GBV and Sexual Harassment Risk Assessment Consultancy – ReGenerate Rwanda

Project Name	ReGenerate RWANDA
Title of the Tender	GBV and Sexual Harassment Knowledge, Attitudes, and Risk Assessment Consultancy
Tender Method	Open Tender
Submission Deadline	7th September 2026
Tender Reference Number	August/007/2026

1. ABOUT RWANDA MEN’S RESOURCE CENTRE (RWAMREC)

Rwanda Men’s Resource Centre (RWAMREC) is a non-governmental organization dedicated to achieving gender equality by promoting positive masculinities and engaging men and boys as allies in preventing gender- based violence (GBV) in Rwanda. Founded in 2006 by nine members and legally established in 2008 under Ministerial Order No. 114/11 of 3/9/2008, RWAMREC emerged as a response to the critical need for men to actively participate in ending violent behaviors and reshaping traditional gender norms. The organization was born out of the recognition that gender equality efforts were often perceived as solely women’s issues, leading to resistance from some men who felt threatened by the empowerment of women. RWAMREC sought to address this by demonstrating that men, too, benefit from gender equality and have a vital role to play in fostering inclusive and equitable societies. Since its inception, RWAMREC has evolved from a small local initiative into a nationally recognized organization, operating across the country. Its programs span four provinces and the City of Kigali, reflecting its growing reach and impact. The organization’s core mission remains centered on transforming harmful masculine norms, reducing violence against women and children, and fostering partnerships between men and women to advance gender justice. RWAMREC’s work is grounded in the belief that sustainable change requires the active involvement of men as advocates and role models for positive behavior. For more information, click here.

2. CONTEXT AND RATIONALE

ReGenerate Rwanda is a five-year program implemented from 2023 to 2027 with funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and implemented by TechnoServe. The program seeks to sustainably increase the incomes of 30,000 people in Rwanda, at least 70% of whom are women and youth, particularly in the Western and Southern Provinces. Using a Market Systems Development (MSD) approach, the program works with private sector actors to expand access to essential products and services and stimulate inclusive rural markets. A key feature of the program is an agent-based business model through which women and youth earn income as sales, delivery, or aggregation agents while extending products and services to underserved communities. While this model creates important opportunities for women’s economic empowerment, women agents may also face increased exposure to gender-based violence, particularly sexual harassment, during interactions with clients, community members, suppliers, and other actors. Such interactions frequently take place in households, farms, markets, trading centers, and other public or informal spaces where gender inequalities, social norms, and power imbalances may increase women’s vulnerability. Potential forms of harassment include sexualized comments, unwanted propositions, pressure to provide personal contact information, inappropriate physical or verbal behavior, and invitations to private or unsafe locations presented as business-related engagements. Such experiences can negatively affect women’s safety, dignity, mobility, confidence, economic participation, and productivity. At household and community levels, harmful gender norms may further contribute to backlash against women who take on visible economic roles. These norms may influence perceptions of women’s mobility, authority, decision-making, interactions with male clients, and control over income. Without appropriate prevention and response mechanisms, these risks may undermine both the wellbeing of female agents and the sustainability of inclusive market systems. The consultancy is therefore intended to generate evidence on the knowledge, attitudes, practices, and risk factors associated with GBV and sexual harassment affecting female agents. It will also assess the availability and effectiveness of existing prevention, reporting, referral, and response mechanisms. The findings will provide a baseline against which future changes can be assessed and will inform the design and implementation of targeted GBV prevention interventions, male engagement activities, women’s agency and safety interventions, and gender-responsive systems within partner companies. RWAMREC is seeking the services of a qualified consultant or consulting firm with demonstrated expertise in GBV, gender-transformative programming, sexual harassment, safeguarding, research, and mixed-method assessments to undertake this assignment.

3. OBJECTIVES

3.1 General Objective

To conduct a comprehensive knowledge, attitudes, practices, and risk assessment on GBV and sexual harassment affecting female agents under the ReGenerate Rwanda program and generate evidence to inform gender- responsive prevention, protection, reporting, and response interventions.

3.2 Specific Objectives

The consultancy will specifically aim to:

1. Assess the knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and practices of female agents, clients, community members, and other relevant stakeholders regarding GBV and sexual harassment.

2. Identify and analyze the main situations, locations, interactions, and structural factors that expose female agents to GBV and sexual harassment in their work and community environments.

3. Examine harmful gender norms, masculinities, power relations, and social expectations that contribute to or normalize sexual harassment and other forms of GBV.

4. Assess existing prevention, reporting, referral, and response mechanisms, including the role and effectiveness of Women Safety Committees, community leaders, partner companies, and other relevant actors.

5. Provide practical, evidence-based recommendations to strengthen GBV prevention, women’s safety, male engagement, reporting and response systems, and gender-responsive practices within the ReGenerate Rwanda market system.

4. SCOPE OF WORK

The consultancy will cover selected ReGenerate Rwanda implementation areas in the Southern and Western Provinces, specifically Gasaka and Cyanika sectors in Nyamagabe district and Kanjongo and Kagano Sectors in Nyamasheke District. The assessment will focus on female agents and key stakeholders who influence their safety and working environment, including clients, male partners, community leaders, Women Safety Committees, partner companies, and relevant service providers. The assessment will examine:

·       Knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to GBV and sexual harassment;

·       Exposure to sexual harassment and other forms of GBV;

·       Harmful gender norms, masculinities, and power relations;

·       Risks associated with women’s mobility and economic activities;

·       Household and community-level backlash;

·       Safety, reporting, referral, and response mechanisms;

·       Effectiveness of Women Safety Committees and community structures; and

·       Opportunities for engaging men and boys in GBV prevention.

The final sample and respondent categories will be agreed with RWAMREC and ReGenerate Rwanda during the inception phase.

5. TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

5.1 Consultant’s tasks

The consultant/consulting firm will:

A. Inception and Planning

·       Review relevant project documents, policies, and existing evidence.

·       Consult RWAMREC and ReGenerate Rwanda stakeholders to refine the assessment scope.

·       Develop the inception report, work plan, assessment framework, sampling strategy, and data collection tools.

·       Submit tools and protocols for approval before data collection.

B. Data Collection

·       Conduct quantitative surveys with the agreed sample.

·       Conduct Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs).

·       Conduct participatory risk mapping.

·       Assess GBV and sexual harassment experiences, risks, reporting practices, and existing response mechanisms.

C. Data Analysis and Reporting

·       Clean, analyze, and validate quantitative and qualitative data.

·       Triangulate findings and identify key risks, drivers, gaps, and protective factors.

·       Develop a GBV and sexual harassment risk profile for female agents.

·       Prepare and present preliminary findings.

·       Develop a draft and final assessment report with practical and prioritized recommendations.

5.2 Consultant’s Responsibilities

The consultant/firm will:

·       Lead the technical implementation of the assessment.

·       Ensure ethical, confidential, safe, and gender-sensitive data collection.

·       Recruit, train, and supervise data collectors.

·       Ensure data quality, security, and proper management.

·       Maintain regular communication with RWAMREC and report any challenges or risks.

·       Complete all deliverables within the agreed timelines.

5.3 RWAMREC’s Responsibilities

RWAMREC will:

·       Provide relevant project documents and background information.

·       Facilitate access to relevant stakeholders and target groups.

·       Support coordination with ReGenerate Rwanda and other relevant stakeholders.

·       Review and provide feedback on the methodology, tools, work plan, and reports.

·       Participate in validation meetings and provide timely consolidated feedback.

·       Respect the consultant’s professional independence and findings.

6. DELIVERABLES

No.	Deliverable	Key Content	Timeline / Approval
1	Draft 1 – Inception Report	Team background and capacity; methodology, sampling and tools	5 days post-signing / RWAMREC
2	Final Inception Report including Assessment Tools	Survey, KII/FGD guides, consent tools, etc.	3 days / RWAMREC
3	Fieldwork Preparation	Translation of tools and enumerator training	2 days / RWAMREC
4	Data Collection	Data collection	5 days / RWAMREC
5	Clean Datasets and Fact Sheet	Data cleaning and presentation	5 days post-fieldwork / RWAMREC
6	Draft Report	Full methodology and findings	5 days post-analysis / RWAMREC
7	Final Report and Presentation	Report with actionable recommendations and slides	5 days post-feedback / RWAMREC

7. METHODOLOGY

The assessment will use a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative and qualitative methods to generate evidence on GBV and sexual harassment risks affecting female agents. The consultant will develop and finalize the methodology during the inception phase, covering the following:

7.1 Desk Review

·       Review relevant ReGenerate Rwanda and RWAMREC documents, policies, reports, and existing data.

·       Review relevant national policies, guidelines, and literature on GBV, sexual harassment, gender equality, and

women’s economic empowerment.

7.2 Quantitative Assessment

·       Conduct structured surveys with an agreed sample of respondents.

·       Assess knowledge, attitudes, experiences, perceived risks, reporting practices, and awareness of available

support services.

·       Apply an appropriate and justified sampling strategy.

7.3 Qualitative Assessment

·       Conduct KIIs and FGDs with selected stakeholders.

·       Explore gender norms, power relations, experiences of harassment, barriers to reporting, existing response

mechanisms, and opportunities for engaging men as allies.

7.4 Risk Mapping

·       Identify key locations, interactions, and situations where female agents face GBV and sexual harassment risks.

·       Assess existing safety, coping, reporting, and referral mechanisms across household, community, and market

environments.

7.5 Gender-Transformative Analysis

The assessment will examine the underlying gender norms, masculinities, power relations, and social expectations that contribute to GBV and sexual harassment, including attitudes toward women’s economic participation, mobility, and independence.

7.6 Data Quality and Ethics

·       Ensure appropriate training, supervision, piloting, and quality checks.

·       Maintain secure and confidential data management.

·       Apply informed consent, confidentiality, and a do-no-harm approach throughout the assessment.

·       Follow agreed safeguarding and referral procedures for any GBV disclosures.

8. DURATION AND TIMELINE

The assignment is expected to be completed within 30 working days from the date of contract signing. The indicative timeline is as follows:

Phase Key Activities Duration Phase 1 Inception meeting, document review and draft inception report 5 days Phase 2 Final inception report and approved tools 3 days Phase 3 Data collection Preparation 2 days Phase 4 Data collection 5 days Phase 5 Data cleaning, analysis and presentation 5 days Phase 6 Preliminary findings 5 days Phase 7 Final report 5 days The final dates will be agreed between RWAMREC and the selected consultant/firm during contracting.

9. REPORTING ARRANGEMENT

The consultant/consulting firm will report to the RWAMREC Project Coordinator or another designated focal person. The consultant will:

·       Attend an inception meeting at the beginning of the assignment.

·       Provide regular progress updates throughout implementation.

·       Immediately communicate any significant risks, delays, ethical concerns, or methodological challenges.

·       Present preliminary findings to RWAMREC and relevant stakeholders.

·       Submit deliverables electronically in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and/or PDF formats as appropriate.

·       Conduct all formal reporting and deliverables in English.

Where field data collection is conducted in Kinyarwanda, the consultant will ensure that data collection tools are appropriately translated and that translation does not compromise the meaning of technical concepts.

10. QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE

10.1 Required Qualifications and Experience

The consultant or consulting firm should have:

·       A Master’s degree in Gender Studies, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Public Health, Sociology,

Psychology, International Development, or a related field.

·       At least 7 years of relevant experience in gender, GBV, safeguarding, social norms, KAP studies, or related

research.

·       Demonstrated experience in mixed-method research, including surveys, KIIs, FGDs, and qualitative analysis.

·       Strong knowledge of GBV prevention and response, sexual harassment, gender norms, masculinities, and

women’s economic empowerment.

·       Experience developing gender-sensitive research tools and conducting quantitative and qualitative data analysis.

·       Experience working with NGOs, development programs, private sector, or community-based organizations.

·       Good understanding of Rwanda’s gender, GBV, safeguarding, and referral context.

·       Excellent analytical and report-writing skills in English, with professional proficiency in Kinyarwanda and

English.

·       Commitment to ethical research, confidentiality, safeguarding, and the do-no-harm principle.

10.2 Desired Qualifications and Experience

Preference will be given to candidates with:

·       Experience conducting GBV/sexual harassment risk assessments in economic empowerment, workplace, market,

or community settings.

·       Experience in participatory risk mapping and gender-transformative approaches.

·       Experience working with private sector safeguarding and GBV systems.

·       Experience working in rural communities in Rwanda.

·       Ability to translate research findings into practical program and systems recommendations.

For consulting firms, the proposed team should include:

·       Team Leader/Lead Researcher: Technical leadership, methodology, quality assurance, analysis, and reporting.

·       Quantitative/Data Specialist: Survey design, data management, cleaning, and analysis.

·       Qualitative/Gender Specialist: KIIs, FGDs, risk mapping, and gender/GBV analysis.

11. EVALUATION CRITERIA

Proposals go through a two-stage technical (80%) and financial (20%) evaluation.

11.1 Technical

Criteria Weight Understanding of assignment & proposed approach 15% Methodology, sampling, data collection & analysis 25% Relevant experience in GBV, sexual harassment, gender, safeguarding 15% Experience in mixed-method research & risk assessments 10% Qualifications & experience of proposed team 10% Work plan, QA, ethics & risk management 5% Technical Score Total 80% A 60% technical threshold (of the 80%) is required to proceed to financial review.

11.2 Financial – 20%

Assessed on budget clarity, cost reasonableness, value for money, and alignment with the proposed methodology. RWAMREC may seek clarifications and will award based on best overall value, not lowest cost.

12. APPLICATION PROCESS AND REQUIRED PROPOSAL DOCUMENTS

Required documents include a technical proposal, financial proposal, CVs, Degrees, certificates of completion, references, sample work, company registration if applicable, and any other document relevant to the work. Applicants submit a complete proposal covering:

·       Technical Proposal – understanding of the assignment, methodology, sampling strategy, data approach,

ethics/safeguarding, Quality Assurance, work plan, team composition, and relevant experience.

·       Financial Proposal – itemized budget with total cost in RWF.

·       Supporting Documents – CVs, degrees/certificates, 3+ references, sample work, company registration and tax clearance (where applicable).

Submit electronically to info@rwamrec.org by 7 th September, 5:00 PM Kigali time; subject line: Application – GBV and Sexual Harassment Knowledge, Attitudes, and Risk Assessment Consultancy.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. RWAMREC reserves the right to accept/reject proposals and is not bound to select the lowest-priced offer.

Done at Kigali, August 24, 2026

Fidele RUTAYISIRE

Executive Director, RWAMREC

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