Terms of Reference

Technical Assistance / Short term expertise

“Gender Studies in the TEI MAV + Project”

Reference: Expert – Gender

Sector: Health / Higher Education and TVET Programs & R&D Pharma Skills

Position: Short-term expert

Country: Rwanda

Duration of the mission: Maximal Estimated 20 working days

Language: English ( French language is a plus)

Expertise France

Expertise France (EF) is a public inter-ministerial agency responsible for technical cooperation which provides project engineering and technical assistance worldwide. EF operates in various fields of development and institutional cooperation, including safety and security reform, post-crisis/ stability, public health, human rights, strengthening of institutions and NGOs and governance. Carrying out large-scale, multi-stakeholder programs, EF supports cooperation between individuals, teams and institutions with very different statuses, cultures and specialties. EF has acquired a sound experience in administrative and financial management of large-scale international programs.

Context and Background

In response to the call by African leaders under the African Vaccine Manufacturing Partnership (AVMP), in May 2021 the European Union launched a Team Europe Initiative (TEI) on manufacturing and access to vaccines, medicines and health technologies (MAV+) in Africa. The Team Europe MAV+ initiative is regional and has three dimensions: supply (production), demand (ensuring the use of products manufactured in Africa) and enabling environment (improving pharmaceutical and healthcare systems, skilled workforce, regulatory frameworks, etc.). As part of Europe's "Global Gateway" strategy and the EU-AU partnership, this initiative aims to provide comprehensive support to remove barriers to manufacturing and access to healthcare products and technologies on the continent, in support of its pharmaceutical sovereignty.

In the Rwandan context, integrating gender considerations into vaccine and pharmaceutical manufacturing and access is critical to ensuring equitable health outcomes. Women make up a significant proportion of the healthcare workforce, especially in nursing and community health roles, yet they remain underrepresented in leadership and technical positions within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. Furthermore, women often face gender-specific barriers to accessing healthcare, including limited financial resources, caregiving responsibilities, and gender norms that affect mobility and decision-making autonomy. Addressing these disparities is essential not only for equity but also for enhancing the resilience and effectiveness of Rwanda’s healthcare and pharmaceutical systems.

In line with this commitment, technical assistance is required to support EF in formulating a joint project in Team Europe format aiming at supporting Rwanda in the field of manufacturing and access to health products.

III. Objectives of the Assignment

The objective of this short-term expertise is to conduct a gender analysis and a comprehensive review on the project interventions outlined under Outcome 1 & 2.

CSO1: Health-related training/higher education is more attractive and of better quality, and students'skills are in line with labour markets needs in field of health product's manufacturing

CSO2:R&D stimulation through biotechnological ecosystem support and Clinical Trials preparedness is enhanced

The goal is to deliver practical, targeted recommendations that support the integration of gender considerations at both national and sub-national levels, ensuring the project effectively contributes to minimizing gender disparities.

Specifically, the expert will focus on the following aspects:

Conduct a gender assessment to identify existing gaps, challenges, and opportunities within the TEI MAV+ initiative, aiming to enhance gender equality throughout the project’s activities (linked to Output 1).

Review the project’s main monitoring and evaluation tools, including the logical framework and the MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning) plan, with a specific focus on aligning indicators and evaluation methods with gender equity principles.

Identify and embed the gender initiatives with the LGM’s (Local Governance Mechanisms) standard procedures and supervisory instruments, to actively support gender empowerment and promote inclusive approaches in implementation.

Additionally, the expert will:

• Work in close collaboration with the Project Leader in Kigali and the Project MEAL Officer to implement activities and liaise with national stakeholders to contribute to project ownership.
• Produce expected deliverables on time

Deliverables

The expert will produce the following deliverables:

Duration of the Assignment

20 days

VII. Qualifications and Experience

The expert should possess the following qualifications and experience:

• Experience working in diverse and culturally sensitive environments, with competencies in integrating gender perspectives into project assessment and evaluations
• Strong understanding of gender frameworks
• Experience with monitoring and evaluation tools that include gender-sensitive indicators
• Ability to build trusting relationships with national and international partners;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills (drafting technical, strategic or project implementation activities, drafting briefing notes or articles), formulating positions and defending them before authorities;
• Very good level of office tools, including Excel and Word;
• Excellent written and oral English and French is a plus

Apply: https://www.expertisefrance.fr/en/on-recrute?redirected=2#page-13253---1---technical-assistance-short-term-expertise-gender-studies-in-the-tei-mav-project-in-rwanda---en_US?backlink=search