Trainer/Consultant

About the job

Application Deadline: Thursday, 3rd of July 2025

Terms of Reference (ToR)

Activity: Training for Political Party Leaders on Developing Inclusive Policies and Programs

1. Background

Background

1.1. Organizational Background

The Network of Ethiopian Women Associations (NEWA) has been at the forefront of promoting gender equality and women's empowerment in Ethiopia since its establishment in 2003. As a coalition comprising 49 member associations, NEWA plays a pivotal role in advocating for women's rights across various sectors, including economic, political, and legal domains.

This commitment to gender equality is further strengthened through its latest initiative, "Empowerment and Representation: Advancing Political Inclusion for Women and Persons with Disabilities in Ethiopia," financed by UN Women. The project seeks to address the systemic barriers preventing women's full political participation, including women with disabilities. Despite notable progress in gender equality, persistent challenges such as discriminatory social norms, low participation in leadership positions, inadequate legal frameworks, limitation in having inclusive policies and programs of political parties and poor

implementation of existing policies continue to limit women's engagement in democratic processes. Additionally, violence against women in politics remains a significant obstacle, further discouraging their involvement.

NEWA’s extensive experience in policy influence, advocacy, and capacity building makes it uniquely positioned to lead this initiative effectively. By leveraging its broad network, the organization will spearhead targeted interventions aimed at fostering an inclusive political environment in the Afar and Gambella regions, as well as within national-level political parties.

1.2. Project Background

Despite progress in gender equality, women—including those with disabilities face systemic barriers to political participation in Ethiopia. Discriminatory social norms, inadequate legal frameworks, and violence against women in politics continue to hinder their engagement. This project, focused on the Afar and Gambella regions and national-level political parties, seeks to foster a more inclusive and equitable political environment.

Guided by international frameworks such as CEDAW and the Beijing Declaration, and regional policies like the African Union’s Maputo Protocol, the project addresses the gaps in Ethiopia’s gender equality efforts. Violence against women in politics (VAWP) remains a major obstacle, requiring legislative reforms, capacity-building, and monitoring mechanisms to ensure a safer

political space.

Advocating for the adoption and strengthening of quota systems within political parties, the project aims to increase women’s representation and leadership. Through targeted advocacy, training programs, and accessibility improvements, it works to dismantle social norms that perpetuate exclusion.

The meaningful inclusion of women and persons with disabilities in political processes begins with the establishment of intentionally inclusive policies and practices within political parties.

Recognizing this, NEWA is taking a proactive step by offering specialized training to political parties on the development and implementation of inclusive frameworks. This strategic intervention is designed to cultivate a political arena where women including those with disabilities can participate fully, equally, and without barriers. Ultimately, this effort aligns with broader goals of equitable governance and sustainable democratic development.

2. Objectives

The main objectives of this training are:

• To enhance the understanding of political party leaders on the principles of inclusivity and diversity.
• To equip participants with tools and methods for designing inclusive policies and programs.
• To foster dialogue and collaboration among political parties on inclusivity and representation.
• To support party leaders in integrating inclusive strategies into their platforms and structures.

3. Scope of Work

The training will cover the following areas:

• Fundamentals of inclusive governance and policy-making
• Strategies for increasing representation of marginalized groups in political processes
• Policy frameworks for promoting inclusivity at the party level
• Best practices from global and local contexts
• Practical exercises on policy design and implementation

4. Expected Outcomes

By the end of the training, participants should be able to:

• Develop concrete action plans for implementing inclusive policies within their parties.
• Identify challenges and opportunities in policy development.
• Strengthen their leadership capacity in advocating for inclusivity.
• Build networks and partnerships to support inclusive policy implementation.

5. Target Participants

The total participants of this training are 42 (21 each for Afar and Gambella). This training is intended for:

• Political party leaders
• Policy advisors and strategists within political parties

6. Methodology

The training will include:

• Interactive presentations and discussions
• Case studies and best practice sharing
• Group exercises and policy development workshops
• Expert panel discussions and guest speakers

7. Duration and Location

The training will take place for three consecutive days at Afar and Gambella. The training will be:

• Afar on July 8 – 10, 2025
• Gambella on July 22-24, 2025

1. Expected Deliverables

The consultant/trainer must provide:

• Inception Report: detailing training methodology, contents of the training and schedule.
• Training Materials: PowerPoint presentations, handouts/ manual, and exercises.
• Pre-and post-assessment
• Successful delivery of two rounds of training.
• Post-training report: summarizing outcomes and evaluation results.

2. Trainer/Consultant Requirements & Qualifications

The trainer/consultant must be:

• A Senior Expert in providing capacity building and women’s political participation.
• A Certified Trainer (TOT) in policy is mandatory.
• Hold a Master’s degree in public policy, Political Science, Gender Studies, development study, or other related fields.
• Have 5+ years of experience on providing training on policy.
• Demonstrate expertise in capacitating women’s rights, CSOs, and participatory training tools.
• Have strong English writing skills for material and report development.
• The training material (power point) should be in Amharic.

Skills Required:

• Political / Science / Ir
• Social / Science / Project / Management / Development