CFPs: Securing Gains and Rights-Advancing Women’s participation in Governance, Peace & Security (Zimbabwe)

Deadline: 31-Jan-25

UN Women Zimbabwe is currently accepting applications to engage a Non – Governmental Organization to support the implementation of activities under the Governance and Peacebuilding portfolio.

Zimbabwe is signatory to normative frameworks on gender equality and is has ratified several women’s rights instruments such as the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979), the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995), Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Women in Africa (2003) and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Gender and Development Protocol (2015). Zimbabwe ‘s national normative framework also has provisions on promoting gender equality which include the Constitution, The National Gender Policy and Implementation Strategy, as well as sectoral gender policies and strategies. The Zimbabwean Constitution in Sections 17 and 80, indicate women’s rights to equal opportunities in political, economic and social activities . Notwithstanding these present measures, Zimbabwean women remain underrepresented in leadership and decision-making positions despite making up 52% of the country’s population. Women continue to be vulnerable to all forms of gender-based violence (GBV).

Through this Programme intervention, UN Women will identify continuing obstacles to women’s participation in politics and public life and opportunities for achieving advancement, doing so as necessary through local action that is interfaced with sub-regional and continental frameworks, standards and instruments that could serve an enabling function. UN Women’s work will focus on political empowerment, strengthening the capacities of women leaders, candidates and elected, especially rural and young women, so they can exercise their political rights, especially the right to participate in politics, leadership and decision making. To achieve this, it will be necessary to increase women’s knowledge, empowerment, and support their organizations. Strengthening the capacities of public institutions to ensure that women can exercise their political rights in a substantive manner, free from violence and political harassment, is a key strategy in UN Women’s work within the framework of its Strategic Note.

UN Women will actively promote women’s participation in leadership and decision-making, collaborating with Independent Commissions and the Government to create violence-free political environments. The focus includes supporting legal and policy reforms for a 50/50 gender balance in leadership, as well as building a movement for gender equality.

Strategic Priorities          

• Governance and participation in public life
  • Before, during and after elections, women are supported in all their diversity to participate fully and equally in leadership and decision-making
  • Galvanize women around gender equality through movement building on the gender agenda
  • Increase gender balance and sensitivity in women’s representation, coverage, and portrayal in the media
  • Support the national implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda
  • Support gender-responsive institutional strengthening to ensure women’s equal participation in peacebuilding, rule of law, transitional justice, security sector reform, and conflict prevention and mediation and related areas
  • Institutional Strengthening to deliver respective mandates that ensure women’s participation and leadership

Objective

• Under the scope of the “Governance and Peacebuilding Portfolio”, UN Women in partnership with a CSO aims to support the following:
  • Movement Building
    • Awareness raising and trainings on GEWE
    • Strengthening the national gender machinery coordination efforts
    • IEC material development
  • Strengthened capacities of women to participate in governance and public life
    • Training and mentoring of women political candidates-
    • Support the convening of local and provincial stakeholders on gender and development, women’s political representation and leadership in peacebuilding
  • Normative Engagement on Women Peace and Security Agenda
    • Awareness Raising on UNSCR resolutions on peace and security
    • Strengthening capacities on implementation of UNSCR1325 National Action Plan (NAP)s

Funding Information

• The budget range for this proposal should be USD 40000 to 49000
• The duration of the partnership agreement will be from March 2025- October 2025

Outputs and Activities

• Output 1: Strengthened capacities of women to participate in decision-making processes and structures to enhance accountability and implementation of commitments made on women’s participation.
  • Activity 1.1. Strengthen the women’s movement monitor government actions and influence the implementation of the National Women in Leadership and decision-making strategy (2023 -2030)
  • Activity 1. 2. Enhance the capacities of women in their diversity, to improve their ability to participate effectively in Leadership decision making at national, local government level (community women, elected women leaders and aspiring women political candidates)
• Output 2: Strengthen the capacities of decision makers and institutions to develop gender-responsive laws policies and plans to improve women’s participation in politics and decision-making and Peace building Processes.
  • Activity 2.1: Provide technical support and expertise to public institution to develop gender-responsive laws policies and plans and deliver on their mandate to advance women’s political participation
• Output 3: – Stakeholders have increased abilities to foster safer and more inclusive environment conducive for women’s political advancement.
  • Activity 3.1. Strengthen the capacity of national institutions and CSOs to implement, monitor, evaluate Zimbabwe’s UNSCR1325 National Action Plan and related resolutions on Women, Peace and Security.

Eligibility Criteria

• Technical/functional competencies required;
  • The organisation must have professionals with proven records listed below:
    • In-depth technical knowledge and understanding of gender and development with some knowledge of government socio economic policies including the recently adopted National Development Strategy 1, international and regional gender equality frameworks
    • Knowledge and experience in facilitating, conducting trainings and development of programme management tools to measure impact
    • Experience managing and facilitating national consultative processes working with diverse groups
    • Experience working with or engaging state actors in gender equality, women’s leadership and empowerment
    • Programme staff with Graduate degrees in the areas of Development Studies, Social Sciences, Gender, Women’s Law, Law or any other relevant field
• CSO Criteria
  • The eligible CSOs should also meet the legal, programmatic and technical criteria defined below:
    • Duly registered under the laws of Zimbabwe
    • Demonstrate relevant programmatic experience for at least 5 years in specific priority areas identified above (in the introduction)
    • Knowledge and experience in programme design and management, community mobilization, organizational development
    • Clear understanding of community contexts and the needs of women and girls with respect to leadership, political participation, peacebuilding, development, mentorship and gender-based violence.
    • Substantive knowledge and understanding of social accountability, movement building and campaigns
    • Technical expertise on gender equality issues and more broadly, women’s meaningful participation in decision-making and leadership, women, peace and security and ending violence against women and girls.
    • Have a proven track record of advocacy work on gender or related issues in Zimbabwe
    • An established organizational culture of accountability and commitment to delivery of results
    • Administrative and financial capacity to manage budgets of more than $50,000 annually, supported with a track record of quality and timely project results and unqualified audit reports in the preceding 2 years.
    • Demonstrate experience in facilitating constructive and inclusive engagement, dialogue and peacebuilding processes with the goal of contributing to socio-economic development
    • Demonstrable capacity – human, financial and technical to deliver results at national and sub-national levels.
• 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.

For more information, visit UN Women.