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 small holder 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 inorder to better support sustainable and equitable resource management, agricultual production and access to markets. It further alleviates poverty through reduced personal and collective vulnerability to social, economic and climate shocks.

The Project works in collaboration with women’s rights organizations (WROs) and agricultural based organizations to support climate adaptation, increase food security, enhance gender equality, reduce sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and improve livelihoods for rural women.

One of the intermediate outcomes of the project is enhanced benefit for Y/A women, particularly from FHHs, in climate-resilient and local food systems including income-generation.

Purpose, Scope and Objective

Climate change has emerged as a critical global challenge, with far-reaching impacts that extend beyond the environment to affect socio-economic structures and human livelihoods. In Kenya, where agriculture forms the backbone of the economy, rural communities are particularly vulnerable. Within these communities, rural women bear a disproportionate share of the impact of climate change.

Rural women in Kenya play a crucial role in agricultural production, which is the mainstay of the country’s economy. They are primarily responsible for cultivating food crops, managing small livestock, and ensuring household food security. Despite their significant contributions, these women often have limited access to resources, education, and decision-making processes, which exacerbates their vulnerability to the impacts of climate change.

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. In practice it has been difficult for policy practitioners to make the vital connection between gender, social equity and climate change, necessitating evidence generation on the specific impact of climate change on women.

The purpose of the study is to explore the profound impact of climate change on the livelihoods of rural women in Kenya, highlighting the challenges they face and the adaptive measures that could mitigate these impacts.

Tasks

The primary objective of this consultancy is to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the impact of climate change on the livelihoods of rural women. The consultant will:

1. Provide an elaborate methodology and a detailed plan for the assessment.
2. Analyze how climate change affects agricultural productivity, food security, and economic stability for rural women.
3. Identify coping strategies and adaptive measures currently employed by rural women.
4. Provide actionable recommendations to improve resilience and support sustainable livelihoods for rural women in the context of climate change.
5. Provide a detailed report on the impact of climate change on rural the livelihoods of rural women.
6. Presentation at a validation workshop in order to provide the opportunity for key stakeholders to collectively make sense of the findings.

Expected outputs

The expected outputs/deliverables from this assignment are;

• Inception report with a detailed work plan and proposed methodology, including data collection tools and timelines.
• A draft report
• A final report highlighting impact of climate change on the livelihoods of rural women and feedback from stakeholders.
• Power Point presentation and discussion on the findings in a policy lab with policy makers

Time frame

It is expected that the report should be finished within 60 working days from the date of engagement.

Skills and qualifications of consultants

We are looking for consultants/team with the following skills and qualifications;

• Advanced degree in environmental studies, gender studies, sociology, agriculture, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in climate change, rural development, gender analysis, or related fields
• Proven expertise in conducting socio-economic assessments, data analysis, and report writing.
• Experience working in rural communities, preferably in developing countries, with a focus on gender issues and climate change.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly and concisely.

Application process and requirements

Qualified and interested parties are asked to submit the following;

• A detailed technical and financial proposal clearly demonstrating a thorough understanding of the Terms of Reference including but not limited to the following;
• Company profile (where applicable).
• Description of the methodology and work plan.
• Demonstrated previous experience in similar tasks and other qualifications outlined in this ToR.
• Team composition ( if applicable)
• A detailed budget in -Kenya Shillings -with breakdown of costs for the study.

All proposals should be sent electronically with attachments in pdf and a subject line: RWCC Project- CLIMATE to eastafricajobs@hivos.org not later than 4th July 2024.