| Overview : Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in the world today. It is a major obstacle to the fulfillment of women’s and girls’ human rights and development and a threat to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. In Uganda, the prevalence of physical violence experienced by women stands at 51 per cent - far above the African average of 37.7 per cent. This violence is perpetrated in both the public and private spheres. The 2011 Uganda Demographic Health Survey (UDHS) revealed that 49 per cent of women and 41 per cent of men believe a man is justified in beating his wife in certain circumstances. the Uganda Violence Against Children Survey (2015) found that 35% of females and 17% of males between the ages of 18 to 24 have experienced sexual violence in their childhood. Substance abuse further compounds the issue, with women whose husband/partner often consume alcohol being almost 40 per cent more likely to experience spousal violence than women whose spouses do not often consume alcohol (2016 UDHS). Evidence shows that 16 per cent of women have experienced physical violence during pregnancy at some point (Kishor, 2012). In Mulago Hospital, women who experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy were 1.4 times more likely to develop obstetric complications including hypertension, premature rupture of membranes and anaemia (Kaye 2006). Physical violence against women and girls has also manifested in mental health challenges - a cross-sectional study of women (15+) in Eastern Uganda found that lifetime experience of IPV increases risks of attempted suicide. The situation has been compounded by limited access to sexual and reproductive health services, particularly contraceptive and Emergency Obstetric Care services. This has resulted into a low modern contraceptive prevalence rate at 35% and unmet need of family planning as high as 28%. Twenty-six percent of the mothers are not delivered per a skilled birth attendant and teenage pregnancy rate is also one if the highest in the region at 25%. Maternal mortality ratio at 336/100,000 live births remains unacceptably (UDHS, 2016). Relatedly, obstetric complications are common with an estimated back-log of 140,000 – 200,000 obstetric fistula cases in Country. The European Union (EU) and the United Nations have embarked on a new multi-year programme, the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative. The Spotlight Initiative aims to support transformative change on the ground to end violence against women and girls and harmful practices, in numerous countries globally. Initiative comes with the highest level of commitment globally and will be governed by the UN Deputy Secretary General and the Vice President of the EU Commission. The Initiative is built around six pillars developed after an extensive global theory of change exercise. The pillars are: 1) Laws and Policies; 2) Institutions; 3) Prevention and Social Norms; 4) Services; 5) Data; and 6) Women’s movement. Uganda is one of the participating eight countries in the Africa region and will have interventions in all the six pillars. The Uganda Spotlight team recently submitted the final Country Joint Programme Outline which was developed in full consultation with and participation by Government of Uganda, CSOs, traditional and religious leaders, private sector and other stakeholders. The Uganda is ready to start developing the full Country Joint Programme in line with the guidance and timeline provided by the Spotlight Secretariat. Given that this will be one of the largest joint programmes in Uganda, focused on transforming complex unequal power and gender relations and changing negative and harmful social norms, a full-time expert on gender based violence, is needed to coordinate, guide and lead the team to develop a technically sound and comprehensive Country Joint Programme. Objective and Scope: The purpose of the assignment is to support the development of the Spotlight Joint Programme Document for Uganda. The consultant will coordinate the planning and drafting of the Joint Programme Documents and ensure timely and quality inputs from the UN Technical Spotlight initiative team, Heads of UN Agencies, EU, Government, Civil Society Reference Group and other relevant stakeholders. The proposed Joint programme should be in alignment with UN policies, objectives and programing principles, including the overarching principle of leaving no one behind; and in overall alignment with the Spotlight Global Theory of Change and the Africa Investment Plan, ensuring the linkage between SGBV, Harmful practices and Sexual reproductive health & rights. |
