understanding among media professionals about the gender-specific impacts of climate change on agriculture. This includes recognizing how climate change affects men and women differently and understanding the roles and contributions of both genders in agriculture.
2. Train media professionals to incorporate diverse voices and perspectives, particularly those of women, in their reporting on climate change and agricultural policies. Encourage the telling of stories that reflect the experiences of women in various roles, from farmers to policymakers.
3. Equip journalists with the knowledge and skills to identify and report on the gendered impacts of climate change policies in the agricultural sector. This involves recognizing how policies can affect men and women differently and exploring the social and economic implications.
4. Offer training on gender equality principles and practices, ensuring that media professionals have the necessary skills to analyze, report on, and advocate for gender equality in the context of climate change and agriculture.

Methodology

The media training will be facilitated by an expert facilitator. This will involve group activities and plenary sessions and feedback sessions.

Scope of the assignment

The consultant/firm is expected to deliver the following:

1. A two-day interactive session in each of the four counties providing training on specialized reporting skills (understanding among media professionals about the gender-specific impacts of climate change on agriculture and related issues)

• • • Idea generation
    • Developing the idea
    • Research techniques (background information generation)
    • Interviewing skills (open-ended questions Vs closed-ended questions)
    • Story presentation (feature, news, documentary, radio magazine, etc)
    • Choice of words (language)

2. Training Materials: Prepare all necessary training materials, including presentations, handouts, and multimedia resources. Ensure that materials are engaging, informative, and suitable for diverse learning styles.

3. Interactive Exercises: Develop interactive exercises and activities to reinforce key concepts. Include role-playing scenarios, group discussions, and practical exercises to enhance participants’ skills.

5. A comprehensive final report summarizing the training program’s outcomes, including participant feedback, areas of improvement, and recommendations for future media training initiatives.

Consultant qualifications and experience

• Demonstrable expertise in media and media training, with a minimum of 10 years record in agriculture, climate change, food systems and gender and a master’s degree in the relevant field.
• Good knowledge and a proven track record working on climate justice and policy work at local, regional, and international levels.
• Have experience working/research among smallholder farmers, especially in rural areas.
• Extensive experience building media/journalists capacities
• Strong practical, analytical, research, and evidence-based climate change and agriculture advisory experience.
• Experience working with counties on diverse policy issues is an added advantage.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills including experience of facilitation of training/workshops and presentations ;

Expected deliverables

1. Two days of interactive training in each of the four counties.
2. Training material.
3. Workshop reports.

Duration

The workshops will take place as follows:

Laikipia County: February 6 & 7, 2024
Nakuru/Baringo County: February 8 & 9, 2024
Kitui County: February 14 & 15, 2024

How to apply

All applications should be sent to email address eastafricajobs@hivos.org  by January 31 2024 5pm EAT with the following information:

• Technical proposal detailing your experience, why you are the best fit for this assignment, and your proposed general approach to the consultancy.
• CV of consultant(s) and description of any partners or contributing institutions as appropriate.
• Not more than 1 page describing the financial proposal i.e. how long it will take to deliver the workshop, professional fees (per day), and reimbursable costs (tax inclusive).
• Proof of similar previous assignments delivered.

The email subject should read: “MEDIA TRAINER”

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.