CONSULTANT

Job Title: Consultant to develop Policy Brief on Domestication of SADC Model Law on GBV, focusing on Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV)

Location: Remote (+/- 4 hours Pretoria)

Reports to: End Sexual Exploitation Team 

Team: End Sexual Exploitation Thematic Team

Deadline for applications: 7 July 2025

1. Introduction

Equality Now, in partnership with the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum (SADC PF), is working to promote the domestication, implementation, and monitoring of the SADC Model Law on Gender-Based Violence. Gender-based violence remains an urgent human rights issue in the Southern African region. Member states have made notable progress, but women and girls remain highly vulnerable to emerging forms such as Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) and trafficking for sexual exploitation, both offline and online. TFGBV is a growing global concern leveraging various forms of technology, such as the internet, social media, messaging apps, email, and even smart devices, to perpetrate acts of violence and abuse against individuals based on their gender. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by TFGBV, although there is a digital divide in Southern Africa whereby more men have access to technology than women. Addressing TFGBV requires a multi-faceted approach involving legal reforms, technological solutions, awareness campaigns, and support services for victims.

The SADC Model Law on GBV plays a crucial role in guiding member states towards developing comprehensive legal frameworks to combat this pervasive form of violence in the digital age. The SADC region has also established a legal framework to combat sex trafficking, primarily through the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development, the SADC Model Law on GBV, and the SADC Strategic Plan of Action on Combating Trafficking in Persons. National anti-trafficking legislation enacted by most member states aligns with the Palermo Protocol. While significant progress has been made in creating these legal frameworks, challenges persist in effective implementation, victim protection, and enforcement across the region, necessitating continued efforts in cross-border cooperation, capacity building, and addressing the underlying vulnerabilities that contribute to sex trafficking.

The SADC Model Law on GBV serves as a framework and guidance for member states to develop, reform, update, or harmonize their GBV laws in line with international and regional human rights standards to protect victims of GBV, punish offenders, and ensure that human rights are upheld. The Model Law defines GBV broadly, encompassing among others forms such as human trafficking, sexual slavery, child sexual exploitation, online gender-based cyber-crimes, and bullying. The framers of the SADC Model Law on GBV have envisioned that in the future, online platforms will become a catalyst for human trafficking and other forms of physical violence, which often starts with online interactions between individuals.

The SADC PF was established in 1997 under Article 9(2) of the SADC Treaty as an autonomous institution of the SADC. It is a regional inter-parliamentary body composed of fifteen parliaments representing over 3,500 parliamentarians in the SADC region. Equality Now is an international human rights organization working to protect and promote the rights of all women and girls worldwide. Equality Now has been working on addressing sexual exploitation and abuse against all women and girls since 1992, and in recent years, is also implementing campaigns on addressing TFGBV.

To strengthen member states' domestication and implementation of the SADC Model Law on GBV, SADC PF and Equality Now seek a consultant to develop a policy brief that provides an overview of TFGBV and trafficking for sexual exploitation, analyses relevant provisions in the SADC Model Law on GBV, identifies policy gaps in Southern Africa, and offers legal and policy recommendations to strengthen domestication and implementation of the SADC Model Law at both national and regional levels. The policy brief will be used as the basis for advocacy work at the SADC regional and national levels.

2. The policy brief will address the following issues:

2.1) An overview of TFGBV and trafficking for sexual exploitation in the SADC region. As much as possible, the overview should highlight the links between the digital technology and trafficking for sexual exploitation, i.e., the phenomenon of tech-enabled trafficking for sexual exploitation and use of the “darknet” to favour trafficking and make illegal payments in relation thereto.

2.2. An analysis of the legal approaches to preventing and addressing TFGBV and trafficking for sexual exploitation. This will include a summary of the regional laws and policies, key trends within member states, and some examples of good practice at the national level, e.g., the scope of laws, alignment with international and regional laws and policies, and impact on survivors' protection and access to justice.

2.3. An analysis of the relevant provisions in the SADC Model law focusing on the scope of the provisions and their effectiveness in addressing TFGBV and trafficking for sexual exploitation, including provisions on access to justice and legal remedies.

2.4. Based on the information gathered under points 2.1. to 2.3., identify legal and policy gaps and opportunities, and how they can be addressed and leveraged respectively through the SADC Model Law and its domestication and implementation.

2.5. Provide recommendations regarding the strengthening, domestication, and implementation of the SADC Model Law at the regional and national levels.

3. Scope of Assignment

Under the supervision and overall guidance of the Secretariat of the SADC PF and the End Sexual Exploitation team at Equality Now, the Consultant will undertake the following activities:

3.1. Develop and submit a concise inception report and plan to Equality Now and SADC PF that includes proposed methodology, layout, and division of topics for the policy brief.

3.2. Research on regional and national issues relating to TFGBV and trafficking for sexual exploitation, as highlighted above, as well as analysis of the legislative approaches in the SADC region.

3.3. Develop a draft policy brief.

3.4. Finalize the policy brief based on Equality Now and SADC PF feedback.

4. Deliverables and Timeline

The key deliverables of the consultancy are:

i) Inception Report.

ii) Draft policy brief.

iii) Final policy brief, with feedback integrated from Equality Now and SADC PF.

We expect the policy brief to be fully completed within two months from the date of signing the contract with the selected Consultant.

5. Qualifications and Experience

The consultant who will be recruited for this task must have the following qualifications and experience:

●  Advanced university degree in law, human rights, and/or women’s rights;

●  A minimum of 5 years of experience working directly on women’s rights, preferably in the SADC region;

●  Demonstrable knowledge and experience on GBV, sexual exploitation, and/or trafficking for sexual exploitation issues in the SADC region and of the SADC Model Law on gender-based violence

●  Excellent writing and analytical skills;

●  Proficiency in English and knowledge of French and/or Portuguese is desirable.

6. Methodology, Reporting Line, and Deliverables

●  The consultancy is a home-based assignment with the potential for consultative meetings. The methodology will gather qualitative and quantitative data from primary and secondary sources.

●  The consultant will report to the SADC PF Secretary General and work closely with Equality Now staff to deliver the policy brief.

●  A total of 15 payable working days are allocated for completing the policy brief, with the schedule to be agreed upon by the Consultant, the SADC PF, and Equality Now. The budget available for this consultancy is USD 3,750 at a daily rate of USD 250.

7. Application Process

Interested applicants should submit a single PDF document containing:

• A CV (maximum 3 pages)
   
• A technical proposal outlining:
   
  • Understanding of the assignment
     
  • Proposed methodology and structure of the policy brief
     
  • Work plan and timeline
     
• A financial proposal (inclusive of taxes and all costs)
   
• A sample of a similar policy document previously developed
   
• Names and contact information for three professional references
   

Deadline for applications: 7 July 2025 

Please fill in all required fields in the application form. If your application requires a written statement, writing example, or presentation, please attach it to the same document with your CV/resume or paste it into the same place where you write your cover letter. There is no other functionality to attach additional documents.

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