Institute for Young Women Development (IYWD)

Deadline: 20 February 2021

The Institute for Young Women Development (IYWD) is seeking to engage a consultant to facilitate a Personal Branding for a group of young women of different political persuasions and leadership positions. An estimated 45 participants including young women and staff members will take part in the training.

Who we are

Founded in 2009, the Institute for Young Women Development (IYWD) is a feminist organisation with proven experience in promoting the participation of young women to inform and influence socio-economic and political decision-making processes. The IYWD is committed to mobilising and strengthening the voice and power of young women in marginalized communities to challenge the systems and norms that oppress them. Grounded in young women's realities, we collectively create pathways to imagine a better future and promote and defend the rights and wellbeing of young women. Through community organizing, raising political consciousness, movement-building, documentation and thinking alongside marginalised young women we compassionately promote and demand the rights of marginalised and exploited young women. It is against this background that IYWD would like to train young women from different political backgrounds on personal branding, to include grooming and etiquette as part of a feminist leadership journey.

Background

The leadership structures in Zimbabwe remain muscular and patriarchal in nature despite the country’s population being largely dominated by women who represent 52% of the country’s overall population (Inter-Censal Demographic Survey 2017). This is despite that, on paper, Zimbabwe has undergone thorough processes to overturn the patriarchal systems that are embedded in culture that are consistent with suppressing women.

In addition to suppressing women, patriarchal systems have also been characterized by suppressing youth thus making young women the most vulnerable as they are suppressed as both women and as youth. The gendered and patriarchal structures and systems oppress young women more as they are not protected by class, age and patriarchal power. This is despite the fact that our country has passed on legislation and has come up with policies and programmes aimed at advancing women and girls’ rights. The same institutions that seek to advance the rights of women and girls malign the same by imposing a very limited understanding of such rights. They impose and reinforce the same oppressive cultural norms, beliefs, and attitudes. When it comes to women’s political participation, it is within the dictates of protecting patriarchal power. Women who have dared challenge the system continue to be labelled and isolated as ways of punishing the transformative power some women offer in the political space.

Negative narratives of politics and public decision-making have created a culture of fear among many communities, young women included. And with the absence of revolutionary support systems that facilitate ‘Activism with a Soul’, young women’s capacity to access their fierce political power to resist, disrupt and offer alternative leadership that is transformational is limited. Resultantly, young women continue to be underrepresented in these key decision and policy making institutions thereby perpetuating a culture of marginalization of their voice and influence at that level. Currently, the level of representation of young women in the country’s elective politics is less than 4%, yet demographically, women constitute 52% and youth constitute 67%. And since young women are found on the intersection of these two big populations, it can be derived that they constitute the largest demographic group.

It is against this background that IYWD is conducting an intervention aimed at strengthening feminist leadership. This is because IYWD recognizes the critical role of coaching leaders who are grounded in feminist or transformative leadership styles that challenge the current status quo to pave way for liberal and inclusive participation and representation in leadership.

Purpose and coverage

As part of its ongoing work to promote young women’s participation and leadership, IYWD will be hosting a virtual Personal Branding training. The training will be held with young women, who are aspiring to get into, and those already in civic and political leadership. The training is premised on the understanding that politicians are sellers of perceptions and ideas to the community at large, making personal branding an important aspect for aspiring politicians. The objectives of this engagement are: (i) To develop a training manual on Personal Branding that incorporates digital branding, grooming and etiquette (ii) To train a select number of young women leaders and IYWD staff on the same. The training will focus on imparting personal branding including grooming and etiquette skills which are essential tools for young women’s leadership. The training is expected to make use of a feminist approach to branding and grooming. As part of the training, the Consultant is expected to task the selected young women leaders to come up with a Portfolio of Evidence (POE) that will show their milestones through the Personal Branding training. The POE should also include the young women’s digital presence by creating and using at least one social media account to share their views with the world. The training will be conducted virtually, and will be conducted twice as a one day session on the 27th of February 2021; and on 15th of April 2021.

Methodology and scope of the work

Acknowledging the current context characterised by COVID-19 and a political crisis in Zimbabwe, IYWD recommends safe approaches to this assignment that do not further expose its training participants to the pandemic and other safety and security issues.

Consultant deliverables

The following specific deliverables are expected from the consultant: An Expression of Interest outlining the methodology to be used to conduct the assignment- both the development of the manual and the training; A completed training manual covering relevant topics on Personal Branding; Training programme and Powerpoint presentation of the training; Facilitate the Training; A report detailing how the assignment was carried out and any lessons and recommendations for IYWD.

Consultancy competencies, experience and skill requirements

Minimum of a university degree in Marketing, Business Development, Creative Art and Design or other relevant fields; Extensive knowledge of civil society sector in Zimbabwe is an added advantage; Extensive experience in working with diverse groups that are part of the feminist movements locally and internationally is an added advantage; Proven and demonstrated broad knowledge of and ability to train on personal branding including digital marketing; and grooming and etiquette; Excellent communication and written skills in English language including Zimbabwean local languages