Opportunity: Call for Consultant to Develop a Feminist Pocketbook

Civil Rights Defenders is looking for an expert in gender or feminist issues to develop a feminist pocketbook for existing and emerging human rights defenders working in the African context. The consultant will conduct extensive research and develop a comprehensive pocketbook aimed at guiding civil society organisations in how to adopt a feminist lens in their human rights work.

Application closes on the 15th of September 2020.

About Civil Rights Defenders

Civil Rights Defenders is a politically and religiously independent international human rights organisation based in Sweden. Our main mission is to defend people’s civil and political rights and support human rights defenders worldwide. We have extensive experience in supporting human rights defenders most at risk in several of the world’s most repressive countries and regions to create democratic societies in which human rights are protected.

Civil Rights Defenders works in the Africa region with the mission of partnering with local human rights defenders to contribute towards better respect and protection of human rights in the region. We collaborate closely with our partners to strengthen locally relevant skills, knowledge, and resource mobilisation that increase their continued presence and the impact of their work. The development of a feminist pocketbook is part of this effort to support local initiatives and human rights work.

About the feminist pocketbook

Adopting a feminist perspective is crucial to any human rights work as it provides a broader outlook for HRDs to understand gendered discrimination, that results in social, political, and economic injustices. It also illuminates the systematic and structural inequalities as well as power structures that create and reinforce injustice and violation of basic rights. The pocketbook will encourage the application of this understanding in designing programmes, activities, advocacy campaigns, staffing, leadership, and other organisational setups. It adds a lens through which all things can be filtered to opt for ways that secure equality and eliminates the misconception that removes women’s rights from human rights.

The feminist pocketbook, therefore, is expected to be a guide for human rights defenders. It is expected to provide human rights defenders with a lens that allows them to be proactive in taking actions to include women and women’s rights. It is expected to be a supporting document for more intersectionality in their work and organising by demonstrating the importance this will have on their overall mission.

Activities include

Conduct extensive research to find resources that enrich the pocketbook by especially focusing on existing resources that share a similar purpose and can be contextualised or adopted to meet the objectives of this project.
Develop a comprehensive feminist pocketbook, for the African context, that is simplified, easy to understand, and practically applicable for human rights defenders and civil society organisations. This pocketbook should incorporate two sections; i.e. the theoretical section serving as a narrative to support a detailed understanding of the feminist perspective and its value in human rights work, as well as the practical section that incorporates the tools that guide human rights defenders in adopting the feminist lens their work.
Develop a list of resources that can be used for further research to deepen the understanding of human rights defenders.
Incorporate comments from Civil Rights Defenders and its partners following the development of the draft to improve the pocketbook.
Support Civil Rights Defenders to develop guiding notes including tips for the visual design of the feminist pocketbook.

Interested in applicants with

At least a master’s degree in gender studies or feminist studies/theories. A master’s degree in other social science fields may be accepted if gender or feminist theories constituted a significant component of the study.
Extensive experience working with feminisms, feminist theories, feminist movements or organising.
Extensive experience in preparing manuals, handbooks, booklets, or any other material that serves similar purpose is required. Experience in communication or storytelling will be an added value.
Working experience in the African context, particularly in or with local human rights defenders such as civil society organisations, grassroots movements, or groups, is mandatory
An understanding and strict adherence to all human rights principles provided in international instruments and jurisprudence are mandatory.
An understanding and strict adherence to feminist values and principles are required.