1. Background Information and Rational

 1.1 Introduction

EuroMed Feminist Initiative (EFI) is a policy platform that provides expertise in the field of gender equality as inseparable from democracy building and citizenship,and advocates for political solutions to all conflicts, and for the right of people to self-determination. EFI’s headquarter is in Paris and the regional MENA office is in Amman, Jordan with country offices in Amman and Beirut. 

On March 1st, 2023, EFI in partnership with four consortium members – Women Empowerment Organization (WEO), Association Najdeh, Arab Women Organization (AWO), and the Palestinian Working Women Society for Development (PWWSD) - started implementing a 36-month programme titled ‘’Strengthening Feminist CSOs working in the Implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda (WPSA)’’, funded by the Support Fund for Feminist Organizations of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. 

The programme is implemented in Iraq (targeting seven governorates including Erbil, Duhok, Baghdad, Anbar, Salahaddin, Neinawa, and Diyala), Jordan (targeting three governorates Mafraq, Irbid and Zarqa), Lebanon (targeting seven governorates including Akkar, Baalbek-Hermel, Beirut, Beqaa (Zahlé), Mount Lebanon, North and South)and Palestine (targeting West Bank and Gaza Strip). The overall objective is to contribute to the effective implementation of the WPSA in these four countries.

Through a rights-based approach, it seeks to address the needs of women and girls by empowering and strengthening the capacities of feminist Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and women-led Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) in leading initiatives that support the WPSA and add impact to the implementation of existing NAPs for UNSCR 1325. Such locally led initiatives will contribute to preventing Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) through protecting women and girls from violence on the one hand and advancing women’s participation in the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts from local to national and regional/international levels on the other.

1.2 Rationale of the Training

EFI seeks to hire a Trainer to provide training workshops on conflict sensitive and gender sensitive monitoring and evaluation (M&E) processes for the project partners as well as for at least eight feminist CSOs (two per country) and at least twelve women-led CBOs (three per country) who are beneficiaries of sub-grants in the four targeted countries. The training will cover topics such as conflict-sensitive project implementation, monitoring and evaluation with a gender lens, collectionand disaggregation of data, and reporting mechanisms and will allow sharing of lessons learned and best practices. 

The training workshops will aim at building the capacities of national and local CSOs and CBOs, contribute to improving the performance and effectiveness of the programme in conflict settings, and to ensure having an ongoing conflict and gender sensitive M&E process to inform programme design and implementation. The trainings will help EFI and the partners to identify ways to design and implement conflict-sensitive M&E plans and develop strategic partnerships through the use of monitoring and evaluation; and examine how M&E can contribute to organizational learning and capacity building through incorporating lessons and practices from experience. 

For this, the Trainer will work in coordination with the EFI’s Management Team and the MEAL Consultant in line with existing Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning related policies, guidance and tools used by EFI, and following the rules and regulations of the AFD.

1.3 Intervention Background and Context

Women and girls continue to be disproportionately affected by the conflict-related crises in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine. As gender inequalities (1) remain deeply rooted in discriminatory laws(2) and social practices (3) (RCSO, 2020), the post-conflict situation in Iraq, the ongoing occupation and conflict in Palestine and the refugee crisis in Jordan and Lebanon have added layers of vulnerability for women and girls. The disintegration of the economic and social fabric and the Covid-19 pandemic have further heightened VAWG while restricting effective access to services for women and girls’ victims or at risk. Worst forms of VAWG have been reported including conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) in Palestine, Syria and Iraq, forced marriage, child marriage, trafficking for sexual exploitation in all four countries, affecting particularly women refugees whose legal status and living conditions put them at higher risk. Today the lack of rehabilitation mechanisms, the guilt and shame associated with sexual violence hinder victims’ social reintegration. VAWG is also a major barrier for the participation of women in decision-making (4). Conflict-related factors contribute to further excluding women from political participation. In Iraq, women’s human rights defenders have been exposed to threats, physical attacks, torture, murder, and sexual violence and the Government has failed to act with due diligence to protect them, prevent or investigate these attacks (5).

In such a regional context, the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) is an essential tool for advancing women’s rights (WR).Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine have adopted National Action Plans (NAPs) for the implementation of UNSCR 1325, thus opening new opportunities for the promotion of WR in the region, but so far, their implementation has fallen short due to the challenges faced in addressing the root causes of gender inequality and VAWG. 

As highlighted in the report “Engendering the Syrian Crisis Response in Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq” (EFI, 2020) (6)which capitalizes on experiences and lessons learned from feminist and WR CSOs, gender strategies adopting both a needs-based and rights-based approach are yet to be achieved, and policies are still failing to adequately address the root causes of inequality between women and men. Women’s participation should be ensured in the design and implementation of humanitarian and crisis responses, in the development of national strategies and actions plans, as well as in the drafting of laws and policies (7).With innovative initiatives at local, national and regional levels, feminist CSOs have demonstrated they play a leading role in challenging gender power structures and taking forward the implementation of NAPs for the UNSCR 1325 and of other strategies and policies that form the WPSA (8). In all four countries, there is a need for “more organizations to be stronger and to have unified voices to put more pressure on the government (9). 

The programme seeks to support the work of relevant feminist CSOs in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine, and aims to provide a space for sharing of learning and exchange good practices with a view to contributing to building a peaceful and inclusive society by promoting women’s participation and combating VAWG in the region.

The programme started on 1st March 2023 and will run until 31st March 2026. It is structured around three components: provision of financial support to national and local CSOs and CBOs, capacity-building and 
learning, and regional networking and exchange of expertise and practices. With such programmes, having a conflict and gender sensitive approach to the implementation, monitoring and evaluation is crucial to ensure having a positive impact, enhance the performance and improve the effectiveness of the implementation. This programme is funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) which implements France’s policy on international development and solidarity. Through its financing of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the public sector, as well as its research and publications, AFD supports and accelerates transitions towards a fairer, more resilient world. It also provides training in sustainable development (at AFD Campus) and other awareness-raising activities in France.