Call for Syrian Experts: Gender Equality, Disability Inclusion & Social Inclusion (GEDSI) – Syria

Contract Type: Individual Consultancy; Project-Based

Eligibility: Syrian nationals or non-Syrian consultants currently residing in Syria only

Trust Consultancy & Development (TCD) is seeking experienced consultants to join its roster of experts in Gender Equality, Disability Inclusion and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) to support upcoming evaluations, assessments, research, Third-Party Monitoring (TPM), programme design and advisory assignments in Syria.

Selected consultants will be included in TCD's consultant roster and may be considered for future short-term consultancy opportunities based on their technical expertise, geographical experience, availability and the requirements of specific assignments.

Primary geographic scope: Syria

About the Call

Trust is expanding its roster of experts with strong technical and practical experience in gender equality, disability inclusion, social inclusion, intersectionality and inclusive humanitarian and development programming.

We are particularly interested in experts with recent, first-hand knowledge of Syria's social, economic and institutional context, including the barriers experienced by women and girls, persons with disabilities, older persons, displaced and returning populations, youth and other groups facing exclusion or unequal access to services, livelihoods, participation and decision-making.

Experts with experience integrating GEDSI considerations into evaluations, assessments, research, programme design, monitoring and Third-Party Monitoring are particularly encouraged to apply.

Areas of Expertise

Applicants should have strong experience in one or more of the following:

• Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, including gender-responsive programming, women's economic and social empowerment, participation, leadership and access to opportunities and services;

• Gender Analysis, including analysis of gender roles, inequalities, power relations, access to and control over resources, decision-making and barriers affecting women and girls;

• Disability Inclusion, including disability-inclusive programming, accessibility, reasonable accommodation, participation of persons with disabilities and removal of physical, communication, institutional and attitudinal barriers;

• Social Inclusion, including identification and analysis of social, economic, geographic and institutional barriers affecting marginalized and underserved groups;

• Intersectionality, including analysis of how gender, disability, age, displacement, socioeconomic status, location and other factors interact to shape vulnerability, exclusion, access and opportunities;

• Gender, Age and Disability Mainstreaming, including integration of inclusive approaches across programme design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and learning;

• Women's Economic Empowerment, including livelihoods, employment, entrepreneurship, market access, financial inclusion, skills development and women's participation in economic activities;

• Disability-Inclusive Livelihoods and Economic Inclusion, including access to employment, vocational training, entrepreneurship, social protection and livelihood opportunities for persons with disabilities;

• Inclusive Education and Skills Development, including barriers to education, TVET, life skills and employment pathways for girls, young women, persons with disabilities and other groups facing exclusion;

• Inclusive Social Protection, including equitable targeting, accessibility, cash and social assistance, economic inclusion and identification of barriers affecting access to social protection programmes;

• Inclusive Health and Basic Services, including equitable access to health, rehabilitation, education, WASH and other essential services for women, persons with disabilities and marginalized populations;

• Participation, Voice and Decision-Making, including meaningful participation of women, youth, persons with disabilities and marginalized groups in programme design, community structures and decision-making processes;

• Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and Civil Society Engagement, including participatory approaches, organizational capacity development, localization and engagement with representative organizations and community-based groups;

• Accessibility and Reasonable Accommodation, including physical accessibility, accessible communication, inclusive information systems and identification of environmental and institutional barriers;

• Gender- and Disability-Responsive Data, including sex-, age- and disability-disaggregated data, disability measurement approaches, inclusive data collection and analysis of inequalities and exclusion;

• Inclusive and Participatory Research, including accessible research methods, participatory assessments, consultations with marginalized populations and ethical approaches to engaging groups experiencing exclusion;

• Safeguarding and Do-No-Harm, including safe and inclusive participation, informed consent, confidentiality, prevention of exploitation and abuse and identification of risks associated with programme participation;

• Institutional GEDSI Mainstreaming, including organizational assessments, policies, strategies, action plans, capacity building and development of practical tools for mainstreaming gender equality, disability and social inclusion;

• GEDSI Research, Monitoring and Evaluation, including gender and inclusion assessments, baselines/endlines, evaluations, outcome studies, barrier analyses, accessibility assessments, mixed-method research and Third-Party Monitoring;

• GEDSI Capacity Development, including development and delivery of training, coaching, technical guidance and tools for government institutions, NGOs, civil society organizations and programme teams.

Qualifications & Experience

Applicants should have:

• Syrian nationality and current residence in Syria, or be a non-Syrian consultant currently based in Syria;

• A relevant university degree in gender studies, disability studies, sociology, social sciences, development studies, human rights, social work, public policy, economics or another relevant field;

• At least 5 years of relevant professional experience; senior/lead experts should preferably have 10+ years;

• Recent professional experience related to gender equality, disability inclusion and/or social inclusion in Syria, preferably within the last three years;

• Demonstrated experience conducting or contributing to GEDSI assessments, evaluations, research, programme design, monitoring, TPM or technical advisory assignments;

• Strong understanding of Syria's social and institutional context and the barriers affecting women and girls, persons with disabilities and other groups experiencing exclusion;

• Experience engaging with women and girls, persons with disabilities, OPDs, youth, displaced and returning populations, communities, civil society organizations, authorities, NGOs, UN agencies and other relevant stakeholders;

• Demonstrated understanding of participatory, inclusive, accessible and do-no-harm approaches;

• Experience applying gender-, age- and disability-sensitive research and data-collection methods is strongly preferred;

• Strong research, analytical, facilitation and report-writing skills;

• Arabic fluency; professional English is strongly preferred.

International Organization & Donor Experience

Previous experience with UN Women, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNDP, UNHCR, ILO, IOM, WHO, World Bank, UN agencies, EU/ECHO-funded programmes, GIZ, international NGOs or other organizations working on gender equality, disability inclusion and social inclusion is a strong advantage.

Experience with relevant international approaches and frameworks, including Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI/GEDSI), disability-inclusive development, gender mainstreaming, intersectionality, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the Washington Group Questions, Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) approaches and inclusive humanitarian action, should be clearly highlighted.

Applicants should indicate relevant assignments, including the client, assignment, year, role and main responsibilities.