Psychosocial support to women HRDs – Consultant/ Specialist

1. Context

The assignment takes place in the framework of the following project:

Summary of the project:

Name of the lead implementing organization: Peace Track Initiative (PTI)

Project title: “Towards enhancing the resilience of women human rights defenders in Yemen to advocate for women’s and children’s rights”

Project location: Yemen

Beneficiaries: Yemeni Women Human Rights Defenders in Yemen and in exile

Project duration: 01.03.2022 – 29.02.2024 (24 months)

Donor: European Union

Budget: Not exceeding 13800 USD

Peace Track Initiative (PTI) was founded by Yemeni women inside and outside Yemen who came together in 2015 to support the peace process in Yemen. It was incorporated in Canada as nonprofit incorporation in 2017, hosted at the Human Rights Research and Education Centre, at Ottawa University, and is hosted at To Be Foundation for Rights and Freedom in Aden, Yemen. PTI’s working areas include promoting inclusion of women and marginalised groups in the peace and political processes, as well as promoting the protection of women’s rights, and amplifying feminist knowledge and leadership. PTI operations are guided by the CEDAW, UNSCR 1325 resolution, and its subsequent resolutions on Women, Peace, and Security, as well as international human rights frameworks.

Peace Track Initiative along with Elbarlament and To Be Foundation for Rights and Freedoms have been awarded funds by the European Union for the project “Towards enhancing the resilience of women human rights defenders in Yemen to advocate for women’s and children’s rights” in Yemen.

2. Description of the Project:

The project aims at contributing to enhancing the resilience of women human rights defenders (HRDs) in Yemen to defend human rights, in particular women’s and children’s rights. To reach this goal, we will work on two parallel lines, namely enhancing female HRDs’ protection and improving their capacity to counter human rights violations and engage in advocacy to achieve more accountability.

The overall objective of the project is to contribute to enhancing the resilience of women HRDs in Yemen to defend human rights, in particular women’s and children’s rights. In order to reach this goal, the project follows two parallel but interrelated strands of work that can be subsumed under two specific objectives. Catering to the immediate needs of the project’s target group (women HRDs), the first specific objective is to enhance the protection of Yemeni women HRDs. The second specific objective is to improve women HRDs’ capacity to counter human rights violations and abuses in particular with regards to women’s and children’s rights, as well as engage in advocacy for enhanced accountability.

Project outputs: One of the outputs of the project includes providing psychosocial peer group sessions to members of the project core group of women HRDs focused on stress and trauma release as well as coping strategies. output 1.3: Women HRDs have developed skills to overcome or cope with trauma.

4. Methodology:

The consultant will provide psychosocial peer group sessions to members of the project core group (around 27 participants) of women HRDs. The consultant will focus on stress and trauma release as well as coping strategies.

The sessions will take place online to ensure maximum accessibility and safety, especially with regard to COVID-19. The specialists will design a screening tool for mental health and will share it with the women HRDs to assess their situation. The women HRDs will be preferably divided into three groups. Each group will attend four sessions, a total of 12 sessions.

Through these sessions and the screening, the specialists will be able to identify severe cases, which need individual follow-up. At least 23 individual sessions will take place, with a minimum of four sessions per person covered by the project (the number of sessions per person can vary in accordance to the need). output 1.3: Women HRDs have developed skills to overcome or cope with trauma.

• Once the consultant finalises the required sessions, they will collect feedback from the Women HRDs for assessment. After, a general assessment and a work plan will be discussed with Peace Track Initiative along with Elbarlament and To Be Foundation for Rights and Freedoms.

5. Time frame:

Providing the psychosocial peer group sessions shall be delivered within a period of 10 months starting from the start day of the contract

6. Deadline

The Consultant is expected to finish all the sessions and submit a final report and feedback form by 31st Jan 2023 (the date could change but will be confirmed).

7. Main deliverables:

• PFA training (Psychological first aid).
• PTSD training.
• Design a screening tool/pre-assessment for mental health which will be shared with the focus group) women HRDs) to assess their needs.
• After the screening, prepare a final work plan.
• Provide a confidentiality and safe online plan in order to the maximum accessibility and safety.
• Provide a maximum of 12 group sessions.
• Provide a progress report after the 12 group sessions.
• Provide at least 23 individual sessions, with a minimum of four sessions per person covered by the project.
• Provide a second progress report after the individual sessions.
• Prepare and convey post-assessment.
• Prepare and deliver a final report.
• All training, materials, and sessions need to be conducted/ provided in the Arabic language.
• All reports need to be submitted in English.

8. Requirements and Qualifications:

• Postgraduate education in counselling psychology or clinical psychology.
• The applicant has specific training on mental health and psychosocial support ( cognitive behavioural therapy, GBV, psychodrama) is a plus.
• Previous experience working in a mental healthcare setting.
• Previous experience in Social Work, Counselling, or a related field may be advantageous.
• Experience in handling sensitive files with utmost confidentiality and neutrality.
• Minimum 5 – 10 years experience working in counselling, stress, trauma release as well as coping strategies, working with civil society organisations, and, working with INGOs/ humanitarian sector experience delivering counselling services in a related set to this ToR.
• Demonstrable experience working to strengthen the mental and emotional health of women.
• Have experience working with Women HRDs, and with people during conflicts.
• Experience working on psychosocial support and counselling in the Middle East and North Africa required. Experience in Yemen is highly preferred.
• Previous experience in providing sessions online is preferred.
• Fluent in Arabic and English, both written and spoken is essential.

8. Terms and conditions of solicitation:

Consultants who meet the requirements should submit a proposal that should include the following:

• A suitability statement, including a commitment to availability for the entire assignment.
• Updated curriculum vitae of the consultant/ consultancy firm that clearly states the relevant qualifications and experiences.
• A Technical Proposal that includes the methodology, and a draft work plan of implementation with the timeframe.
• Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract value in USD (Not exceeding 13800 USD) (including all applicable taxes), supported by a breakdown of costs.

How to apply

The expression of interest should be sent with the subject: Psychosocial support to women HRDs Specialist to the attention of Mrs. Nadia Ebraim, PTI Protection Coordinator [email protected], no later than 12:00 pm EST time on 20.02.2023.