Organisation Name: Plan International  Vietnam

Application Deadline : 14:00 -  01/04/2022

Title: Researchers for Study  “CEFM-the power of norms that forces girls to be brides early” a case study of H’Mong and Dzao Ethnics in Ha Giang - Northern Vietnam

About Plan International

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights, with a special focus on equality for girls. Plan International has over 80 years’ experience and works in more than 75 countries across the world. Plan International has been working in northern and central Vietnam since 1993. Our work supports marginalized children and youth, especially adolescent girls, to start life and grow up physically and mentally healthy and as adolescents so they are leading the way to shape their own future. We believe girls have the power to change the world. Our ambition is to work alongside them and together take action so that 2 million girls in Vietnam can learn, lead, decide and thrive by 2022.

Plan International commit to hold ourselves to account for ensuring that no child or young person is harmed, or placed at risk of harm, as a result of their association with us. Our policy governs the behaviours of Plan staff, associates and visitors to behave appropriately with all people, in all their diversity, ensures that we specifically minimize risks to girls, boys, children and young people in all their diversity and that we report on and respond to any concerns appropriately putting the rights, needs and wishes of the survivor at the forefront. 

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for. Our organisation is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas. We will provide equality of opportunity and will not tolerate discrimination on any grounds. We foster an organisational culture that embraces and exemplifies our commitment to gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion while supporting staff to adopt good practice, positive attitudes and principles of gender equality and inclusion.

Background

Globally around 21% of young women were married before their 18th birthday: 650 million girls and women alive today were married as children. 12 million girls under 18 are married each year. 25 million child marriages have been prevented in the last decade thanks to progress made. South Asia had the largest decline in the prevalence of child marriage during this time, from 49% to 30%. However, progress must accelerate or more than 120 million additional girls will marry before their 18th birthday by 20301.

Plan International has considered:

• Child, early and forced marriage (CEFM) is a harmful practice, form of gender-based violence and a violation of children’s rights and the rights of girls and women, as well as a fundamental impediment to human development. In some circumstances, it can also amount to gender-based violence. While boys are also affected by child marriage, it has particularly adverse effects on girls and young women, curtailing their education, social engagement and economic empowerment, violating their sexual and reproductive health and rights, limiting their autonomy and placing them at increased risk of violence. CEFM has serious life-threatening and long-term consequences for girls and women, as well as their communities and societies.
• CEFM is a human rights violation. Despite laws against it, this harmful practice remains widespread. CEFM can lead to a lifetime of suffering. Girls who marry before they turn 18 are less likely to remain in school and more likely to experience domestic violence. Young teenage girls are more likely to die due to complications in pregnancy and childbirth than women in their 20s, and their children are more likely to be stillborn or die in the first month of life.

Gender equality is one of the 17 Global Goals that make up the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and includes a target 5.3 on eliminating all harmful practices including Child, Early and Forced marriage. Plan International Asia Pacific Regional Hub (hereinafter referred to as Plan International APAC) has identified elimination of CEFM as one of its strategic priority areas for influencing and programming.

Vietnam is not considered as a country with high prevalence of CEFM, just 10% of women aged 20-24 years in 2014 was found to be married or in union before their 18th birthday. However, the three regions have higher prevalence: Northern, Central and Mekong delta, with 19%, 16% and 14% respectively (UNICEF). Within a region, there are differences among provinces and ethnicities.  The Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs (CEMA) has published their research that child marriage is 26.6% as the average of 53 ethnic minority groups (sharing 15% of the population of Vietnam, c.a. 98 million). Among the ethnic groups, there are some with extremely high prevalence, e.g.: 59.7% of the Hmong; 50% for Brau and Ro Mam; 42% of Ga Rai; and 37.8% of Dzao. Etc.

Objective:

To end CEFM is an ambitious agenda the UN has announced as an initiative to advance efforts to end child marriage by 2030 and protect the rights of millions of the most vulnerable girls around the world. Plan International Asia (APAC) has had great efforts and ambition in understanding and addressing the issues of CEFM over the years. To respond to it, PIV has strategically planned all efforts for gender equality and to protect girls from gender-based violence, including CEFM. The study is to help PIV with insight of the complex issue from the cultural, social and gender norms angle.

Changing norms, attitudes and behaviors of families, communities and civil society is a defined area in the global theory of change of the gender transformative programming and It is also one of the key pathways under the global CEFM 18+ Theory of Change. Findings of the study are to keep PIV well informed in programming for the achievement of the strategic objectives of the country strategy of 2020-2025.

Additionally, the study is also to provide explanations of concept of social and gender norms and theories to the staff for the improvement of effective work in gender transformative programs.

Research questions:

Given CEFM is with a high incidence in Ha Giang, especially in the two ethnic groups of H’mong and Dzao, and it is a complex issue, the main research question in the context is formulated in such a way:

To what extent the current high prevalence of CEFM in the two ethnic groups is attributed to their social and gender norms, and is there any disparity of norms influencing the CEFM among the groups?

In details:

• A great practical importance to know whether child marriage is a rational response or a custom; a moral rule; a descriptive norm; or a social/gender norm?
• How individual behaviors that perpetuate child marriage are understood through people’s preferences; the options they have in trying to satisfy these preferences; and (3) the false beliefs they hold about their options?
• How the collective practices of social norms are manifested? And how individual behaviors are understood as contributions to the collective practices of CEFM?
• How are the social norms affecting the individual behaviors in CEFM?
• Who are the actors that have impacts on CEFM?
• How do the girls and boys exercise their autonomous agency in deciding their marriage?
• Who in the family has the final say in making decision on CEFM?
• What are possible differences of norms in CEFM between the two ethnic groups?
• What are key recommendations for changing norms and behaviors in the regard of child marriage?
• What are the key negative gender norms triggering and perpetuating CEFM? What are their root causes that need to be addressed to eliminate CEFM?
• Where do social and gender norms intersect and how does this interplay further aggravate the incidence and perpetuation of CEFM?
• What formal and informal power structures persist due to the deeply entrenched negative social and gender norms that further exacerbate CEFM? Which key power-holders need to be challenged through a constructive dialogue?
• What are the positive and nourishing social and gender norms to be promoted in preventing and eliminating CEFM? Who are the key actors that could be engaged in promoting these positive norms?
• How does “marriage as protective mechanism” further perpetuate incidence of CEFM?
• How do negative social and gender norms further affect and aggravate the situation of married girls?

Deliverables:

An inception report with detailed methodology, methods and research framework for review and endorsement by Plan International Vietnam, that includes:

• Site and sample selection
• Researchers’ role management, including ethical approval
• Research strategies
• Data collection techniques
• Managing and recording data
• Data analysis strategies
• Management plan, time line and feasibility analysis

A final report containing:

• Introduction of the two theories;
• Introduction of the concepts that help better understand the theory and framework related to CEFM;
• Findings with clear explanations of CEFM in the two selected ethnic groups of Ha Giang province
• Recommendations to Plan International Vietnam for interventions

Required qualifications and skills:

The candidates must have their background in sociology, ethnology and development study as well as research methodology. Equally important, they should have their rich and proven experience in conducting such qualitative researches in the past.

As the report will be published, we expect it is written in English by the consultant(s) with sufficient quality in both findings and language proficiency.

Expected timeline:      March 2022 – June 2022 

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How to apply: 

Applications should submit:

• Cover letter expressing their interest in the position, highlighting work you have done that meets the requirements and what they can contribute to the research.
• The professional CV, including the names and email addresses of three professional referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience.

All submissions should be sent to [email protected] by 14:00 April 01^st, 2022.

We thank all applications for their interest in the study. Please note that only qualified applicants with relevant skills and experience will be contacted.

 

Organization: Plan International
Location:
Application deadline: 2022-04-01
Send application to: [email protected]