Research Consultant to develop a CSO Toolkit Monitoring and Reporting on Implementation of the GDC and other international and regional frameworks on digital governance and cooperation through international and regional mechanisms

Terms of Reference: Monitoring and Reporting on Implementation of the GDC and other international and regional frameworks on digital governance and cooperation through international and regional mechanisms: A Toolkit for CSOs 

Position: Consultant 

Duration: July - August 

Location: Remote 

Overview

Equality Now is an international human rights organisation with the mission to achieve legal and systemic change that addresses violence and discrimination against all women and girls around the world. Our main areas of work are ending sexual violence, ending sexual exploitation, ending harmful practices, and achieving legal equality.

To tackle emerging challenges for women and girls and discriminated-against groups in the digital realm, Equality Now with Women Leading in AI formed the Alliance for Universal Digital Rights (AUDRi). We are collaborating to create a digital future where everyone can enjoy equal rights to safety, freedom, and dignity. Through AUDRi, we leverage our international networks and experience in human rights research, action, and advocacy to convene knowledge, co-create solutions, and champion change. 

During our engagement with the GDC, together with other CSOs, as well as UNPFA and UN Women, we developed a set of Feminist Digital Principles for the inclusion of gender in the GDC that became a rallying point for our advocacy. AUDRi worked as a member of the coalition Gender in the GDC to advocate for the inclusion of gender considerations in the UN Global Digital Compact (GDC), which is part of the Pact of the Future. The GDC was adopted by UN member states in 2024 and includes some of the language we advocated for, although it did not go as far as we wanted. It includes a stand-alone principle on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, as well as commitments to address sexual and gender-based violence that occurs through or is amplified by the use of technology. However, we wanted to see gender considerations mainstreamed more across the framework. 

In this post-GDC period, AUDRi is building a movement to advocate for governments to implement the GDC and other international and regional digital governance and cooperation frameworks, ensuring grounding in and alignment with international human rights law and standards.

We are looking to hire a Consultant to research and produce a Toolkit that CSOs and other stakeholders can use to monitor and report on national governments’ implementation of the GDC and other international and regional frameworks on digital governance and cooperation, and the Feminist Digital Principles, using an intersectional feminist lens. The Consultant will research on the opportunities and avenues at the international and regional levels, including processes and mechanisms such as the treaty body reporting system, UN and regional special mechanisms, the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), and other digital governance processes and spaces including the High Level Political Forum, WSIS and the IGF.  Regionally, the Consultant will focus on opportunities and avenues in Africa, Latin America, and Europe. The toolkit will be a practical guide for CSOs to engage with these mechanisms. 

Description of specific activities

The Consultant will work under the supervision and overall guidance of the Global Coordinator - AUDRi  and will undertake the following activities:

Produce a Toolkit that addresses the following areas: 

1. A basic explainer of the different international and regional frameworks on digital rights, governance, and cooperation, including UN and regional treaties, the GDC, the Feminist Digital Principles, and others 
2. What international and regional monitoring, reporting, and advocacy mechanisms could be used to facilitate the implementation of the digital principles and relevant frameworks?
   1. What are the implementation, follow-up and review mechanisms for these frameworks? (e.g., UN and regional treaty bodies, UN and regional special mechanisms, the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), and other digital governance processes and spaces such as the High Level Political Forum, WSIS, and the IGF.)
   2. What have been the successes and learnings in the process of advocating for greater implementation of key frameworks? 
3. What steps are needed to engage with these frameworks at national, regional and international levels?
4. What are the processes for engaging with these mechanisms, ensuring that the engagement is based and grounded in gender equality and intersectional feminist analysis?
5. The Toolkit should be designed for diverse CSO stakeholders, including: 
   1. CSOs working with communities
   2. Women’s rights organizations and networks (including that don’t traditionally work on digital rights) 
   3. Digital rights organizations 

Methodology 

1. In conducting the research, the Consultant should: 
   1. Explore how the different mechanisms would ensure and/or promote feminist and intersectional approaches to implementation, follow up and review of the key frameworks. Are there particular mechanisms that are better suited for this approach? 
   2. Employ both primary and secondary data sources, and also speak to a range of actors from geographically diverse regions across government, civil society (working on legal and policy advocacy), and the technology sector. 
   3. Include any relevant additional information.

2. In drafting the Toolkit, the Consultant shall take into account the following: 
   1. Incorporate intersectional feminist analysis.
   2. When referring to legal and official text, use official government, UN, or regional  sources (e.g. refer to text of laws and policy documents rather than secondary sources) in the original language and official translation if possible, and explain methodology if not. 
   3. In the rare instance that there is no primary source available, acceptable secondary sources include the World Bank (see Women, Business and the Law reports/data) and other highly reputable independent or academic institutions.  
   4. The format shall be designed by the consultant and agreed upon with the AUDRi team. 
3. Respond to any feedback from the AUDRi team, which will consist of requests for clarification and/or additional data.  

Deliverables 

The key deliverables of the consultancy are: 

1. A Toolkit 
2. Interview Questionnaire

Time-frames 

Person Specification

We are looking for a Consultant with the following competencies 

• Experience in working at the intersection of technology, law and human rights;
• Demonstrated understanding of international cooperation, internet governance and the UN eco-system;
• Familiarity and knowledge of frameworks such as the Global Digital Compact;
• Demonstrated ability to apply intersectional feminist thinking;
• Demonstrated knowledge of international human rights law;
• Experience working on women’s rights issues is a plus; 
• Strong research skills; 
• Excellent organizational skills;
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure

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