1.About FEMNET.

The African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET) is a pan-African, feminist and membership-based network based in Nairobi, Kenya with over 800 individual and institutional members across 50 African countries and in the diaspora. FEMNET envisions a society where African women and girls thrive in dignity and well-being, free from patriarchal and neoliberal oppression and injustices. FEMNET recognizes that the commitment to alter relations of power, structural injustices, and systemic oppression lies at the heart of feminism. FEMNET is therefore committed to pushing towards altering power structures that perpetuate gender inequality by nurturing the African women’s movement to enable women and girls in their diversity to effectively claim, affirm, and use their collective power to end all forms of exclusion, oppression, exploitation, and injustices against them.

Founded in 1988, FEMNET exists to facilitate and coordinate the sharing of experiences, information, and strategies for human rights promotion among feminists, activists and women’s rights organizations as a strategy for collective organizing; policy influencing & advocacy; strategic communication; capacity strengthening as well as feminist solidarity and movement building. Over the years, FEMNET has strategically positioned herself as a convener, organizer and facilitator of critical dialogues around women’s economic justice and rights; transformative women’s leadership; sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR); climate justice and natural resource governance as well as, ending all forms of violence and harmful/ discriminatory practices against women and girls. FEMNET continues to be intentional in influencing decisions made at national, regional and global levels, constantly ensuring African women voices are amplified and their needs, priorities and aspirations are prioritized in key policy dialogues and outcomes that have direct and indirect impact on their lives. FEMNET mobilizes African women to hold their States accountable to women’s rights and gender equality commitments.

Vision: African women and girls thrive in dignity and well-being, free from patriarchal and neoliberal oppression and injustices.

Mission: To mobilize African women for the achievement of gender equality and the realization of women’s and girls’ rights at all levels.

FEMNET’s Core Values

• Feminist solidarity
• Respect for diversity
• Intersectionality
• Integrity
• Commitment to women’s rights
• Professionalism and learning

2.About the project

Over the last decade, in the face of multiple crises that have impacted economic and social order globally, many feminist movements and activists have been pointing to the pressing need for the radical redistribution of care work. Care is an integral part of the social fabric of African states. In the African context, care embodies the ethos of ‘Ubuntu’ which is a way of caring for each other. In this way, care encompasses more than just childcare, healthcare, and domestic work. It incorporates extended values of Ubuntu such as community care.

Africa, however, continues to have one of the most “unshared care systems,” with 70 percent of care provided by women within the family. Outside the family, volunteers, or underpaid workers, predominantly women, are employed by public, private and non-profit institutions to provide the remaining, 30 percent of care, with very limited resources. This has boiled down to a few key factors – Care, although critical to the socio-economic well-being of people and prosperous economies, has been largely ignored by economic and social public policy owing a longstanding neglect of the Care Economy1 by all states based on various social, cultural, and political influences. Care is thus undervalued of care work and relegated to an unpaid service, with rife occupational segregation in most countries. The unequal division of unpaid care work prevents women from investing time in themselves, constricts access to social protection, health care, education, and to decent, paid work, reduces the ability to take part in social or political life and increases their vulnerability to, and inability to leave situations of gender-based violence or abuse. Structural public under-investments constrict access to equitable, quality public health and care services and decent work for care workers.

The compounding impacts of multiple crises over the past decade have highlighted various gaps to policy, including on care, and necessitated a call for reform in our recovery as a continent, highlighting an inevitable link between the social organization of care and economic wellbeing of individuals and states. This entails a need for policies and investments that enable adequate provisioning of care, and fair distribution of care work, in a manner that affords all individuals a dignified life, especially women and girls.

Africa’s Debt Crisis and the Care Agenda

The African debt crisis, exacerbated by the onset of the Covid-19 global health pandemic, remains one of the biggest concerns and impediments to development on the continent. And while many developing countries were already facing fiscal crisis before the pandemic (37 African countries are in some form of debt distress ranging from moderate to being in distress as of June 2021), the nature of developing country debt is far more complex than in the past, with a new landscape that poses more risks, particularly because Africa has borne the real brunt of a growingly unsustainable debt burden.

According to the latest debt statistics, African countries that have or are on course to reach the ‘Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC)’ completion point for debt cancellation or relief are actually now categorised as ‘high risk of debt distress’. In response to the pandemic, the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) of 2020 provided some relief for heavily indebted countries; of the 48 participating countries, 35 were from the African continent, benefitting from a suspension of only over $2.5 Billion of the total $12.9 Billion debt suspension2. Many African countries are, however, stuck in a debt trap, and along with other forms of capital flight and IFFs, this has continued to severely undermine Africa’s efforts to consolidate domestic resources mobilization to ably finance development aspirations outlined in the Africa Agenda 2063 and the SDGs agenda 2030.

Africa’s care needs, and the need for establishment of economies that are resilient and centred on care, are glaringly apparent in the face of the debt crisis and amidst calls for reform to the global financial systems that have facilitated the indebtedness of most African countries. The debt campaign in Africa is very closely linked to fiscal and tax justice agendas challenging the role that International Financial Institutions (i.e., IMF, World Bank etc.,) and austerity measures have played in undermining states’ fiscal capacities to meet their local development ambitions, including care needs. It is increasingly evident that, without adequate financing, African governments will continue to fail to fulfil their pledges to gender equality and the advancement of women’s rights, exacerbated by the burden of repaying debts. A large percentage of the burden of debt and governments’ inability to provide universally accessible, affordable, and quality care is, therefore, borne by women.

3.Objective/ Purpose of Assignment .

FEMNET’s Economic Justice and Rights Program seeks to develop an in-depth situational analysis of an African Feminist Economic Justice and development agenda within the realms of Africa’s debt and advocacy to dismantle it. This research seeks to establish links between Africa’s indebtedness and national level economic and development policies which continue to perpetually disregard the role of care in ensuring the wellbeing of people and entire states. The development needs of the continent, and the need for establishment of economies that are resilient in the face of crises, have increasingly highlighted the necessity for an agenda that defines care as central to all round socio-economic wellbeing. This is particularly important for a feminist and women’s rights agenda, evidenced by the historical correlation between lack of adequate financing and infrastructure, and a failure by African governments to fulfil their pledges towards gender equality and the advancement of women’s rights.

The research will focus on two of Africa’s most indebted countries – Senegal and Zambia; and aims to develop guidelines for policy formulation centering Care despite Africa’s Debt crisis.

Senegal – While Senegal begun its economic recovery in 2021 due to the Adjusted and Accelerated Priority Action Plan shifting the growth trajectory from only 1.3% in 2020 to 6.1% in 2021 hinged on revived extractive activity, public debt increased from by 4.2% to 73% of GDP in the same year. This was facilitated by an accumulation of debt drawn down on project/program loans and government securities. As a recipient of a 2021 IMF Special Drawing Rights (SDR) allocation just north of $460 million, the country invested in strengthening health systems, supporting households, and stabilizing prices of basic commodities – all actions relevant to the care agenda. This was, however, not enough to bridge gender impacts as 17% more women were left unemployed than men amidst the 2020 economic downturn. Further, inflation is set to rise due to the Russo-Ukraine conflict, with significant risk to increasing public debt vulnerabilities, and drought risks rising about 20-40% due to climate change shocks.

Senegal also benefitted from the 2020 Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI).

Zambia – The Zambian economy was in recession at -4.2% growth due to the Covid-19 pandemic, citing economic downturn resultant of reduced copper commodity prices at the global level in the first quarter of 2020. The resource-rich country has, however, faced extended periods of deteriorated economic status attributed to various reasons including unsustainable debt – expansionary fiscal policy, mainly financed by external and local borrowing, caused Zambia’s public and publicly guaranteed debt to hit 91.6% of GDP in 2019 and 104% in 2020. This remained elevated at 123.17% as at December 2021 and 119% in 2022 (IMF 2022). Zambia was also the first African country to default on its Eurobond payments of US $42.5 million in October of 2020.

Zambia, under a new administration, has since sought financial relief with benefit from the 2020 Debt Service Suspension Initiative (US $170.6 Million) and IMF SDR allocation (US $1.3 Billion) as part of a 38-month Extended Credit Facility arrangement to establish sustainability through fiscal adjustment and debt restructuring. The Zambian government has also made pronouncements to rapidly expand mining outputs by over 200% (800,000mt to 3,000,000mt by 2030) in a bid to increase DRM for development. All economic pronouncements, however, remain void of any commitments towards care and care investments despite the country’s healthcare and socio-economic crisis during the pandemic. It is important to note that Zambia has in previous time recognized unpaid care work as a category of labor statistics. This recognition has, however, not translated into any meaningful policy reform towards better service provision for care in the country.

4.Scope of Work and Terms of Reference.

Develop a research paper on Inclusive Economic Recoveries for Africa from a women’s rights perspective. FEMNET and partners would use this report’s findings to inform a Feminist economic justice and inclusive recovery agenda for Africa. The research focusing on four African countries from 3 RECs will seek to answer the following questions:

The research paper should encompass an overview of the African Feminist Charter and FEMNET readings of Pan-African Feminism(s) throughout the analysis .

• The state of economy and development in the four countries of focus bordering on Debt, Domestic Resource Mobilization (DRM) i.e., tax and capital flight, SDRs use, and austerity.
• Negative implications for high risk of debt distress, capital flight and austerity on countries with poor infrastructure and rising populations, especially amid crisis? What is the potential impact of crisis on development and the attainment of women’s rights objectives?
• What has fuelled a return to high debt levels in selected African countries? What policies (and other factors) have enabled some countries to keep debt at reasonable levels?
• What policies and provisions at the global level have disadvantaged African governments’ capacities to foster economic policies for attainment of local development priorities and women’s rights?
• What have been the various responses to global demands on economic policy and practice that continue to disadvantage the continent’s development? By Governments? Civil Society? To what extent does fiscal transparency within states (on tax, debt contraction, SDRs use etc.,) influence their responses (if at all)? What proposals for economic reform at the national, and global levels, can be made to advance more inclusive and sustainable economic policy and practice
• Potential women’s rights organization and civil society interventions to global economic justice debates and African development narratives.
• Policy Recommendations from a feminist perspective, on how to demand transparency, corporate accountability and opportunities for engagement

The consultants will be required to include the following countries in the analysis: Senegal and Zambia.

5.Key Deliverables and Outputs.

• 1 research paper with detailed comparative analysis of care and debt (and its intersection) in Senegal and Zambia.
• 1 Policy brief outlining recommendations made in the longer length research paper.

6.Required Qualification, Skills and Competencies.

Academic Qualifications

• Advanced university degree in Economics, Public Policy, Development studies, Gender studies and social sciences studies is preferred, although relevant profiles may be considered.
• At least 5 years relevant experience supported by strong research skills.
• Evidence of completion of at least 3 assignments in carrying out Baseline / mapping studies and equivalent assignments.
• Strong writing, analytical and research skills, and ability to apply them in interdisciplinary contexts and innovative problem-solving ability.

Technical Expertise

• The consultant should demonstrate a formidable background in field background of Gender and Macroeconomics Women’s economic empowerment, economic justice and rights. economic justice and rights, global gender and economic justice architecture. Training in gender and feminist analysis plus additional training in the extractives sector will be an added advantage.
• Extensive knowledge and understanding of Africa’s Debt problem.
• Africa Regional experience, working similar issues.
• Experience with policy making process and basic principles of public policy research will be an advantage.
• Ability and availability to start work immediately.

Other attributes

• The assignment should employ triangulation methodology including doctrinal analysis of publications, case studies, in-depth desk reviews, expert interviews etc
• A track record of producing innovative, out–of–the-box thinking communications strategies and products
• Excellent communication skills and fluency in spoken and written English.
• Capability to deliver with quality and within tight deadlines
• Ability to break down complex information into user friendly knowledge products

7.Duration of Assignment.

FEMNET will contract the services for 30 working days commencing on May 2023

8.Liaison, Coordination and Reporting.

The consultant will report to Femnet’s Economic Justice and Rights Lead and work closely with the Economic Justice and Rights Program team to fulfil the tasks while observing the dates stipulated under the duration of assignments.

9.Selection of Consultant.

The consultant shall be contracted by FEMNET. The contract will include Withholding Tax (WHT) deduction in line with laws of contracting where FEMNET is headquartered. A WHT certificate will be issued to the consultant. Payment will be done through bank transfer to the consultant bank account. FEMNET will not meet the costs of bank charges. Payment schedule will be agreed upon with the consultant upon successful selection. In case of team/firm applicants, a designated assignment contract manager will be the contact between FEMNET and the team and responsible for all deliverables.

10.Intellectual Property Rights.

The consultant expressly assigns to FEMNET any copyright arising from the outputs produced while executing the service contract. The consultant may not use, reproduce, disseminate, or authorize others to use, reproduce or disseminate any output produced under the service contract without prior consent from FEMNET.

11.Terms of Service.

This is a non-staff contract and therefore the consultant is not entitled to insurance, medical cover or any other status or conditions as FEMNET staff.

How to apply

Application Process

Interested applicants should send the following:

• Technical proposal (not more than 3 pages responding to the scope of work outlined in 4 above). The technical proposal should include a work plan outlining how the consultancy days will be utilized.
• Not more than a 1-page financial proposal.
• CV/ CVs of not more than 3 pages for each consultant/team member which includes names and contacts of 3 professional referees
• Sample work from relevant assignments

Applications are by e-mails only, sent to: [email protected]. Please indicate the reference on the subject line as ‘**FNT/EOI/27/2023-Research Consultant for Pan-African Feminists for a Debt-Free and Just Economy.”**Deadline for submission of applications is: 28th April 2023.

Please note: Our recruitment and Selection procedures reflect our commitment to safety for all in all our activities. FEMNET is committed to welcoming people from the widest possible diversity of backgrounds, culture, and experience. We will make any practical adjustments to enable people with a disability to participate fully in an inclusive working environment. Please let us know in advance if you have a disability and require any special assistance in making your application. FEMNET upholds the highest ethical standards. We are committed to the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment as well as other ethical breaches.

Only complete applications will be reviewed and applicants who have been shortlisted for an interview will be contacted.

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