Type: Individual Consultancy Contract
Duty Station: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Closing Date: 29 October 2023, midnight Sri Lanka time (GMT + 5:30)
Job Description: Link / Attached File
Click to View Job Posting and Apply
Purpose of consultancy:
UNFPA as the lead UN agency working on gender-based violence in collaboration with policymakers, police, social and health systems and humanitarian partners work towards prevention and response to gender-based violence through its work. At the national level and globally UNFPA works towards achieving the triple zeros, to end unmet need for family planning, end maternal mortality and end gender-based violence.
To this end in addressing primary prevention is critical to change perception and norms that maintain women and girls in subordinate roles to those of men within the household, wider communities and socio, political and economic structures. National level data on GBV indicates one in five (20.4%) ever-partnered women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Two in every five women (39.8%) have experienced physical, sexual, emotional, and/or economic violence and/or controlling behaviours by a partner in their lifetime.
Whilst the constitution guarantees equal protection to all Sri Lankans and the country is also signatory to key UN Conventions pertaining to Gender Equality. Further key legislator such as the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act No. 34 of 2005 provides for protection orders for survivors, further the Penal Code also provides for certain legal measures for convicting perpetrators. However, help seeking behavior is weak and the number of cases reported is low. Evidence indicate most women do not seek help for fear of not being believed, shamed and embarrassed.
Sri Lanka in 2016 passed the first Policy Framework and National Plan of Action to Address Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Sri Lanka which has a three-pronged approach that addresses prevention, response and the policy and legal framework for GBV. Though many interventions were outlined within the different sectors the issue is yet to be addressed in a more holistic and cohesive manner.
Within this context UNFPA Sri Lanka intends to strengthen the capacity of the CO to develop strategies that will be evidence based and gender transformative for primary prevention for GBV. The interventions will be placed within the socio – ecological model by targeting interventions at the individual, relationship, community and societal level.
As such UNFPA seeks a consultant to conduct a comprehensive mapping of prevention activities conducted by organizations.
