Intent to Bid - WS747986181 - Gender and social inclusion assessment consultant

Mercy Corps is looking for a consultant to conduct a Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Assessment to inform the implementation of the Basatine program, and its Gender Action Plan (GAP) in particular.

Institutionalized and systemic gendered inequalities in Lebanon significantly affect women’s lives, restrict their access and control over resources and limit their freedoms and decision-making power. Women from marginalized groups, including refugees and migrants, and women with disabilities, are disproportionately affected by this reality. These inequalities are further exacerbated in light of the current crises in the country. Even prior to the crises, women’s labor force participation was already alarmingly low. In agriculture, a recent FAO briefing note indicates that only 9% of farms were headed and operated by women in 2021, and women working in agriculture often earn two-thirds to half of wages earned by their male counterparts. In light of this reality, conducting a Gender, Equity, and Social Inclusion (GESI) assessment is essential to provide a deeper understanding of power relations and gender roles within households and the communities targeted through BASATINE, and specifically within farming units targeted by the programme. The GESI assessment is geographically specific and will take place across the program’s targeted areas (Akkar and Bekaa). It will adopt an intersectional approach to ensure the needs, priorities and lived experiences of women in targeted communities are captured and addressed.

The purpose of the GESI assessment is to provide insights into the ways in which gender, age, ability, citizenship, marital/social status, and other identity and vulnerability factors impact power dynamics, social relationships and access and control over resources, particularly with relation to agriculture, and within the targeted value chains.

The assessment will inform activity design and implementation, to ensure that women, and particularly vulnerable and marginalized women, including those with disabilities, are able to equitably access project benefits and meaningfully participate in the intervention. It will also inform any changes to the BASATINE Gender Action Plan (GAP) activities, indicators, and targets.

The GESI assessment will specifically provide an understanding, analysis and action-oriented recommendations on the following: 

1. An analysis of gender, equity and inclusion trends, patterns and dynamics in the targeted communities and areas, with a specific focus on agriculture and targeted value chains;
2. Understand the social norms that shape target groups, specifically women’s, PWDs and youth lives, in addition to the restrictions and barriers to participation in the programme and the value chains it is targeting;
3. Identify agricultural-related opportunities in the value chain and entry points to influence norms and facilitate access and control over resources and paid work, specifically for women, youth and PWDs; 
4. Gauge women’s, youth and PWDs contribution to the agricultural sector and involvement in paid and unpaid work, specifically on the farm;
5. Provide a deeper understanding of the gendered division of labor, specifically with regards to unpaid/underpaid care and agriculture work/farm activities as well as paid work;
6. Understand the power and decision-making dynamics on the farm and at HH, farm, and community levels;
7. Gain a better understanding of social inclusion considerations within the programme and with regards to agriculture in addition to the different barriers, distinct protection risks (including sexual and gender-based violence) and vulnerabilities that relate to ability, but also gender, age, nationality, and legal and social status, within the agriculture sector;
8. Provide clear and tangible recommendations to the project team and the wider sector on gender mainstreaming and social inclusion in agriculture and the targeted value chains, and inform any changes to the Gender Action Plan (GAP) and activity design and implementation in BASATINE to address the identified gender and social inclusion issues and concerns, revise targets and design features to ensure tangible benefits to the target groups, especially women, youth and PWDs and others from vulnerable groups. Where possible, recommendations will be provided for gender transformative interventions or activities in relation to agriculture and the targeted value chains.
9. Provide a clear idea about existing formal and informal financial services to better understand the relation between these services and gender equity and social inclusion in the agriculture sector.

Specific GAP activities, outcomes  and targets that would be informed by the GESI assessment are as follows: