CONSULTANCY ADVERTISEMENT

Job Title

Gender conflict sensitive analysis

Location

Budi, Kapoeta East and Kapoeta South.

Reporting to

Peacebuilding Manager

Contract

Consultant – Short term

Introduction.

Saferworld is an independent international organisation working to prevent violent conflict and build safer lives. We have programmes in around 20 countries and territories across Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe. We work with local people affected by conflict to improve their safety and sense of security and conduct wider research and analysis. We use this evidence and learning to improve local, national and international policies and practices that can help build lasting peace.

Saferworld intends to undertake gender conflict sensitive analysis with cross-border business representatives/forums/traders in the borderline areas of Budi, Kapoeta South, Kapoeta East counties of Eastern Equatoria State in South Sudan to identify how cross-border and localised conflicts interact with trade and business interests, how gender norms and inequalities influence these dynamics, and how informal or illegal practices reinforce or challenge gendered power relations and conflict drivers and legal value chain development. This analysis looks at women’s roles/participation in trade.

Context.

The borders between South Sudan, Kenya, and Ethiopia are marked by long-standing cross-border interactions that, while historically rooted in seasonal migration and shared resource use, have at times escalated into conflict involving pastoralist communities such as the Toposa and Didinga in South Sudan, the Turkana in Kenya, and the Nyangatom and Dassenech in Ethiopia. These episodes of violence continue to challenge peace, security, and socio-economic development in the eastern border regions of South Sudan, particularly in Eastern Equatoria State.

Cross-border tensions, often driven by competition over scarce resources such as grazing land and water, tend to intensify during dry seasons. The mobility of pastoralist groups like the Toposa and Didinga—whose livelihoods depend on access to natural resources—can lead to friction, especially where traditional migratory routes intersect with those of neighboring communities.

Managing these complex dynamics remains a significant challenge for the Government of South Sudan and its regional partners. Contributing factors include limited infrastructure, insufficient cross-border coordination, and under-resourced law enforcement. Despite these challenges, there are community-led peacebuilding efforts underway, including customary mechanisms and peace committees, which require strengthened communication systems and greater linkage to formal governance structures.

Historically, livestock raids and conflict were managed through local norms and traditional conflict resolution practices. However, the increased availability of modern firearms has escalated the scale and impact of violence, resulting in displacement, trauma, and disruption to cross-border trade and development. A nuanced understanding of these shifts is vital for conflict-sensitive programming.

Addressing these challenges holistically requires inclusive strategies that involve all stakeholders. Youth unemployment, for example, increases the vulnerability of young people to manipulation and recruitment into violence, while the exclusion of women from decision-making processes continues to hinder inclusive peacebuilding. Empowering women and youth, and supporting intersectional approaches to peace and development, is key to sustaining positive change.

Achieving long-term peace in South Sudan’s borderlands will depend on addressing the structural drivers of conflict, strengthening local resilience mechanisms, and promoting inclusive governance. A comprehensive, gender-aware, and conflict-sensitive approach—grounded in dialogue, community engagement, and regional cooperation—is essential for advancing peace and sustainable development in this shared and fragile region.

OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE OF THE WORK

Overall Objective

undertake Gender and Conflict sensitive analysis with cross-border business representatives/forums/traders to identify how cross-border and localised conflicts interact with trade and business interests, how gender norms and inequalities influence these dynamics, and how informal or illegal practices reinforce or challenge gendered power relations and conflict drivers and legal value chain development.

Specific Objectives

The research will look at the following:

• How do different identity markers (gender, age, ethnicity, livelihood status, etc.) affect experiences of conflict and access to trade opportunities?
• How do power dynamics within households, communities, and markets influence participation in cross-border trade?
• What roles do women, men, and youth play in peacebuilding or in exacerbating conflict through trade dynamics?
• How does gender-based violence (GBV), including economic violence, affect access to markets and mobility across borders?
• Are women seen as peacebuilders or economic actors or both and how do those perceptions vary?
• How do gendered informal institutions (e.g., clan systems, elders’ councils) influence trade conflict resolution or justice access?

Methodological Approach of the Research:

The consultant is expected to adopt a mixed-methods approach that includes both secondary and primary data collection methods. The approach should be inclusive, gender-sensitive, and grounded in intersectional analysis.

1. Desk/Literature Review

• Conduct a comprehensive desk review of existing literature and data to assess current evidence. This will include resources already compiled by Saferworld as well as relevant additional materials identified by the consultant.
• The desk review, alongside consultations with Saferworld, will inform the development of the final field research plan and help identify key themes and areas requiring deeper exploration through primary research.
• The consultant must triangulate data from multiple sources to produce a robust and contextually grounded preliminary/inception report.

2. Participant Diversity and Sampling

• The consultant must adopt an intentional and inclusive sampling strategy that captures diverse perspectives across the following categories:
  • Female and male traders of different age groups
  • Traders with disabilities
  • Youth groups, including NEET (not in education, employment, or training)
  • Marginalised ethnic groups
  • Non-traders affected by cross-border trade dynamics (e.g., informal porters, pastoralists)

3. Data Disaggregation

• All data collected must be disaggregated by sex and age. Where relevant, additional social markers such as ethnicity, marital status, and disability should also be captured to enable intersectional analysis.

4. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs)

• The methodology must include gender-segregated FGDs as well as intersectional FGDs to understand differentiated conflict experiences and market access challenges.
  • These should include groups such as youth women, female heads of households, widows, minority ethnic traders, and women-only FGDs.

Primary data collection

The consultant can propose a suitable methodology. Methods may include key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and case studies from different locations (the research methodology to be agreed on discussion with Saferworld). Research participants should include Saferworld partners, representatives of civil society organisations, women and youth groups and activists, relevant government officials, security apparatus and justice providers, representatives from relevant INGOs and possibly UN agencies, regional bodies, and any other relevant persons/institutions at national, sub-national or international level.

Analysis and synthesis

The output should convey findings specific to each location as well as findings about cross-border and overall dynamics across the project area.

Reporting and Deliverables

During the term of the assignment, the consultant will:

1. Produce a preliminary desk review report to inform the primary field research methodology and aims.
2. Develop a work plan detailing expected timeframes, budget, methodological approaches, security and ethical considerations, and data collection tools that will be used in each planned activity.
3. Conduct coordination and consultation meetings with Saferworld staff, partners, and other recommended interlocutors including a feedback and review meeting to review drafts and develop relevant recommendations.
4. Produce the Final Conflict and Gender Analysis Report: Deliver a comprehensive analysis report (maximum 40 pages, excluding annexes, references, and recommendations) that highlights how trade and business interests intersect with cross-border and localised conflicts, examines the role and participation of women in cross-border trade, analyses the impact of informal and illegal economic activities on conflict, and explores opportunities for legal value chain development and the promotion of peaceful market systems. The report will include visual aids such as matrices and maps to illustrate trade routes, conflict hotspots, and stakeholder roles.
5. Submit a 4-page Executive Summary / Policy Brief that provides main findings/key points and actionable recommendations, tailored for decision-makers, donors, and implementing partners to inform strategic programming and policy.

Quality delivery

Saferworld expects the consultant to produce reports that meet the highest level of standard to inform project implementation and dissemination. The consultant is also expected to produce a practical report that is devoid of plagiarism and false data/information.

Ethics and security

The lead researcher or research team is expected to work in close consultation with Saferworld to ensure the research process adheres to ethical standards and prioritizes the safety and well-being of both researchers and participants. This includes formally notifying relevant local authorities in the research areas and establishing clear safety and risk mitigation protocols.

The research must explicitly consider and integrate gender dimensions throughout the process. This includes:

• Protocols for GBV or Economic Violence Disclosures:
  The research team must establish and adhere to clear protocols for managing disclosures of gender-based violence (GBV) or economic violence during interviews or discussions. This includes providing referral information for support services, maintaining participant confidentiality, and ensuring a trauma-informed and survivor-centred approach during data collection.
• Gender-Sensitive Power Analysis:
  A power-mapping session must be included during the data analysis phase to explore how gendered power hierarchies shape market access, decision-making, and roles within family, community, and clan systems. This analysis should help reveal systemic inequalities and inform more inclusive and equitable recommendations.

Practical measures should include the following:

• Ensuring all research team members are properly trained and are aware of ethical considerations and their importance, including gender-specific considerations.
• Ensuring the physical and mental health and safety of all staff and external people involved in the research process to ensure staff well-being.
• Research teams should include men and women in equal numbers, where possible. When research questions include sensitive issues, such as gender-based violence, teams should take additional steps to ensure that women interviewers and interpreters are available and are the default option for interviewing women and men also have the option to be interviewed by women in places where high levels of sexual violence are suspected.
• Ensuring all phases of the project have the approval and backing of relevant authorities and the backing of key local-level leaders, both formal and informal (unless in exceptional circumstances).
• Ensuring respondents are aware of the research aims, the potential risks, and of the need to consent to participating in writing or orally (written consent may be viewed as a risk by respondents), and informing respondents that they are free to withdraw consent at any point (see Saferworld’s guidance on informed consent).
• Seek additional permission before photos or recordings are taken.
• Agree how data will be managed and stored with the research team beforehand. Clearly state to participants how long the data will be retained, who will have access to it, and how or if it will be destroyed after the research is complete. Consider the safety of participants when deciding how data will be shared or disseminated. What are the implications of sharing data with communities and/or what are the risks associated with sharing data publicly more widely?
• Ensuring that resources and protocols are in place for referring beneficiaries/respondents who require such services – including gender-based violence survivors -to relevant legal, medical or psycho-social services in case such a need arises over the course of the research.
• Ensuring the anonymity of research subjects where necessary, including when researching people’s experiences of violence. This includes providing confidentiality to respondents by systematically anonymising and encrypting interview data.
• Any discussions on sensitive issues will be carried out in safe spaces, in a manner that will not draw attention to the respondent.
• Ensuring that respondents with disabilities are able to participate in the research in a manner that takes their particular needs into account.
• Discuss in advance the implications of providing material or monetary compensation to participants. Consider whether provisions of incentives might lead to tensions in the community or put the integrity of both the research and/or the broader programme into question in the eyes of community members.
• To ensure that our research and analysis processes are inclusive the lead researcher should:
• Aim for gender equality in the research team including research design, management, data collection and workshop facilitation, and analysis (this means having an equal number of and equivalent roles for women and men)
• Interview women and hold women-only focus group discussions, in which no men are present, using women only facilitators for these groups. This principle should also apply to groups of different ages and to the inclusion of other groups that might be marginalised (such as people with disabilities or minority ethnic groups).
• Plan the timing and location of activities in a way that will not inconvenience participants and will not expose them to danger, and be aware of different participant’s needs; for example, for those with child-care roles, consult intended research participants about how best to accommodate them in advance of the interview, discussion or workshop.
• Provide the financial or logistical means necessary for participants to attend so that they do not incur expenses or lose income.
• Share initial findings with research participants to validate and ensure the analysis accurately reflects their lived experiences.
• Ensure final recommendations go beyond gender sensitivity, proposing actionable gender-transformative programming ideas.
• Include concrete policy suggestions to improve equitable access to markets, justice systems, and peace processes for women and youth

Timeframe of the consultancy

Final research outputs must be completed not later than 16th June, 2025. The consultant/ is/are expected to submit a proposal including a timeframe and work plan indicating the number of working days needed to conduct the research, in addition to drafting and reviewing the outputs (including the number of days needed for Saferworld’s feedback):

• The final report must be submitted to Saferworld by 1st July 2025 including a Gender-Conflict Analysis Matrix (2-pager) visualising how trade dynamics affect gendered conflict risks and opportunities.
• Deadlines for interim submissions (e.g. draft report) will be agreed in consultation with the selected applicant and included in the consultancy contract.

Compensation & Expenses

Saferworld will compensate the consultant in instalments upon completion of the following milestones: Milestone Percentage

Submission of research plan and methodology and submission of first draft 60%

Submission of second and final report 40%

NB: Payment will be made based on a satisfactory output delivered rather than the number of days worked. The consultant will be compensated for costs associated with conducting the research task, including per diem, transport and accommodation, as outlined in the agreed budget. Each cost will be agreed in advance with Saferworld and form part of the instalment payments.

Confidentiality and publication of materials

Saferworld will retain the right to edit the final draft prior to publication and will have copyright over the publication and data collected during the research.

Required skills and competencies

• Proven understanding of gender conflict on business community and trade actors and the interaction business/trade and conflict.
• Experience conducting Small medium enterprise/business assessments.
• Considerable and proven knowledge and understanding of gender, conflict, security, business and trade issue in the border lands of Kenya, South Sudan and Ethiopia
• Demonstrable knowledge and proven experience of gender and conflict sensitivity approaches.
• Proven experience and previous consultancy work on similar research in conflict affected settings.
• Proven experience coordinating a complex research process across multiple locations in different countries
• Proven ability to access data and information on business/trade and strong relevant networks.
• Ability to write succinct, high-quality reports in excellent English.
• Availability to complete the assignment within the designated timeframe.

How to Apply:

. To apply

• The Saferworld welcomes expressions of interest from individuals and small teams.
• Applicants should submit a cover letter that explains their interest, skills, proposed approach, relevant expertise and availability in doing the work described, as well as a daily rate.
• Include your CV which should include at least two references and at least two examples of previous relevant work (ideally where the applicant is the lead author/implementer).

Please send your expression of interest to momer@saferworld-global.org. or hand delivery to Saferworld main Office in Hai Jerusalem (next to Plan International).

Deadline for applications is 15th May 2025, 5:00pm CAT momer@saferworld-global.org