External collaborator to conduct research and draft a report on women’s progress and setbacks in parliament in 2020

Background

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is the global organization of parliaments. It was founded in 1889 as the first multilateral political organization in the world, encouraging cooperation and dialogue between all nations. Today, the IPU comprises 179 national Member Parliaments and 12 regional parliamentary bodies. It promotes democracy and helps parliaments become stronger, younger, gender-balanced and more diverse. It also defends the human rights of parliamentarians through a dedicated committee made up of MPs from around the world. Twice a year, the IPU convenes over 1,500 parliamentary delegates and partners in a world assembly, bringing a parliamentary dimension to global governance, including the work of the United Nations and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The IPU recognizes gender equality as a key component of democracy and works to achieve equal participation of men and women in politics. It monitors the participation of women in parliament at the global, regional and national levels and makes data available.  

Every year the IPU produces a report on progress and setbacks for women’s participation in parliament. The objective of the report is to analyse the results of elections held throughout the year, draw attention to developments, and highlight trends and lessons learned at the global, regional and national levels. The 2021 edition will also look at the impact of COVID-19 on women’s participation in parliament and at elections held across the globe in 2020.

Request for proposals

The IPU is seeking applications from qualified and experienced candidates to conduct research and draft a report on women’s progress and setbacks in parliament in 2020.

The assignment will include a home-based desk review, analysis of IPU data on women in parliament and the drafting of the report. The assignment is expected to be completed in a maximum of 25 working days, between 1 December 2020 and 19 February 2021.

Candidates should propose a daily rate and the number of days of work.

No travel or daily subsistence allowances will be covered by the IPU for this assignment.

Deliverables

• Carry out desk research between 1 December 2020 and 4 January 2021 related to parliamentary elections/renewals held in 2020, including:
  • The political situation of the countries where elections were held in 2020
  • The results of those elections and the numbers and percentages of women elected, using IPU data (drawing on information provided by parliaments to  the IPU and included in the IPU’s open data platform, Parline)
  • A comparison of results with previous election results
  • The existence and types of gender electoral quotas used
  • The number of women candidates
  • The prevalence of acts of violence against women candidates
  • Initiatives taken to boost the election of women.
• Carry out additional research, during the drafting process, on elections for which results were not yet available by the end December 2020 or early January 2021, and factor those results into the analysis and report.
• Identify trends and lessons learned from achievements made and challenges faced, and highlight interesting practices at the national, regional or international levels.
• Draw main conclusions about the global, regional and national levels of progress made and setbacks encountered for women’s participation in parliament based on elections and appointments in 2020.
• Include a focus on how the COVID-19 crisis may have impacted positively or negatively the perception of women parliamentarians or the success rate of women candidates at elections held in 2020.
• Draft and submit an 8-10 page report, as follows:
  • Draft a preliminary report (4–11 January)
  • Share the preliminary draft with the IPU (11 January)
  • Incorporate comments received from the IPU (18–21 January)
  • Share a second draft with the IPU (22 January)
  • Incorporate comments received from the IPU (27-29 January)
  • Finalize and submit the final version of the report to the IPU (3 February)
• Support the production of an online version of the report and the development of other communication materials, in particular:
  • Prepare a script for an online version of the report and adapt it based on IPU’s feedback (4-15 February)
  • Prepare key messages to support the launch and dissemination of the report (16-19 February)

Required experience and qualifications

• At least 5 years’ relevant professional experience in the field of gender equality and women’s rights
• Excellent analysis and writing skills, proven skills in drafting reports and presenting and analysing data
• Recent research conducted in the field of women’s participation in parliament would be a strong asset
• Proficiency in tabulation and analysis using MS Excel
• Excellent drafting skills in English or French

Recruitment principles

Our guiding principle in selecting candidates is to secure the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity. We do not discriminate on any grounds and are committed to promoting diversity in our workforce. 

Particular attention is paid to candidates from developing countries and to achieving gender balance. We strive to provide an environment where the contribution of each individual is valued.