Development of a Pictorial Tool to increase awareness about bodily autonomy and facilitate inclusive informed consent for all, including for PWD

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Development of a Pictorial Tool to increase awareness about bodily autonomy and facilitate inclusive informed consent for all, including for Persons with disabilities in all their diversity

Contracting programme or service: Inclusive Global Health Division (sector of inclusive Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights)

1. CONTEXT

Presentation of Humanity & Inclusion

Outraged by the injustice faced by people with disabilities and vulnerable populations, we aspire to a world of solidarity and inclusion, enriched by our differences, where everyone can live in dignity. Humanity & Inclusion / Handicap International (HI) is an international non-governmental Organization founded in 1982 and currently located in more than 60 countries worldwide. HI is an independent and impartial aid organisation with no religious or political affiliations working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. The organisation works alongside people with disabilities and vulnerable populations, taking action and bearing witness in order to respond to their essential needs, improve their living conditions and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights. For further information: www.hi.org

Context & Explanation of the reason for the mission

The Inclusive Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (iSRHR) department is part of HI’s Inclusive Global Health division and works on universal access to SRHR (including Maternal Newborn Health) information, education and services by addressing the historical exclusion of persons with disabilities and vulnerable populations from SRHR services. HI’s approach to iSRHR utilizes a twin track approach of mainstreaming inclusive SRH practices by taking into account the intersectionality of disability, gender and age and is grounded in Human Rights. HI does this with meaningful participation of persons with disabilities and particularly women and girls with disabilities and their representative organizations, by supporting governments to develop and implement disability inclusive SRHR policies, providing disability inclusive SRHR trainings to service providers, raising awareness on disability and SRH-rights and gender norm transformations through inclusive SBCC, and supporting health facilities to become more accessible. HI works to promote the empowerment of persons with disabilities and especially of women and girls with disabilities on advocacy, comprehensive sexual education, and health literacy.

Persons with disabilities have the same rights to the highest attainable standard of healthcare and SRH and in making their own choices about sexuality and sexual health. This right to healthcare is enshrined in international laws through human rights treaties, and in domestic legal frameworks including national constitutions. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the international human rights treaty on disability, adopted or ratified by 184 countries since 2006, affirms that “States Parties recognize that persons with disabilities have the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health without discrimination on the basis of disability”.

Despite the existence of legal frameworks and policies, the rights of persons with disabilities, and particularly of women and adolescent girls, to make informed decisions about their bodies or their health care process is consistently violated. They are more likely to not receive adequate and comprehensible evidence-based information about health interventions and to undergo medical procedures without being in the position to provide informed consent, which violates their bodily autonomy and is therefore a human rights violation and is considered a form of gender-based violence (GBV). Women and girls with disabilities may be denied or forced into pregnancy and abortion or subjected to coerced procedures such as contraception or sterilization. Procedures like the insertion of an Intra Uterine Device (IUD) or tubal ligation without informed consent are often performed under the guise of “protection” or legitimized as necessary to regulate menstruation, control sexual expression and fertility, or prevent pregnancy resulting from sexual abuse, usually with the consent of others acting on their behalf.[1]

In 2023, HI published guidelines on “Avoiding Harm, Respecting Rights: Facilitated Person-centered, Disability-inclusive Informed Consent in Sexual and Reproductive Health Settings (Experience from Uganda & Rwanda).” The guidance is meant to increase awareness of a human rights-based approach to informed consent for SRH care and to promote equitable and inclusive practice. To facilitate the use of this guidance, HI is seeking a consultant to elaborate an accessible and practical pictorial tool to increase awareness about bodily autonomy and to facilitate inclusive informed consent, particularly among women and girls with disabilities. The tool is to be used by SRHR actors and service providers.

1. DESCRIPTION OF THE EXPECTED SERVICE

Global objective

Design and produce culturally appropriate, accessible and inclusive pictorial materials with specific consideration of persons with different types of disabilities to be used as communication aids to increase awareness about bodily autonomy and to facilitate inclusive informed consent, particularly during the provision of SRHR services. The pictorial tools will be used by different stakeholders involved in inclusive SRHR, including but not limited to: SRH service providers, health outreach workers, community health workers, other healthcare providers, and organisations for persons with disabilities.

Expected deliverables

1. Undertake a rapid mapping and review of existing tools available to increase awareness about bodily autonomy and to facilitate inclusive informed consent. Identify strengths and gaps in utilizing the existing tools, particularly among persons with different types of disabilities. Deliverable to be in the form of a table to provide a database of existing tools.
2. Based on the findings from Deliverable 1, design two storyline of pictorials:
   1. One storyline to be used to increase awareness about bodily autonomy among persons with different types of disabilities
   2. One storyline to be used by SRH services providers to facilitate inclusive informed consent for persons with different types of disabilities.
3. After HI has collected feedback from partners about the initial storyline of pictorials, the Consultant will then make the necessary changes to the pictorials and prepare the final versions.

All pictorials must be produced in digital formats that can be easily used and adapted according to the needs of the users. Text in different languages should be incorporated or adapted without any difficulties. All pictorials must consider accessibility standards in terms of size, colour contrast, visibility friendly fonts etc.

1. CONSULTANT’S PROFILE

The consultant(s) should possess relevant experience in undertaking a task of similar nature and magnitude and shall have the following qualifications and/or experience:

• Professional background in graphic design, health communication
• Ability to facilitate the production of high-quality pictorial images
• Experience in drafting and producing accessible pictorial Information Education Communication (IEC) materials
• Knowledge of disability inclusion and communication barriers and enablers of persons with disabilities including persons with intellectual disabilities
• Experience in working or collaborating with persons with disabilities
• Knowledge in accessible communication criteria for all groups of persons with disabilities
• Experience in Human Centred Design
• Knowledge and understanding in the fields of gender, sexuality and SRHR is an asset
• Good communication and coordination and excellent English language skills
• Ability to write clear, concise reports and presentations in English
• Ability to provide copies of previous concepts and productions of pictorials and information and education material, share sample copies of the work that are similar or related to this assignment.

1. DURATION AND PLACE OF PERFORMANCE OF THE SERVICE

• Start date: October 1, 2024
• End date: November 29, 2024
• Place of performance: online/remote
• Length of performance: 12 days within 2 months

1. WORK PLAN

• Based on the proposed schedule included in these Terms of Reference, the consultant should establish a work plan for the completion of the service
• The work plan should give a clear description of how the consultant intends to approach the activities necessary to the service’s completion
• The plan should indicate the rate of progress and/or level of completion of the service, including criteria and indicators for checking that it is proceeding as planned.

1. ADMINISTRATIVE AND TECHNICAL ANNEXES TO BE SUBMITTED

Applicants shall submit, in English, as minimum requirements:

1. Curriculum vitae.
2. A technical proposal (maximum 10 pages) and work plan (see section “5. Work Plan”), including the proposed methodologies and proposed schedule/ clear timelines.
3. Samples (at least 10 pictorials etc.) of previous work done in similar fields.
4. Financial proposal in Euros clearly outlining professional fees of the consultant(s) per deliverable. Prices shall be expressed exclusive of withholding tax and inclusive of VAT. The consultant/s will cover all assignment-related costs (internet, software, stationary, etc.).
5. Request for reasonable accommodations if needed.

How to apply

1. HOW TO APPLY

• Persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
• Application must be submitted in English by September 17, 2024, at 5pm CET, to Humanity & Inclusion at la.kus@hi.org with j.dibiasi@hi.org in copy, clearly mentioning in the subject of the email: “Development of Pictorial Informed Consent tool for SRHR”.
• Applications must include all documents listed in section “6. Administrative and technical annexes to be submitted.”
• Applications may include any additional documents deemed relevant.

Consultants with lived experience of disability are encouraged to apply. Only candidates who meet all qualifications and experience will be contacted for further consideration. HI is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behavior at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and committed to promoting the welfare of men and women with and without disabilities with whom HI engages. HI expects all staff and partners to share this commitment through our code of conduct and other Institutional policies such as the PSEAH and Child Protection Policy.

1. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

During and after the contract period, the Consultant/s undertakes not to publish, distribute or make public, without the prior written permission of HI, the results of their activities under this contract, or the documents or information provided, produced and received. Such results, documents and information shall remain the property of HI.

[1] Frohmader C, Ortoleva S. The Sexual and Reproductive Rights of Women and Girls with Disabilities. ICPD. 2012.