Gender Equality in Water Security and Climate Resilient Development in Africa

May 17, 2020 | Global Waters Partnership
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The Global Water Partnership (GWP) is a multi-stakeholder international action network created in 1996 to foster the implementation of integrated water resources management: the coordinated development and management of water, land, and related resources in order to maximise economic and social welfare without compromising the sustainability of ecosystems and the environment.

About the Project

In February 2019, the Governing Council of the Africa Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) adopted a Decision for transformation of Africa’s water investment outlook through increased partnerships and implementation of an Africa Water Investment Programme (AIP).

The Ministers commended efforts of the Global Water Partnership (GWP) and partners, “to establish, through the AIP, a partnership to release Africa’s Development Potential to achieve both the Africa Union Agenda 2063 in collaboration with AU, AMCOW, NEPAD Agency, Africa Development Bank (AfDB) and Africa Water Facility (AWF)”. The Ministers called for continued cooperation of GWP and partners to implement the AIP and AMCOW Strategy 2018 - 2030 in pursuit of the vision of a water secure Africa.

In response to the Ministers Decision, the Africa Water Investment Programme has been developed by GWP and partners to accelerate the preparation of climate resilience water investments in Africa and enhance job creation through scaled up gender sensitive investments in water security and Africa’s’ industrialization. AIP will also support Africa’s efforts on SDG 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement on climate change.

AIP will be implemented by GWP in collaboration with key partners such as AUDANEPAD, AMCOW, AfDB, AWF and others. AIP will strengthen the business case for investments in water security and support preparation of bankable projects as instruments to stimulate transformative economic growth, address the root causes of migration and youth unemployment. AIP will contribute to the goals of the AU Agenda 2063; the Africa We Want and the AfDB High Five Priorities and objectives of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) brokered by the Africa Union (AU) and signed by 44 of the 55 AU member states.

The goal of the Africa Water Investment Programme is to transform and improve the investment outlook for water security and sustainable sanitation for a prosperous, peaceful and equitable society. AIP aims to leverage $30 Billion in investments, by 2030, towards SDG 6 implementation. The overall objective is to enhance job creation through gender sensitive investments in water security, industrialization and climate resilient development.

AIP will promote job creation through gender sensitive investments in water security, industrialization and climate resilient development and support continental efforts towards universal access to safe water and safely managed sanitation.

AIP includes three interrelated strategic objectives aligned to the GWP 2020-2025 Strategy, “Mobilising for a water secure world: we Mobilise, Act and Learn” as follows:

1. Mobilise high level political commitment and finance for investments in water security to support regional and national development, industrialisation and job creation
2. Catalyse climate resilient Action and gender transformative investments in water security
3. Accelerate transaction management capacity, knowledge, Learning and project preparation

The programme will be implemented through three interrelated Sub-programs as follows:

1. AIP Water Climate Development and Gender Transformation (AIP WACDEP-G)
2. AIP investments in SDGs on water-energy-food security, regional value chains and industrialisation (AIP SDG WEF Investments)
3. AIP Transboundary Water Governance and Investments (AIP Transboundary Waters

Procurement Procedure

This is a selective competitive procurement procedure. Invited and interested bidders will submit a written tender offer and GWPO will subsequently enter detailed discussions with one or more of the bidders. One supplier only may be awarded the assignment. It is important that all terms and conditions contained in the tender invitation are fully followed.

Bidders should offer services for the complete assignment as defined in the Specification of Requirements. Please note that each requirement in the specification is to be addressed separately, with clear reference to the requirements. For evaluation purposes, the tender offer should follow the same disposition as the Specification of Requirements. The offer will include:

• Technical Proposal
• Financial (Commercial) Proposal

Project Objectives

Gender inequalities can constrain and undermine climate change adaptation. Those that are vulnerable and marginalized, with limited access to resources and assets, are already disadvantaged when it comesto preparing for and adapting to climate impacts. Addressing this challenge – and building sustainable climate resilience for all – requires transforming societies through policies and actions that promote a gender-transformative approach.

Gender-transformative climate change adaptation is a holistic approach that focuses on the economic, political, ecological and cultural causes of vulnerability of different groups, with a particular focus on gender. It aims to address the roots of vulnerability through actions that challenge the fundamental attributes of a system in response to climate and its effects. These actions aim to transform power relations shaped by unequal patriarchal norms and practices, and to empower women so that they have greater capacity to adapt.

The overall goal of the consultancy is to conduct a gender assessment that can inform a gender-transformative approach for strengthening water security and climate resilience in the 5 countries targeted by the program.

The main objectives of the consultancy are to:

• Review existing systems (policies, laws, institutions, norms, practices, beliefs, attitudes, values, etc) related to gender inequalities in the country to identify gender dimensions and determine equality or inequality situations and analyse the underlying root causes to gendered inequality within specific country contexts;
• Identify gaps and underlying drivers which are the core barriers to addressing identified inequalities by taking a gender-transformative approach for strengthening water security and climate resilience – clearly defining how inherent inequalities are driving gender unequal practices;
• Identify opportunities for addressing the gaps and root causes within each country context; and
• Define priority areas and methods of interventions that will contribute to gender transformative approach for strengthening water security and climate resilience within respective countries.

Geographical Scope

The following countries will receive direct support through AIP WACDEP-G; however, it should be noted that the programme will also work at the countries’ respective transboundary and regional levels.

Scope of the Consultancy 

The following presents potential conceptual ideas around the analysis:

1. Coordination, management and learning

• To provide oversight and management in the gender assessments
• To coordinate the gender assessments in each region and country, working closely with the Africa Coordination Unit
• To ensure implementation is conducted in a programmatic manner with cross linkages and learning drawn between each country and region as well as to ensure that key actors and stakeholders feel ownership of the process of implementation and are fully contributing to the process
• To gather, analyse and synthesize lessons in order to facilitate learnings among GWP teams
• To regularly report to the Africa Coordination Unit on progress and monitoring and evaluation requirements

2. Gender analysis design and delivery

The supplier should present their considered response to the most effective way of conducting gender analysis for the AIP-WACDEP-G programme. The supplier is encouraged to think creatively in developing a baseline that will form the basis of programme design in the 5 countries. The gender analysis should highlight possible entry points and establish where the country is with regards to implementing gender transformative approaches. The delivery of the gender analysis is expected to consist of the following indicative stages and activities:

• Process for consultation with GWP and key stakeholders on the concepts and plan for the gender analysis should be well-defined
• Rapid desk-based assessments to inform the focus of the gender analysis, including review of relevant research findings
• The supplier should outline the learning methods and principles that will be applied to ensure lessons are captured for GWP teams
• The supplier should in the Inception Report spell out what transformation looks like (specifically aligning with how this transformative approach will address root causes of gendered inequalities in country contexts) and how progress in promoting gender transformation will be measured
• The supplier should develop an inception report with clear work plan with timelines, activities, modalities of delivering the gender analysis, responsibilities, categorisation of countries with regards to gender transformation, consultation plan, rapid capacity needs assessment, M&E plan and risk assessment
• Provide a working outline for the gender analysis reports

• policies, laws, institutions, cultural norms/practices that shape or (re)enforce gender inequalities at the country level
• existing level of integration of gender in the policies
• role/mention of gender related policies and activities in water security and climate resilience building
• root causes related to gendered inequalities in water security and climate change adaptation
• past, on-going, new and planned programs and projects on water security and climate resilience at country and regional levels

• Assess the level of awareness and appreciation of gender inequalities in the country as a key aspect of sustainable development
• Identify the beliefs, attitudes and values of the society that shape gender relations
• Identify gender differences in access to and control over resources and assets.
• Identify gender differences in accessing social services, infrastructure and social protection
• Review the laws, policies and resource allocations that define/shape gender relations
• Review the institutional landscape that can be utilized and tapped to strengthen efforts at gender-transformative climate change adaptation.
• Identify and map the landscape of stakeholders that are connected, affected, and may be involved or included at a country-scale in the project.
• Review the social and cultural practices and norms that influence gender relations and differences and identify relevant actors/players that are involved in perpetuating norms, negatively affected by norms, and actors with key interest in “changing” the norms
• Evaluate the adequacy of exiting platforms for decision making, participation or engagement at different levels and for women and men

• Identify gender differences in relation to water insecurity and climate change vulnerability in the country.
• Analyse if and how climate change adaptation interventions will impact on gender relations including gendered responsibilities.
• Assess how gender inequality is considered in water security and climate change adaptation efforts and programs.
• Review gender-transformative and/or gender sensitive adaptation initiatives.
• Develop baseline for gender in/equality related to water security and climate resilience in the country.

• Identify gaps and opportunities to promote gender transformative approaches in national and sectoral (water-related) development programs.
• Identify gaps and opportunities to adopt gender transformative approach in water security and in building climate resilience in the country.
• Identify approach that will lay the framework and rationale for a set of robust interventions to be taken (by systems and institutions) by relevant actors that enable gender-transformative adaptation and water security in the country.
• Identify ways of positioning gender equality in climate change and water security programs.
• Explore ways of breaking barriers (formal/informal, national/local) with the objective of transforming the system to enable gender-equal water security and climate resilience building at different levels.
• Identify areas for critical dialogue with researchers, policymakers, planners, and stakeholders to identify strategies for change.
• Identify areas for strengthening the agency of women and other groups to enhance gender transformative approaches

• Identify clear entry points, key institutions, champions that the country needs to consider in promoting gender transformative approaches for strengthening water security and climate resilience.
• Identify priority interventions (in the framework of agency-relations-structure) that the country needs to take in support of adopting gender transformative approaches for strengthening water security and climate resilience – evaluate whether the priority actions are technically correct, politically supportable, and administratively feasible.
• Cognizant of COVID-19 context, present recommended approach on how to closely integrate and activate selected and relevant stakeholder groups in codesigning and co-implementing the gender analysis results within each country.
• Cognizant of COVID-19 context, present recommended sequencing of priority interventions, based on the developed baseline for gender in/equality related to water security and climate resilience in the country and identified entry points for gender transformative approaches

• Conduct a rapid capacity needs assessment in all the five-countries and identify the key gaps that need to be addressed in implementing gender transformative approaches

For full instructions for written tender offers and complete description of the project, please review the full Invitation here.