TERMS OF REFERENCE: Desk Review and Comprehensive Analysis of Regional and National Laws and Policies Addressing Violence Against Women (EVAW).

Project ACT (Advocacy, Coalition Building and Transformative Feminist Action) Assignment Title Desk Review and Comprehensive Analysis of Regional and National Laws and Policies Addressing Violence Against Women (EVAW) Engaging Entity HOPE, on behalf of the ACT Program Type of Contract The firm/Individual Consultant Contract (Regional Consultancy Firm) Duty Station based, with regional travel as required Reporting To HOPE Program Management Unit 1. Background and Context The Advocacy, Coalition Building and Transformative Feminist Action (ACT) to End Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG) program is a strategic partnership between UN Women, the European Commission, and the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UNTF). The initiative seeks to eliminate violence against women and girls (VAWG) by strengthening feminist advocacy, building inclusive coalitions, and enhancing the capacity of women’s rights organizations, with a particular focus on countries in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. ACT represents a renewed commitment by the European Commission and UN Women to advance global advocacy under the Action Coalition on Gender-Based Violence. Through coordinated advocacy, the program works with women’s rights organizations, governments, civil society, and other key stakeholders to promote transformative actions that accelerate efforts to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. Helping Our People Excel (HOPE) – Liberia and Smart Women Collaborate (SWC) – Ghana have partnered under the ACT program to strengthen regional coalitions and foster multi-stakeholder partnerships that support the development and implementation of local, national, and regional strategies to end violence against women and girls. The regional alliance aims to enhance coordinated advocacy efforts and influence sub-regional and regional policymaking, ultimately contributing to stronger national laws, policies, and institutional responses that protect the rights of women and girls. A robust legal and policy framework is pivotal to effective efforts to eliminate violence against women. However, across the region, significant gaps, inconsistencies, and implementation challenges continue to undermine the effectiveness of existing legal and policy instruments. Addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive understanding of the current legislative and policy landscape to inform evidence-based advocacy and policy reform. To strengthen the evidence base underpinning the ACT to End EVAWG program, it intends to engage a qualified regional consulting firm to undertake a comprehensive desk review and comparative analysis of regional and national legal and policy frameworks within the West and Central African Region that address violence against women. The assignment will assess the extent to which existing laws and policies align with international and regional human rights standards, identify key gaps and promising practices, and provide actionable recommendations for strengthening legal and policy responses. The findings will generate consolidated evidence on the state of the legal and policy environment across participating countries. They will serve as a strategic resource for enhancing the legal literacy and advocacy capacity of women’s rights organizations, policymakers, duty-bearers, and other stakeholders engaged in the ACT to End Violence Against Women and Girls. 2. Purpose and Objectives The overall purpose of this assignment is to produce a comprehensive, evidence-based analysis of the regional and national legal and policy frameworks on ending violence against women within the West and Central African region. The analysis will strengthen the evidence base for the ACT to End Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) by informing program design, supporting regional and national advocacy initiatives, promoting harmonized legal and policy reforms, and enhancing the legal literacy of key stakeholders, including women’s rights organizations, policymakers, duty-bearers, and civil society actors. The assignment will also contribute to the advancement of women’s rights and gender equality through stronger legal and policy responses to violence against women and girls. Specific objectives The specific objectives of the assignment are to: Conduct a comprehensive desk review and comparative analysis of regional and national legal and policy frameworks addressing violence against women and girls (VAWG), including, but not limited to, African Union (AU) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) conventions, protocols, treaties, model laws, national legislation, policies, strategies, action plans, and institutional frameworks across the target countries. Analyze the extent of alignment, gaps, and inconsistencies between regional commitments and national legal and policy frameworks, including domestication status. Identify gaps in implementation, enforcement mechanisms, and access to justice for survivors of violence. Generate consolidated, credible evidence to support UN Women and partners’ advocacy for legal and policy reform. Produce a consolidated evidence base that will inform ACT program interventions, strengthen advocacy and policy engagement, and enhance the legal literacy and capacity of women’s rights organizations, government institutions, and other key stakeholders engaged in ending violence against women and girls. 3. Scope of Work The regional consulting firm will undertake the following tasks: 3.1 Desk Review Compile and review relevant regional and international legal and policy instruments within the West and Central African region on ending violence against women (EVAW), including, but not limited to, African Union (AU) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) conventions, protocols, declarations, frameworks, and other applicable human rights instruments. Compile and review national constitutions, legislation, policies, strategies, national action plans, regulations, and institutional frameworks addressing violence against women and girls (VAWG) in each of the target countries covered by the ACT to End VAWG program. Review relevant literature, including secondary data, research studies, evaluation reports, policy analyses, and assessments on the implementation and enforcement of EVAW laws and policies, including access to justice and survivor protection mechanisms. Identify and document international, regional, and national legal and policy commitments relevant to preventing and responding to violence against women and girls. 3.2 Comparative and Gap Analysis Conduct a comparative analysis of regional and national legal and policy frameworks addressing violence against women and girls. Assess the extent to which regional and international legal obligations have been domesticated and implemented within national legal and policy frameworks. Identify legislative and policy gaps, inconsistencies, overlaps, and areas requiring legal reform, policy strengthening, or regional harmonization. Analyze institutional arrangements, implementation and enforcement mechanisms, coordination structures, access to justice, survivor-centered protection measures, and accountability systems. Identify emerging trends, innovative approaches, and promising practices that could inform policy reform, regional cooperation, and cross-country learning. 3.3 Validation and Consultation Conduct targeted consultations with key stakeholders, including government institutions, women’s rights organizations, civil society organizations, regional bodies, legal experts, and development partners, to validate findings and gather additional evidence where necessary. Facilitate a regional validation workshop to present preliminary findings, obtain stakeholder feedback, and build consensus around the proposed recommendations. Incorporate feedback from the validation process into the final analytical report and associated knowledge products. 3.4 Knowledge Products for Legal Literacy Produce a comprehensive analytical report presenting the findings of the desk review, comparative legal and policy analysis, identified gaps, promising practices, and evidence-based recommendations. Develop a concise, plain-language policy and evidence brief highlighting the key legal and policy findings, priority reform areas, and strategic recommendations for policymakers, advocates, and women’s rights organizations. Prepare presentation materials, including PowerPoint slides and other knowledge products, to support dissemination of findings and strengthen the legal literacy of program stakeholders, advocates, and dutybearers under the ACT to End Violence Against Women and Girls program. 4. Methodology The regional consulting firm is expected to propose a robust, participatory, and inclusive approach for undertaking the assignment. The proposed methodology should demonstrate how the objectives of the assignment will be achieved and, at a minimum, include the following components: Systematic Desk Review and Document Analysis: A structured approach for identifying, selecting, and reviewing relevant regional and national legal and policy instruments, with clearly defined inclusion and exclusion criteria for legislation, policies, strategies, action plans, conventions, protocols, resources from partners, and other relevant documentation. Comparative Legal and Policy Analysis: A comprehensive analytical framework for assessing and comparing regional and national legal and policy frameworks, including the extent to which regional and international commitments have been domesticated, implemented, and aligned with national legislation, policies, and institutional arrangements. Stakeholder Consultations: Key informant interviews with relevant stakeholders, including selected government institutions, regional bodies, women’s rights organizations, and legal experts, as appropriate, to address information gaps, enrich the analysis, and validate findings. Gender-Responsive and Human Rights-Based Approach: An analytical framework grounded in international human rights standards, feminist principles, and gender equality, consistent with UN Women’s normative mandates. Where applicable, the methodology should also reflect the African Evaluation Principles , ensuring contextual relevance, inclusivity, equity, participation, and local ownership. Validation and Quality Assurance: A clear validation process that includes the presentation of preliminary findings to key stakeholders for feedback and verification, as well as quality assurance mechanisms to ensure the accuracy, credibility, and relevance of the final analysis and recommendations. Ethical Considerations: A description of the ethical standards and quality assurance measures that will guide the assignment, including informed participation, confidentiality, data protection, cultural sensitivity, and the application of a survivor-centered and do-no-harm approach where consultations involve issues related to violence against women and girls. The final methodology will be agreed upon with HOPE during the inception phase and reflected in the inception report. 5. Deliverables and Timeline The assignment is expected to be completed over an indicative period of 13 weeks from contract signature. The firm will submit the following deliverables: # Deliverable Indicative Timeline Payment (%) 1 Inception report, including finalized methodology, annotated outline, list of regional and national instruments to be reviewed, and work plan Within 2 weeks of contract signature 20% 2 Draft desk review report presenting the mapping and comparative analysis of regional (ECOWAS, AU) and national EVAW legal and policy frameworks Week 8 30% 3 Validation workshop with key actors and advocates to review preliminary findings and gather feedback Week 10 10% 4 Final comprehensive analysis report, incorporating validation feedback, with an executive summary and evidence brief Week 12 30% 5 Legal literacy dissemination package (plain-language summary/brief and presentation deck) for advocates and key actors Week 13 10% All deliverables must be submitted in English (and, where applicable, in the languages of the target countries) in an editable electronic format and are subject to HOPE’s review and approval before acceptance. 6. Institutional Arrangements and Reporting The firm/Individual consultant will report to and work under the overall guidance of the HOPE Management Unit. HOPE and SWC will facilitate access to relevant documentation,

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