Call for applications: consultancy to support the development of a position paper

End FGM EU is looking for a consultant to support the development of a position paper on Female Genital Mutilation and Religious Discrimination.

Full Terms of Reference here

Since 2021, End FGM EU has a working group on FGM and intersectionality, exploring the links between the practice and other forms of discrimination and/or social issues. In 2022, the Network published a paper on FGM, Antiracism and Intersectionality as the first product of this working group. As a follow-up to this reflection on FGM and Antiracism, the working group members have decided to explore religious discrimination. Indeed, FGM can be linked to various sets of belief, some of them rooted in religious dogma. This means that in the general public’s perception, FGM can be seen as a religious practice and this perceived link between religion and FGM can create a stigma and feed hate speech and discrimination towards certain religious communities. In particular, Islam seems to be singled out as the main cause for FGM, but other religions are also employed to justify this practice, including Christianism and Hinduism . In order to make sure these harmful narratives are not reproduced and to actively uproot religious discrimination from the anti-FGM movement, the working group has decided to reflect on these common myths and their effect. As an outcome of this reflection, End FGM EU will produce a short paper on the intersectionality of Female Genital Mutilation and religious discrimination. This paper will explore, through the lens of intersectionality, the impact of religious discrimination on the work to end FGM and support affected communities and Survivors. From such analysis, this paper will pull out concrete recommendations to ensure that religious discrimination is properly addressed both when advocating against the practice and when preventing and responding to it.

More concretely, the objectives of this short paper are to:

• Initiate an understanding of the issue through the intersectionality lens, presenting the diversity of beliefs used to justify FGM and the diversity of people affected, identifying the added challenges created by religious discrimination for activists, affected communities and Survivors of FGM.
• Identify the specific needs created by these challenges in particular regarding access to information and resources.
• Develop an End FGM EU position statement on FGM and Religious Discrimination.
• Put forward concrete recommendations to EU institutions and other stakeholders within the movements against FGM to account for these discriminations in their work.
• Present the diversity of beliefs used to justify FGM and the diversity of people affected and/or working to put an end the practice in Europe and beyond.

Expected Deliverables

The aim of this consultancy is to carry out the research with the support of End FGM EU and the dedicated new Working Group as well as support the production of a final paper on the topic.

It is expected that the consultant will undertake the following tasks:

1. Refine the definitions of concepts such as intersectionality, religious discrimination, islamophobia, freedom of belief…etc. as they relate to FGM and agree upon them with members of the WG.
1. Conduct research, including interviews with End FGM EU members, other actors of the anti-FGM movement and community members (such as our Ambassadors).
1. Attend regular ad-hoc meetings with End FGM EU staff to coordinate the creation of the paper
1. Attend relevant WG meetings (around 3) to report to the members around the work conducted.
1. Support the drafting and review of a position paper on FGM and Religious Discrimination (the final paper will be around 10 pages)

Read the full Terms of Reference with the expected deliverables.

To be considered for this service, the applicant must:

• Send an email expressing interest to Xheni Dani, Policy and Advocacy Coordinator (see email below).
• Send their CV highlighting relevant advocacy experience (national, and/or toward intergovernmental institutions) and expertise in researching issues of religious discrimination, GBV and intersectionality – knowledge of FGM specifically would be an asset.
• Indicate their rate/payment expectation for this consultancy.
• (Optional) Provide any evidence of previous relevant research they have carried out (in English) around GBV, religious discrimination and/or FGM.

The proposal must be submitted electronically in English to xdani@endfgm.eu by 26th April 2023