CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: COMMUNICATIONS AND ADVOCACY CONSULTANT – MASS TFGBV COP

About COVAW

The Coalition on Violence Against Women (COVAW) is a Kenyan women’s rights non-profit organization established in 1995 to address the silence surrounding violence against women and girls (VAWG). Guided by its vision of a society where women and girls enjoy equal rights, freedoms, and thrive in safe spaces, COVAW works across four core areas: increasing access to justice for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), promoting women’s economic empowerment, and fostering women’s leadership and participation in decision-making. Through evidence-based advocacy, policy engagement, and direct service delivery, COVAW deliberately addresses harmful norms, attitudes, laws, and practices that affect the safety and well-being of women and girls.

About the Project and its rationale

With funding from UNFPA Kenya, COVAW is implementing the Making All Spaces Safe (MASS) Programme (2024–2027). The programme is designed to address the growing challenge of Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) as a form of GBV by strengthening national systems, embedding TFGBV responses into existing GBV case management and referral mechanisms, advancing survivor-centred laws and policies, and enhancing the capacities of GBV service providers. In Kenya, the programme is being implemented in Nairobi, Kisumu, and Mombasa, with a strong emphasis on participatory processes, multi-stakeholder engagement, and alignment with national frameworks on gender equality and GBV.

Kenya has experienced a marked rise in TFGBV, with multiple studies confirming its prevalence and far-reaching impacts. A 2024 rapid study on TFGBV in tertiary institutions conducted by the Collaborative Centre for Gender and Development (CCGD) and the University of Nairobi WEE Hub, and supported by UNFPA, revealed that almost 90% of young adults had encountered TFGBV, with female students being disproportionately targeted through online defamation (30.4%) and the non-consensual distribution of intimate content (24.4%). Effective prevention and response to Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) requires a coordinated, multi-sectoral and survivor-centred approach.

A key component of the programme is the establishment and operationalization of a multi-stakeholder Community of Practice (CoP) on TFGBV. The CoP serves as a national platform for collaboration, collective learning, knowledge exchange, and joint advocacy on TFGBV. Bringing together stakeholders from civil society, academia, government institutions, technology companies, media, legal and justice sectors, and survivor-support organizations, the CoP seeks to strengthen coordinated action towards safer digital spaces for women and girls.

To support the CoP's advocacy agenda, COVAW seeks to engage a Communications and Advocacy Consultant to facilitate the development of joint advocacy and public education materials for use by CoP members during coordinated awareness and advocacy campaigns from October 2026 to October 2027.

Purpose of the Consultancy

To support the TFGBV Community of Practice to develop high-quality, evidence-informed, and audience-appropriate advocacy and communication materials that strengthen public awareness, policy engagement, and collective action on TFGBV in Kenya.

Specific Objectives:

1. Assess and document the advocacy and communication priorities of the CoP.
2. Develop standardized advocacy and awareness materials for use by CoP members.
3. Facilitate stakeholder review and validation of the materials.
4. Finalize and package advocacy products for dissemination and use across Nairobi, Kisumu, and Mombasa counties.

Scope of Work/Specific Tasks

The consultant will be expected to undertake the following tasks in close collaboration with COVAW, UNFPA Kenya, and CoP members:

1. Inception & Needs Assessment

   • Conduct an inception meeting with CoP members and COVAW.
   • Review relevant Programme documents, CoP framework, and existing TFGBV resources.
   • Identify priority advocacy themes, target audiences, key messages, and dissemination channels.
   • Develop and submit an inception report outlining methodology, work plan, and proposed deliverables.

2. Development of Advocacy and Communication Materials

   • Develop a suite of advocacy products for use by CoP members, including:
   • A TFGBV Advocacy Messaging Framework and Key Messages Guide.
   • Three (3) short advocacy briefs, aligned to the CoP thematic areas:
     • TFGBV Prevention
     • TFGBV Response
     • Law and Policy
   • A 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign concept note and messaging package.
   • Social media content toolkit, including sample posts, captions, hashtags, and graphics concepts.
   • Public awareness and digital literacy messages tailored to diverse audiences, including women and girls, young people, parents/caregivers, community leaders, and policymakers.

3. Validation & Feedback Incorporation

   • Facilitate one validation meeting/workshop with CoP members.
   • Incorporate stakeholder feedback into all materials.
   • Ensure consistency of messaging, accessibility, and alignment with survivor-centred and rights-based approaches.

4. Finalization & reporting

   • Submit final, editable, and print-ready advocacy products.
     • Present final outputs during an exit meeting.
     • Provide the final report, recommendations on dissemination and campaign implementation.
     • Summary of recommendations from participants

Duration

The consultancy will be undertaken between September and November 2026, for an estimated 5 consultancy days.

Expected Deliverables

The consultant is expected to produce the following deliverables within the agreed timelines.

1. One TFGBV Advocacy Messaging Framework
2. Three advocacy briefs (one per thematic cluster)
3. One 16 Days Campaign Toolkit
4. One social media toolkit/content calendar (minimum 30 posts)
5. One dissemination and engagement plan for CoP members.

Required Qualifications & Experience

1. Advanced degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Development Studies, Gender Studies, Law, Public Policy, or related field.
2. At least 5 years of experience in advocacy, strategic communications, public awareness campaigns, or social behavior change communication.
3. Demonstrated experience developing advocacy materials for civil society, development partners, or human rights organizations.
4. Knowledge and experience working on gender equality, GBV, digital rights, online safety, or technology policy issues.
5. Experience facilitating multi-stakeholder consultations and validation processes.
6. Excellent writing, editing, and visual communication skills.

COVAW invites interested applicants to submit the following documents: - Technical proposal detailing the methodology and approach to the assignment. - Itemized financial proposal (budget). - Consultant profile & CV. - Portfolio of similar assignments. - At least three references. - Interested consultants are invited to submit their applications via email to **recruit@covaw.or.ke by 26th September 2026 with the subject line:** ***“Application – Communications and Advocacy Consultant for MASS TFGBV COP”*** The consultant’s financial proposal should be all-inclusive, covering professional fees, applicable taxes, communication, and any other related expenses. COVAW will not be responsible for additional costs outside the agreed budget.