Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Development of Gender Transformative and Disability Inclusive Safe Space Menstrual Health and Hygiene (MHH) Counsellor/Head Toolkit

 Background

Population Media Center-Ethiopia (PMC-E) in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has been implementing Social and behavioral change (SBC) project to address gender and disability inclusive SBC on Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) issue in sampled woredas of selected regions.  The project majorly focuses on media engagement; radio talk show production and broadcast, capacity building training, development of gender and disability inclusive WASH toolkits, SBC strategy, conduct interpersonal communication campaigns for social and behavior changes among communities in the project intervention piloted woredas.

Menstrual Health and Hygiene (MHH) encompass both Menstrual Hygiene and Management (MHM) and the broader systemic factors that link menstruation with health, well-being, gender equality, education, equity, empowerment, and rights. These systematic factors have been recognized by UNESCO as accurate and timely knowledge, available, safe, and affordable materials, informed and comfortable professionals, referral and access to health services, sanitation and washing facilities, positive social norms, safe and hygienic disposal and advocacy and policy. WHO and UNICEF define MHM: ‘Women and adolescent girls are using a clean menstrual management material to absorb or collect menstrual blood, that can be changed in privacy as often as necessary for the duration of a menstrual period, using soap and water for washing the body as required, and having access to safe and convenient facilities to dispose of used menstrual management materials. They understand the basic facts linked to the menstrual cycle and how to manage it with dignity and without discomfort or fear.

Access to safe and dignified menstruation is a fundamental need for women and girls. UNICEF envisions a world where every girl can learn, play, and safeguard her own health without experiencing stress, shame, or unnecessary barriers to information or supplies during menstruation. Meeting the hygiene needs of all adolescent girls and women in all settings is enables human rights, dignity, and public health.

A growing evidence base on low-and middle-income countries shows that many girls are not able to manage their menses and associated hygiene with ease and dignity. This deprivation is even more acute for girls and women in emergencies. These girls and women cannot practice good menstrual health and hygiene at home, at school, at work or in other public settings. this misshapen due to a combination discriminatory social environments, inaccurate information, poor facilities, and limited choice of absorbent materials. Public infrastructure and policies in health, WASH, and education under-priorities and under resource menstrual hygiene, support, and knowledge. In addition, myths and taboos often promote a high level of secrecy about even the most basic menstruation facts-leading to shame and exclusion for women and girls. Inaccessible WASH facilities, access to information and materials are barriers for women and girls with disabilities managing their menstruation hygienically and with dignity.

Gender inequality, discriminatory social norms, cultural taboos, poverty, and lack of basic services often cause girls’ and women’s menstrual health, and hygiene needs to go unmet. Adolescent girls may face stigma, harassment, and social exclusion during menstruation. Transgender men and non-binary persons who menstruate often face discrimination due to their gender identity that prevents them from accessing the materials and facilities that they need. All of this has far-reaching negative impacts on the lives of those who menstruate restricting their mobility, freedom, and choices; affecting attendance and participation in school and community life; compromising their safety; and causing stress and anxiety. The challenges are particularly acute for girls and women in humanitarian crises.

Over 26 million displaced girls and women are estimated to be menstruating around the globe. A significant but often overlooked issue facing these girls and women is their ability to manage their monthly menstruation privately, safely, and comfortably. In many humanitarian emergencies, there is a lack of access to the basic materials needed to manage the blood in addition to a lack of appropriate sanitation facilities (including water), which are critical for addressing menstrual hygiene. Furthermore, privacy in emergencies is often scarce, and even when toilets are available, they often lack locks, functioning doors, lighting, and separation between genders. These barriers are often intensified by cultural beliefs and taboos surrounding menstruation which can restrict the movements and behaviors of girls and women (such as attending school, waiting in line for distributions or going to the market.

The Scope of the Safe Space Menstrual Health and Hygiene (MHH) Counsellor/ Head Toolkit

1.         Overview of the safe space role and responsibilities, including providing guidance on how to manage the space and ensure it remains clean and safe for all students.

2.         Overview of menstrual health and hygiene, including information on the menstrual cycle, common challenges, and strategies for managing pain and hygiene.

3.         Counseling toolkit and training materials for school staff, covering effective communication strategies for promoting menstrual health and hygiene education in a sensitive and non-stigmatizing way.

4.         Guidance on providing special support and resources for vulnerable students, such as those with disabilities or who have dropped out of school.

5.         Guidance on infection prevention and control measures to ensure that the safe space remains a clean and healthy environment.

6.         Information on resources, such as where to access sanitary supplies, and how to handle emergencies or complications that may arise. Overall, the toolkit will be a comprehensive resource that will provide guidance on how to manage the safe space, provide counseling services and support, and promote menstrual health and hygiene education for all students.

Objectives the Safe Space Menstrual Health and Hygiene (MHH) Counsellor/Head Toolkit

1.         Provide a safe and supportive environment for adolescent girls to manage their menstrual cycles, address concerns or complications, receive counseling and support, and access necessary resources such as sanitary pads.

2.         Promote education and awareness around menstrual health and hygiene, reducing stigma and misinformation around menstruation, and empowering students to confidently manage their menstrual health.

3.        Provide specialized support and resources for vulnerable students, such as those with disabilities or who have dropped out of school, ensuring they have access to the necessary resources and support to manage their menstrual cycles.

4.         Improve infection prevention and control measures, reducing the risk of illness or disease transmission in the school environment. Overall, the objective of the safe space and the toolkit will be to improve the health, well-being, and academic success of students by providing comprehensive menstrual health and hygiene education, support, and resources.

Approach/Methods

The Safe Space MHH Counsellor/Head toolkit will be developed in close consultation with Ministries of health, education, Water and energy, Women and Social Affair, UNICEF, Federation of Ethiopian Associations of persons with disabilities (FEAPD) and PMC-E concerned staff who work in WASH and MHH issues. The Safe Space MHH Counsellor/Head toolkit should adopt mixed approaches/methods, integrating MHH related literatures and key informant interviews with key stakeholders. Moreover, all data collection methodologies should be considered in line with the agreed principles between the envisaged firm and PMC-E in consultation with UNICEF and the key stakeholders.  

The consultant is expected to undertake secondary data analysis, KII with pertinent actors and literature reviews and related document review to capture the best experiences and documents. The consultant is also expected to make presentations at different stages of the draft and final works of the toolkit to the technical working groups to have input, review feedback, finalization and validation of the document through workshops/consultative meetings.

Scope and Tasks of the Consultant

The Consultancy Service provider shall

• particularly the objectives of the assignment, approach, and methodology for carrying out the activities and achieving the expected outputs
• gender and disability responsiveon the Safe Space MHH Counsellor/head toolkit and submit it for second round discussion.
• .
• Accommodation of feedback given in the validation/familiarization workshop
• Submission of the final edited version of the toolkit, which is simple, self-guided, understandable, illustrated.

Deliverables

The Consultant or Firm will provide the following deliverables:

• Incept Report
  • Within five (5) days after the contract agreement is signed, the consultant needs to submit a consolidated inception report indicating the assignments’ conceptual framework and design, outlines of the counsellor/head toolkit, detailed work plan including financial breakdown, data collection tools (in English and Amharic) and the overall structure of the Gender Transformative and Disability Inclusive Safe Space Menstrual Health and Hygiene (MHH) Counsellor/head toolkit.

• Final tools/checklist to collect information/data for the development of Gender and disability responsiveSafe Space MHH Counsellor/head toolkit in all settings (geographic, program and institution).
• Action points captured during the first meeting with PMC-E senior staff, UNICEF, and key stakeholders.
• Action points captured during the second meeting with PMC-E senior staff and key stakeholders.
• Action points captured during the third meeting with PMC-E senior staff and key stakeholders.
• which will be submitted within the specified days.
• Validation and/or familiarization workshop presentation of the final report with Power Point 
• The final Safe Space MHH Counsellor/head toolkit will be submitted within five days after the validation and/or familiarization workshop/s with the stakeholders.
• All deliverables will be submitted in 2 copies in hardcopy and softcopy in editable form.

Duration of the Assignment/Timing 

The Safe Space MHH Counsellor/head toolkit will be completed within 30 days.  The consultant must ensure that the whole process of the Toolkit that includes preparation, consultation of stakeholders’ development of data collection tools/checklists, write-up, and dissemination of the Toolkit to stakeholders and reviewing of the final toolkit can be completed within this timeframe.

Table 1.   timeline and milestones.

Activities	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Remark
Inception report
Data collection/Desk review and preparation status
1st draft report (after the 1st technical working group meeting
2nd draft report (after 2nd technical working group meeting
Final report
Validation report
Final report after validation report
Familiarization

Instructions

For the proposal, a detailed work plan with project milestones should be included. The budget should reflect the work plan.  The selected firm should be governed by PMC’s Child Safeguarding, Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) and Child safeguarding policies throughout the whole process of developing the Toolkit.

Application Process

• Interested consultants having a team of multi-disciplinary professionals (Health backgrounds environmental health, public health, health promotion and behavioral Science, social science, communication, gender)
•  Firms which are legally registered in the Country’s rule of Law are invited to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for delivery of the assignment.
• Detailed technical proposal shall include backgrounds and problem statement, rationale of the agenda, proposed methodology of the material development indicating the overall process including, quality assurance, timeframe, etc. for undertaking the Safe Space MHH Counsellor/Head Toolkit.
• The financial proposal will include detailed budget containing total costs as per man-day rates, work plan and any other costs anticipated in undertaking process of the assignment.
• Detailed updated CV of the consultant/firm with full description of the profile and experience.
• Contact details from at least two references with in-depth and proven knowledge of the applicant’s expertise and relevant work experience.

• Evidence on expertise on gender transformation, MHM, disability and inclusion
• Specific roles and responsibilities of the team leader, supervisory chain and other core members of the evaluation team.
• Clear work plan/schedule of key activities preferably in a format such as a Gantt chart. including outputs/deliverables and detailed activity timeframe.
• A profile of the consulting firm (including a sample report done on similar assignments and legal justification).
• Sample of relevant previously produced material; letter of quality accomplishment, a cover letter outlining the suitability of consultant or consultant firm for the assignment, motivation and summarizing relevant experience.

Please submit the technical and financial proposals with a sealed envelope to PMC-E, Addis Ababa located around Bambis Mekane Yesus BDG, 7^th Floor during working hours within seven working days from the day of this announcement