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Gender Consultant for Women in Rural Economy Research in Latin America

RFQ Request: Gender Consultant for Women in Rural Economy Research in Latin America
Reference: JOB1025
Application deadline: 4 days 10 hours 34 minutes
Issue Date: January 20, 2012

Submission Deadline: February 3, 2012


Summary

Women’s World Banking (WWB) seeks an individual Spanish-speaking, consultant for research on women in rural Colombia and Peru for future project to develop and expand rural credit products with a gender-sensitive approach to low-income women in Colombia and Peru.


About Women’s World Banking

WWB is an international microfinance support organization and network of 39 microfinance institutions in 27 countries. The mission of WWB is to expand the economic assets, participation and power of low-income women and their households by helping them access financial services, knowledge and markets.


About the Project

Women’s World Banking (WWB) in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank is undertaking the project Development of Rural Credit Products with a Gender Sensitive Approach to expand services to rural areas while strengthening gender dimensions as an integral part of financial services provision. WWB is working with its affiliates and leading MFIs in Paraguay, Colombia and Peru to expand and diversify the supply of sound microfinance services in rural and marginal urban areas by improving the capacity of the MFIs to reach underserved clients.


Objectives & Responsibilities

The consultant will be responsible for preparing, executing and analyzing research on gender and rural microfinance in Colombia and/or Peru. Specific objectives include:

· Conduct secondary research into the position of women in the rural economy in Colombia and/or Peru. This is to include but not be limited to:

o Gender roles and responsibilities and consequent savings, expenditure and investment patterns; type of farm and non-farm income generating activities engaged in by gender; barriers and opportunities to women increasing their capacity to generate cash from activities

o Identification of sub-sectors with greater concentration and/or opportunity for women

o Family structures; patterns, laws and customs regarding property ownership, inheritance, divorce, migration to urban areas

o Risk and vulnerability of women—lifecycle events that exert financial pressure; access to financial services; gender based violence

o Government and non-government initiatives to empower women in rural areas

o General statistics: population and population growth rates, percent living below poverty, literacy rates, women’s contribution to GDP

· Prepare an annotated bibliography.


Project Team

The consultant will work with a small team from WWB: the work will be executed and managed by Celina Kawas and the consultant will report to her and the Project Manager.


Duration of Consultancy

The consultant will be procured for an initial period of ten to fifteen days and will occur during quarter 1 2012. The contract may be extended during the first three month period.


Location of Work

The consultant may be based remotely and will conduct the work remotely while applying previous knowledge and/or current experience in Latin America.


Preferred Qualifications

· Fluency in Spanish and proficiency in verbal and written English.

· 2-5 years secondary research experience in the area of economic development and gender in Latin America.

· Bachelor’s Degree

· Strong research, writing, analytical and interpersonal skills required.


Available Additional Information

This position will have an open questions and answers period from 12/20/2011-1/27/2012 during which any respondent can submit a question via e-mail to questions@swwb.org and WWB’s response with the question will be shared with the pool of applicants.

Upon request the following information can also be provided to assist in a response:

· The full timing of the project plan

· A brief background of objectives already achieved by WWB with the MFI

· A summary of all objectives to be achieved under the project with the MFI

· An example contract & Terms of Reference

· An example billing template

· Clarifications on selection criteria


Public Questions and WWB’s Responses

• Are the areas to be covered with the secondary research fixed? Or can they be modified depending on availability of information? The final areas covered through the secondary research are dependent on availability of data.

• Are the consultancy days posted for both countries or for the first country? The 15 consultant days are for the first country.


Project Funding Detail

WWB has received a grant (herin after called “Funds”) from the Inter-American Development Bank (herin after called “Bank”) toward the cost of the project. WWB intends to apply a portion of the funds to eligible payments under the contract for which this Request is issued. Payments by the Bank will be made only at the request of WWB and upon approval by the Bank in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Grant agreement between WWB and the Bank and will be subject in all respects to the terms and conditions of the Grant Contract. No party other than WWB shall derive any rights from the Grant Contract or have any claim to the funds.

WWB takes on full responsibility for compliance with grant requirements for the bank and other funders of the project.


Eligibility

· The Inter American Development Bank (IDB), which is a project funder, requires an eligible respondent to meet a residency requirement from the following country list, posted on the IDB website: http://www.iadb.org/en/about-us/member-countries,6291.html


To Apply

Please submit a cover letter, resume and rate history to Celina Kawas, ckawas@swwb.org, by February 3, 2012.

Women’s World Banking is an equal employment opportunity for all regardless of race, color, citizenship, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran or reservist status or any other category protected by federal, state or local law.