CALL FOR YOUNG EXPERTS  

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT FOR DIVERSITY AND EQUALITY

Deadline for applications:30^rd July 2020

1. The context of the action

The European Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity (North-South Centre) is currently implementing the Project “Promoting diversity and equality” and is looking for young experts from Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region to constitute the Project’s core group.  The Project aims at developing awareness raising actions to reinforce gender mainstreaming in intercultural dialogue by providing youth with the means to deconstruct harmful cultural stereotypes and sexism according to the context of their respective realities. The role of this core group will be to determine key actions to combat multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination against women and girls in the EMEA region and to advocate for them.

The project responds to the overall objective of the North-South Centre to empower civil society, in particular youth and women, through intercultural dialogue and global education to play an active role in Council of Europe’s member States and neighbouring regions. It is implemented through theNorth-South Centre’s Women Empowerment programme whose objectives are to promote a common understanding and unanimous condemnation of violence against women and girls and to work on deconstructing prejudices which can lead to the stigmatisation of women in the relations and dialogue between countries of the EMEA region.

Discrimination against women persists globally and is exacerbated by interwoven factors that build upon and extend beyond gender. Gender stereotypes and cultural stereotyping reinforce and maintain discrimination and violence against women while hindering inclusive and peaceful societies andthe full expression of participatory citizenship and equal opportunities. Promoting an unbiased portrayal of women in all their diversity and plurality, through intercultural dialogue, global education, youth cooperation and media literacy would allow to overcome sexism and prejudices in public perception.

In this context, the Project’s core group will be constituted of 6 young experts (between 18 and 35 years old) from EMEA countries with diverse backgrounds and experiences on gender equality and anti-discrimination, who will contribute to develop a regional awareness campaign by addressing the intersectional forms of discrimination against women and girls and promoting cultural and identity diversity of women and girls in the EMEA region and targeting youth, education and media sectors in order to sensitise the public opinion.  

The North-South Centre is an enlarged partial agreement of the Council of Europe and the project concerned in this call for experts is aligned with Council of Europe’s Gender Equality Strategy 2018-2023 and its human rights based approach.

2. Description and composition of the core group

The core group is constitutedof 6 experts with complementary competences and experiences in intersectionality of gender equality in the EMEA region.

Its objectives will be to:

-        Gather relevant information, literature, testimonies, concrete examples and life experiences on the theme of intersectional discrimination against women and girls in the EMEA region;

-        Develop key general recommended actions aiming at preventing and combating intersectional discrimination;

-        Promote understanding of the issue of intersectionality and the causes and consequences of discrimination against women and girls;

-        Raise awareness among the public and decision makers.

The core group will get acquainted with the Council of Europe standards and tools on gender equality and on anti-discrimination. It will be subsequently involved with actors of key sectors of education, media, arts and culture.

Each member of the task force has specific knowledge, experience and know-how in one or more of the following areas:

-        Knowledge on international legal framework on women’s rights and international relations

-        Discrimination and sexism against women and girls

-        Racism and xenophobia

-        Gender-based violence against women and girls

-        Human rights, intercultural dialogue and global citizenship

-        Refugees, migrants and asylum-seeking women and girls

-        Youth participation and engagement

-        Human rights and global citizenship education

-        Advocacy, campaigning, social media engagement and digital citizenship

Relying on the expertise and experiences of the experts of the core group will seek to raise awareness on intersectional discrimination in societies across the EMEA region. 

3. Activities of the core group

The activities of the core group are divided into four clusters as follows:

1.       General Introduction

The first week of activity will introduce the project background and the Council of Europe through online meetings and capacity building activities.  During this week, the group will also have the chance to get acquainted with the Council of Europe’s tools and standards.

Following this introduction, the core group will benefit from online training sessions on thematic such as anti-discrimination, preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, fighting against hate speech, racism and xenophobia. The training modules will be made available online on the HELP platform.

2.       Regional Analysis

The core group will develop a state of play on sexism and discrimination against women in the EMEA region, gathering information through literature reviews and primary research developing tools such as surveys. The group will meet online to contextualise these issues and to identify the most prominent and relevant challenges to be tackled in the campaign. Based on this state of play, the core group will develop a set of key recommended actions on combating promoting equality and diversity targeting relevant the stakeholders in the EMEA region.  The recommended actions should be jointly identified and developed by all members of the core group.

3.       Campaign Development

The core group will contribute to the development, launching and dissemination of a regional awareness raising campaign. The campaign will be supported by the key recommended actions.

The aim of the campaign will be to increase knowledge and understanding of public opinion on different forms of discriminations and stereotypes that women are subjected to. The launch of the campaign is planned on November 2021.

4.       Synergies and Partnerships

The core group will work in close cooperation with the North-South Centre’s networks and partners. The group will take part in the North-South Centre’s events including, but not limited to, the participation to the Mediterranean University on Youth and Global Citizenship, the University of Youth and Development, the Global Education Week,  the Lisbon Forum, and the North-South Centre WE (Women Empowerment) Conference. Specific joint meetings will be organised between the core group and North-South Centre’s networks and partners to reinforce the gender mainstreaming in the North-South Centre activities.

4. Schedule of the core group meetings

The core group is scheduled to participate in several activities both online and onsite (if the international context allows it). The activities that require physical presence of the participants will be integrated in pertinent North-South Centre’s activities, which will allow the core group to build synergies with all the relevant stakeholders and partners.

Cluster	When and Where	Type of Activity	Description
1. General Introduction	September 2020 Online	Capacity-building	-          Project presentation -          Self-training on HELP platform -          Getting familiar with the Council of Europe standards and tools
2. Regional Analysis	October – November 2020 Online	Focus Group	-          analysis of the regional context -          definition of related challenges
3. Campaign Development	March – December 2021 Online	Conceptualisation	-          campaign development -          definition of the campaign strategy
4. Synergies and Partnerships	March – November 2021 Presential	Joint meetings/Advocacy	-          Launch of the campaign   -          Networking

6. Timeline of the task force activities

7. Financial provisions

All the expenses related to the meetings (travel, board, lodging and insurance) will be covered by the North-South Centre. The North South Centre will provide fees for core group members contribution to the second and third activities, for a total of 1 000 euros per person, pending the signature of Council of Europe act of engagement and subject to the fulfilment of the conditions set by Council of Europe rules and procedures[1].

8. Profile of the experts

Eligibility criteria:

-        Being under 35 (thirty-five) years old;

-        Fluent written and spoken English;

-        Good communication, drafting and reporting skills.

Awarding criteria:

-        Demonstrated engagement on human rights, equality and social justice;

-        Knowledge of gender equality, gender mainstreaming, international relations, international solidarity, sociology, communication, arts and culture or any related field;

-        Team work and creative skills;

-        Regional and/or country knowledge of the EMEA region;

-        Have progressive working experience or expertise in at least one of the following areas:

ü  Gender equality, gender mainstreaming, anti-discrimination, migration and/or intersectionality

ü  Intercultural dialogue / communication or international relations

ü  Advocacy and campaigning

-        Able to participate in their full duration at all the meetings as scheduled in the present call.

To maintain geographical balance, preference will be given to candidates with complementary backgrounds and experiences to ensure group diversity.

9. Selection procedures

All applicants fulfilling the criteria must send to:  [email protected] :

-      CV;

-      Cover letter highlighting the areas of expertise as in section 8 of the present call;

-      Sample (or hyperlink) of previous work related to the key-areas of expertise as mentioned in this call;

-      Contacts for references

Deadline for applications: 30 July 2020 (Midnight UCT time)

 

→ A virtual interview from the North-South Centre will then follow in August in order to evaluate expertise, availability and knowledge of the background documents as listed below.

The results will be communicated in August and the selected experts will have to be ready to attend the first meeting already in September 2020.  

10. Background documents and useful links

-          Council of Europe Gender Equality Strategy 2018 - 2023

-          Council of Europe standards on Combating Gender Stereotypes and Sexism

-          North-South Centre’s mission