RFP for the development, production and implementation of creative performances and youth capacity development on sexual violence in Egypt

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security. Placing women’s rights at the center of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.
UN Women supports innovative and catalytic programmes, advocacy, and technical assistance related to women’s human rights in countries throughout the world as part of the overall UN development cooperation system.
Violence against women has been witnessing a drastic increase in Egypt in the last decade. The perception of gender-based violence, society’s reactions and the socio-cultural dimension of the problem vary from urban context to Upper Egypt and rural areas. Elements such as education, media, family upbringing, employment, social context, political context and others affect the different forms of violence women and girls face across Egypt. Public forms of gender-based violence that overwhelmingly affect women and girls are not always clearly defined, neither much less reported nor adequately sanctioned as only few laws are in place to address them. Beyond violent and delinquent acts based on gender, various forms of discrimination and abuse against women are manifested in modern city life in more subtle ways, including exclusion from political and socio-economic participation and access to services.
UN Women Egypt has been keen on integrating the use of creative tools in addressing sensitive issues such as gender based violence and relevant social taboos. Projects have been developed to enhance the capacities of youth in using interactive community theater and art in stimulating dialogue on domestic violence; UN Women has organized as well several storytelling events allowing real life testimonials on violence against women to see the light on stage empower the survivors and educate the public simultaneously.
The purpose of these terms of reference is to hire an NGO/ company with strong experience in creative art, experiential learning, music and theater to provide a training program for volunteers under “Safe Cities” project allowing them to organize street performances addressing sexual harassment in their communities. The company is expected to design and conduct interactive art performances on sexual violence and gender-based violence in several governorates (15) across Egypt with specific focus on disadvantaged communities.
The contractor will be based in the Cairo office;

Objectives of the project:
 Provide volunteers selected under “Safe Cities” project from 3 underprivileged communities in Egypt with stronger understanding on the use of experiential art and theater in addressing street sexual harassment;
 Enabling volunteers under “Safe Cities” project through this program to design community based performances reflecting personal testimonials on sexual harassment (one performance in each community; a total of three);
 Increase capacity of volunteers in using art techniques to address gender-based violence;
 Encourage women and girls to break the silence about forms of discrimination; social challenges and also highlight triumphs and success stories;
 Engage men and boys in community advocacy against gender-based violence;
 Organize community-based art performances and open dialogue on gender based violence across Egypt;
 Increase awareness and responsiveness of the general public on gender-based violence and rights of women and girls in private and public spaces;
 Advocate for ending violence against women;
 Strengthen the unacceptability of violence against women and girls in the society;