We are seeking a feminist Learning Partner (either a research organization or individual research consultant/s) to collaborate with Raising Voices and SASA! Together partners in Burkina Faso and Mali. This partnership aims to generate valuable learning on feminist scale, feminist partnerships, and violence against women (VAW) prevention.

This opportunity requires French language proficiency and working knowledge of English. While the first round of selection is in English, we’re assessing overall fit and alignment of skills, not perfect English.

About SASA! Together

 SASA! Together is a community mobilization approach created by Raising Voices in Uganda to prevent violence against women that has been shown to create change at the community level, reducing the risk of intimate partner violence by 52% in a randomized-controlled trial study. The SASA! Together approach encourages the whole community — individuals, leaders, and institutions — to question and change what is considered normal or acceptable. It helps us consider how balanced power between women and men can make us all safer, happier, and healthier. It has been used by more than 60 organizations in over 35 countries worldwide. It has recently been adapted for French-speaking countries, expanding its reach and relevance to new communities. You can learn more about SASA! Together in English here and in French, SASA! Ensemble Intro Video  and overview.

 Implementation of the French adaptation of SASA! Together

Raising Voices with support from the Irene M. Staehelin (IMS) Foundation is preparing to scale SASA! Together in partnership with four feminist organizations working to prevent violence against women in Burkina Faso and Mali. These organizations will receive technical and financial support from Raising Voices to adapt and implement the full cycle of SASA! Together over 36 months of intense programming. As part of this initiative, we are seeking a Learning Partner to help us co-create, document, and learn from this process in feminist, participatory, and rigorous ways.

This initiative brings together three key ingredients for effective programming: feminist organizations deeply rooted in community and committed to quality VAW prevention (‘right’ organizations), tailored and ongoing technical assistance (TA) from Raising Voices with peer learning opportunities (‘right’ TA), and long-term flexible funding for 4 years (‘right’ funding). These conditions position this cohort as a potential demonstration of feminist scale and feminist partnership in action, bringing to life Community for Scaling Processes’ (CUSP) vision and conceptualization of feminist scale.

 About the Learning Partnership

This partnership will aim to generate valuable learning for the field of preventing VAW. More specifically, it will explore how the design and structure of the initiative (e.g., the three key ingredients) contributes towards feminist scale, social norm change and movement building.

The Learning Partner will collaborate closely with Raising Voices and four women’s rights organizations in Burkina Faso and Mali, to explore and document:

• The process and lived experiences of implementing feminist scale and feminist partnerships in Burkina Faso and Mali, including key barriers and enabling factors.
• The emerging learnings and outcome-level shifts within communities participating in SASA! Together.
• The contributions of community-level efforts to broader feminist activism and movement building.

Expected Scope of Work

• Design and lead a mixed methods process evaluation, with a focus on feminist scale and feminist partnerships in practice. This includes data collection, transcription (if applicable) and analysis of programming across the 4 SASA! Together partner organizations (Burkina Faso and Mali).
• Provide Technical Assistance to SASA! Together partners for Learning and Assessment activities, ensuring high-quality data collection, analysis, and documentation.
• Minimum of annual internal reports, periodic presentations/updates to the coordinating team and a final learning paper for external dissemination.
• Lead development of ethical guidelines and referral protocols, ensuring that all research activities prioritize safety, dignity, and accountability.

Criteria to apply

We are looking for a research partner who meets the following qualifications:

• Familiarity with the region (Language and Geography)
  • Proficient in French and working knowledge of English. (Proficiency in major indigenous languages spoken in Mali and Burkina will be an added advantage)
  • Based in West Africa, with preference given to candidates located in Burkina Faso or Mali
• Technical experience
  • Minimum of five years of experience in violence against women (VAW) research.
  • Proven ability to conduct quantitative, qualitative, and participatory research.
  • Successfully coordinated at least two mixed-methods research projects focused on gender equality, incorporating focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and surveys.
  • Skilled in designing and leading learning/evaluation plans. Capable of producing clear, insightful and actionable documentation collaboratively.
  • Demonstrates a strong commitment to feminist values and is experienced in adhering to ethical protocols for conducting research on violence against women.
• Values and Partnership approach
  • Demonstrates a strong commitment to a partnership that reflects feminist principles, including mutual respect and accountability, balancing power, open and honest communication, and a shared vision to center women’s voices and prevent violence against women.
  • Able to commit to a long-term partnership of learning, covering full cycle implementation of SASA! Together (up to 4 years).
  • Demonstrates readiness to learn from SASA! Together, and engage actively with Raising Voices and SASA! partners
• Financial Management
  • Experience managing grants or consultancy contracts including financial and narrative reporting.
  • Can demonstrate systems or practices that ensure accountability and transparency in the use of funds.

How to Apply

To be considered for this partnership, please complete this online application form by 31^st August, 5pm GMT+3. Only full submissions will be reviewed. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted (by 19th September). Feel free to email learn@raisingvoices.org with any questions.