Researcher

TERMS OF REFERENCE  Researcher    1. Background: The Women’s Access to Justice in the MENA region project Phase 2 is a 3 year project implemented by LECORVAW in partnership with Oxfam GB and five other NGO partners in Lebanon, Jordan, Yemen and Egypt. It is designed to build upon the successes of Phase 1 (April 2011 – March 2014). . The key problem this project will address is the limited and inequitable access of poor and vulnerable women to justice. The underlying factors are described in more detail below:   1) Limited capacities of women to claim their rights due to limited ability to make well informed decisions related to one’s rights and limited affordability of legal services and litigation for women. 2) Women are socially deterred from accessing the judicial system. 3) Formal and informal justice systems are perceived as gender biased/ discriminating against women. 4) Limited impact of CSO advocacy on women’s rights and access to justice. Designed by Oxfam GB and partners, the project seeks to work at the personal, community and systemic levels while fostering stakeholders’ engagement and influencing decision makers at all levels. According to the theory of change the Project seeks change at different levels that will cumulatively create an environment in which women are able to claim their rights through the judicial institutions   Rational: As a part of the Women's Access to Justice, phase II project, LECORVAW aims at lunching a national advocacy campaign to amend the PSL laws and procedures for registering marriages in Sharia Sunni courts in Tripoli. In order to inform the campaign, LECORVAW is seeking to have information on the current legal situation and reasons and exploring the causes of this problem and presenting recommendations to guide the campaign.     The objectives of the research are:   Analyze the current legal situation for registering marriages (Regulations, procedures, payments) Explore the causes of the high rate of unregistered marriage in the Sunni community, including legal, social and financial considerations. Analyze the impact of unregistered marriage on women's rights with particular focus on practices and processes for obtaining divorce, alimony, inheritance and child custody. Presentation recommendations to guide in the advocacy campaign.   The methodology:   Methodology will be agreed between LECORVAW and the consultant. However, LECORVAW proposes the following guidelines which can be discussed and refined with the consultant: -       Literature and Desk review -       Interviews with relevant stakeholders (including sheikh, judges, lawyers, relevant authority, etc . .)    2. Deliverables:   -       Technical proposal including all the activities that will be initiated under this consultancy   -       A reviewing of existing laws related to the process of marriage for Sunnis in Lebanon in the relevant ministries and courts -       Conduct a power analysis of the target audience, -       Develop a common public understanding of the process of registering marriage in the court -       Highlight problems and obstacles behind not registering the marriage -       Provide a clear calculation and breakdown of the total cost of registering marriage -       Final analysis report      3. Qualification:   The ability to provide creative work The ability to develop materials for the campaign. Good knowledge in the design of public outreach and awareness raising campaigns Good knowledge in communication approaches Excellent track record in all needed analytical studies Sufficient experience in the Lebanese society and context General knowledge regarding marriage courts 4.  Specifications: -       Degree in Laws or any related field -       3 to 5 years of experience in researching and consultancy -       The ability to work in different areas  -       Experience in needed analytical research. -       Fluent written and spoken Arabic and English 5. Duration of the Service: The duration of the consultancy will be 20 working days within a month period, starting January 2017 and finish by February 2017  6. Payment: The consultant will be paid phased consultancy fees in accordance with the signed contract  25% of the total fees will be paid upon signing the agreenment  The remaining 75% of the total fees will be paid upon satisfactory completion of the final report