Consultant- Strategy Development for Women Farmers’ Forum

Terms of Reference

Consultancy services to develop Strategy of Women Farmers’ Forum

1.       Oxfam Background

Oxfam has been working in Nepal since the early 1980s undertaking various development initiatives addressing the poverty and injustice faced by women and other socially and economically excluded groups. Over the years, Oxfam has worked in partnership with local civil society organisations and the government to promote rural livelihoods, and vulnerable communities’ resilience to climatic shocks and disasters. It has also significantly contributed to empowering community people, especially women, to; negotiate with people in power, influence decision making processes, claim rights and essential services to which they are entitled, demand accountability on the part of duty bearers and engage larger masses in advocacy efforts.

Oxfam and its long term programme partners believe that the underlying structural causes and drivers of poverty must be addressed if improvements in people’s lives are to be broad and lasting. Poverty is not one-dimensional; nor is it purely local in its causes and solutions. Therefore, Oxfam’s work addresses not only material and technical change, but also the related economic, social, institutional and police changes which are necessary to end poverty and achieving development and well being.

2.       Purpose of Women Farmers’ Forum Strategy

In Nepal rural women represent 48.9% of the agricultural labor force, and more than 89% of women are directly and/or indirectly engaged in agriculture sector (NLSS 2010/11). The increasing trend of cross border migration of men has put additional responsibility on rural women’s shoulders and agriculture sector is swiftly becoming feminized in recent years. Women produce, process and prepare much of the food available in local and national market; and are increasingly taking prime responsibility of households’ and communities’ food security. Despite this, rural women are still marginalized and have not been able to establish their identity as farmers. They still lack ownership and control over productive resources and outputs. They are poorly represented in decision making processes related to agriculture and food security; and lack access to technologies, services, and market and credit facilities. Effective leadership in the sector is limited by their knowledge and capacity gap in climate smart farming techniques and availability of friendly tools and technologies. Deprivations of such rights and lack of appropriate policy instruments is limiting women farmers’ recognition and identify.

Although different types of farmers’ groups, forums, federations and networks exist at local and national level (e.g. Farmers’ group federations, Land Rights Forum, and Women Rights Forum etc), rural women’s identity as farmers, and their rights has not been adequately discussed and raised in/by these existing forums. Women farmers, in these forums, remain merely at a sub-committee level providing supportive and playing subordinate roles. Similarly, women farmer’s specific issues and strategic interest are not yet prioritized in women rights movements. Further, there are limited efforts to organize women farmers, build their capacity and provide platform to bring their voices at national level (although, some efforts are made at local levels).

Realising the gap and pressing need, two important events were organised in 2014 under joint initiative of Oxfam’s GROW campaign, Prerana, CSRC, CEN and Agriculture for food campaign alliance. These included Women Farmers’ Felicitation programme and Women Farmers’ National Assembly. The assembly provided women farmers’ a common platform; for reality check on the existing situation and to voice their perspectives, struggles as well as demands, at a national level. The assembly was participated by over 100 women farmers from 30 districts, policy makers, government authorities, activists, civil society, peoples’ organizations and media. A commonly owned nine member Women Farmers’ Forum was formed including representatives from the National Land Rights Forum, National Women Rights Forum, National Farmers Group Federation Nepal and other district level farmers’ groups as a common platform where their queries and issues can be discussed, brought at front and enable them to address them efficiently. Similarly, Considering greater need to illustrate and draw attention of policy makers, decision makers, donors, civil society organizations, people’ forums towards establishing women farmers’ identity and rights, a public campaign event was organized where 22 women farmers were felicitated for their contribution and leadership in securing food for household and community in June 2014.

From both initiatives, there is increasing realization that establishment of rural women’s identity as farmers and their empowerment is a key to improve the status of women, growth in agriculture sector, improvement in food security and economic status of the country.  This requires supporting women farmers’ forum further to develop their capacity and visioning through participatory strategic planning process which will enable them to take forward actions and activities of the forum. This assignment has been sought to guide and operationalise this requirement.

3.       Objective of the Assignment

The overall objective of the assignment is to develop three years’ Strategic Plan for Women farmers’ forum which will help the forum to effectively take forward the women farmer’ issue in existing networks and policy spaces available at national level. The specific objectives of the assignment are:

·         Review/Assess the current status and state of art on Women farmers in Nepal

·         Facilitate the participatory process of strategy development including two days workshop

·         Synthesize/  develop strategic plan for women farmers’ forum

4.       The Expected Output and Key Deliverables

• Draft workshop proceeding report and final report adding in feedback from Oxfam and key stakeholders (maximum 5 pages) as a main body of the report covering participants list, photos in annexes.
• A complete strategic plan on agreed format/outline (maximum 15 pages) in both English and Nepali

 5.       Methodology of the Assignment 

The consultant will develop detailed methodology focusing the objectives to deliver the expected output which will be finalized in consultation with Oxfam. The methodology should ensure consultative and participatory process, including desk review, policy analysis, key stakeholder interview and consultative workshop. Finalise the strategic plan in consultation with relevant stakeholders; through meeting and discussion of the committee itself and alliance members. It is expected that the consultant will work very closely with Women Farmers’ forum, Oxfam, Prerana, CSRC and Agriculture for food Campaign Alliance team.

 Implementation arrangements:  Workshop will be managed and cost will be borne directly by Oxfam

6.       Timeline of the Assignment

Total assignment will be completed within 11 working days from the date of contract signing.  

Interested firms are requested to send their proposal for above assignment along with Company registration, VAT registration, Tax clearance of latest fiscal year by 02 February 2015  via mail to recruitment_nepal@oxfam.org.uk or G.P.O. Box 2500, Kathmandu.