TOR for Consultancy Assignment

TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR) for Consultancy Assignment

Development of a Guideline for Media Professionals, Women’s Rights Advocates, and Community Leaders on Trauma-Informed and Positive Representation of Women and Girls

Background

The Ethiopian Women Lawyers’ Association (EWLA) was established at the federal level in 1995 by female legal professionals and was registered as a civil society organization. For the last 30 years, it has been working to stand for justice and equality for Ethiopian women. It implements 5 major programs, including Advocate for Women’s Rights, Public Education and Capacity Building, Comprehensive Free Legal Aid Service, Empower Female Legal Professionals, and Foster Networking in the Legal Sector, as well as Professional Ethics and Quality Legal Services. The Association has its headquarters in Addis Ababa, and regional branch offices in Adama, Hawassa, Bahir Dar, Gambella, Asosa, Jigjiga, Semera, and Dire Dawa. Moreover, it has established 57 volunteer committees at zonal and district levels and launched a multilingual toll-free Hotline center “7711” which provides services in Amharic, Afaan Oromo, and Tigrigna.

Violence, discrimination, harmful gender stereotypes, and unequal power relations continue to affect the lives of women and girls in Ethiopia. Media reporting, advocacy campaigns, and community discourse play a significant role in shaping public attitudes and perceptions. However, gender-biased reporting, victim-blaming language, sensationalized coverage of gender-based violence (GBV), and the underrepresentation of women as leaders and agents of change remain common challenges. These practices can reinforce harmful social norms, compromise survivors' dignity and safety, and contribute to re-traumatization.

Trauma-informed communication promotes ethical, respectful, and survivor-centered approaches that recognize the impact of trauma, protect privacy and dignity, and prevent further harm. At the same time, positive representation emphasizes women's resilience, leadership, and contributions, helping to challenge stereotypes and advance gender equality.

To promote responsible and gender-responsive communication, the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA) intends to develop a practical guideline on trauma-informed and positive representation of women and girls. The guideline will provide practical guidance for media professionals, women's rights advocates, social media influencers, community and religious leaders, and other communication actors. It will be aligned with national legal and policy frameworks, international human rights standards, and global good practices to support ethical reporting, survivor-centered communication, and the promotion of positive narratives about women and girls.

Purpose of the Assignment

The overall purpose of this consultancy is to develop a comprehensive, user-friendly, and contextually relevant guideline on trauma-informed and positive representation of women and girls for use by media professionals, women’s rights advocates, and community leaders in Ethiopia.

Objectives

General Objective

To develop a guideline that promotes ethical, survivor-centered, gender-responsive, and trauma-informed communication and representation of women and girls.

Specific Objectives

The guideline should:

1. Promote accurate, ethical, and gender-sensitive reporting.

2. Encourage trauma-informed approaches when reporting or communicating about GBV and other forms of violence.

3. Reduce victim-blaming and harmful stereotypes.

4. Strengthen positive representation of women and girls as leaders, rights holders, and agents of change.

5. Provide practical guidance for media professionals, advocates, and community leaders.

6. Support responsible use of traditional and social media platforms.

Scope of Work

The consultant shall be responsible for designing and developing a practical, evidence-based guideline on trauma-informed and positive representation of women and girls for media professionals, women's rights advocates, and community leaders. The consultant will undertake, but not be limited to, the following tasks:

1. Inception and Planning

2. Desk Review and Situational Assessment

3. Stakeholder Consultation

4. Development of the Guideline

The guideline shall include, but not be limited to, the following sections:

• Chapter 1: Introduction, Background, Purpose and objectives, Target audience, Scope of the guideline, How to use the guideline

• Chapter 2: Gender Equality, Women's Rights, and Positive Representation

• Chapter 3: Understanding Trauma

• Chapter 4: Trauma-Informed Reporting and Communication

• Chapter 5: Practical Guidance for Target Audiences

• For Media Professionals

• For Women's Rights Advocates

• For Community Leaders

• Chapter 6: Language and Communication Guide

• Chapter 7: Practical Tools and Resources

• Annexes

1. Validation and Finalization

Expected Deliverables

The consultant shall produce the following deliverables:

1. Inception Report, including methodology and work plan.

2. Desk Review and Stakeholder Consultation Summary Report.

3. First Draft of the Guideline.

4. Validation Workshop presentation materials and proceedings summary.

5. Final Guideline incorporating stakeholder feedback.

6. Final editable source files and publication-ready version.

The final guideline should:

• Be approximately 50–70 pages (excluding annexes).

• Be written in clear, practical, and user-friendly language.

• Include illustrations, examples, case studies, checklists, and practical tools.

• Be suitable for use during training and awareness campaigns.

• Be designed for adaptation into print and digital formats.

Deliverables

Duration of the Assignment

• The assignment is expected to be completed within 40 days from the date of contract signing.