Briefing Paper GBV Backlash
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Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA)
Remote (global)- Career category: Monitoring & Evaluation /MEAL, Research/ Data analysis
- Job type: Consultancy
- Organisation type: Civil Society
- Remote option: Remote (global)
- Right to work requirements: Not specified
- Remuneration: USD 5,000 USD / Budget
- Length of contract: Temporary/ Fixed-term
- Deadline: 16/11/2026
- Location: Remote (global)
Background
Across the Continent, notable progress has been made in establishing legal, policy and institutional frameworks to address gender-based violence (GBV). At the continental level, the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (the Maputo Protocol) set a benchmark for African states to legislate against GBV, representing a landmark commitment by African states to address gendered violence, with many countries subsequently domesticating parts of the framework through constitutional amendments and dedicated policies. This has translated into concrete national legislation across the continent.
Despite these gains, civil society organizations (CSOs), women's rights organizations, and human rights defenders continue to face increasing resistance and backlash against GBV prevention and response initiatives, mostly due to the rise of conservatist, anti-rights and anti-gender groups that seek to erase women’s rights and subjugate women.
Across the continent, women's rights defenders are facing heightened violence, online and offline harassment, restrictive laws, and deep funding cuts that undermine their ability to mobilize and protect hard-won gains, with political instability, anti-rights movements, and digital repression adding to these pressures.
Recent trends such as the adoption of weak and regressive legal frameworks such as the African Union Convention on Ending All Forms of Violence Against Women and Girls (AUCEVAWG), the pressure to overturn the law banning Female Genital Mutilation in Gambia and the Draft African Charter on Family Values and Sovereignty with clauses that call for the reversals of certain provisions within the Maputo Protocol, especially Article 14, are a cause for concern. This backlash is also happening when women rights activists, feminists and human rights defenders are seeing increasing rates of femicide, reduced funding for prevention and response and weakened commitments to implementing national, regional and international human rights frameworks.
To strengthen evidence-based advocacy and movement building, a Civil Society Briefing Paper will be developed to document the nature, drivers and impacts of backlash against addressing GBV in Africa and propose practical recommendations and actions for government, civil society, media and other relevant stakeholders.
Required Qualifications
The consultant should meet the following qualifications:
1. Advanced degree in Gender Studies, Human Rights, Development Studies, Social Sciences, or related fields
2. Demonstrated experience in conducting intersectional feminist research and policy analysis particularly on gender equality and social justice issues in Africa
3. Strong understanding of SRHR and its interlinkages with Gender justice
4. At least seven years of experience in GBV, SRHR, gender equality, or human rights programming
5. Demonstrated experience conducting policy analysis and producing high-quality advocacy publications
6. Strong understanding of Africa's legal, policy and institutional context
7. Capacity to work independently, meet deadlines, and coordinate stakeholder engagements effectively within the given timeframe.
Across the Continent, notable progress has been made in establishing legal, policy and institutional frameworks to address gender-based violence (GBV). At the continental level, the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (the Maputo Protocol) set a benchmark for African states to legislate against GBV, representing a landmark commitment by African states to address gendered violence, with many countries subsequently domesticating parts of the framework through constitutional amendments and dedicated policies. This has translated into concrete national legislation across the continent.
Despite these gains, civil society organizations (CSOs), women's rights organizations, and human rights defenders continue to face increasing resistance and backlash against GBV prevention and response initiatives, mostly due to the rise of conservatist, anti-rights and anti-gender groups that seek to erase women’s rights and subjugate women.
Across the continent, women's rights defenders are facing heightened violence, online and offline harassment, restrictive laws, and deep funding cuts that undermine their ability to mobilize and protect hard-won gains, with political instability, anti-rights movements, and digital repression adding to these pressures.
Recent trends such as the adoption of weak and regressive legal frameworks such as the African Union Convention on Ending All Forms of Violence Against Women and Girls (AUCEVAWG), the pressure to overturn the law banning Female Genital Mutilation in Gambia and the Draft African Charter on Family Values and Sovereignty with clauses that call for the reversals of certain provisions within the Maputo Protocol, especially Article 14, are a cause for concern. This backlash is also happening when women rights activists, feminists and human rights defenders are seeing increasing rates of femicide, reduced funding for prevention and response and weakened commitments to implementing national, regional and international human rights frameworks.
To strengthen evidence-based advocacy and movement building, a Civil Society Briefing Paper will be developed to document the nature, drivers and impacts of backlash against addressing GBV in Africa and propose practical recommendations and actions for government, civil society, media and other relevant stakeholders.
Required Qualifications
The consultant should meet the following qualifications:
1. Advanced degree in Gender Studies, Human Rights, Development Studies, Social Sciences, or related fields
2. Demonstrated experience in conducting intersectional feminist research and policy analysis particularly on gender equality and social justice issues in Africa
3. Strong understanding of SRHR and its interlinkages with Gender justice
4. At least seven years of experience in GBV, SRHR, gender equality, or human rights programming
5. Demonstrated experience conducting policy analysis and producing high-quality advocacy publications
6. Strong understanding of Africa's legal, policy and institutional context
7. Capacity to work independently, meet deadlines, and coordinate stakeholder engagements effectively within the given timeframe.
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