RFQ: Women’s Rights and Protection Expert

RFQ Number: PRF# 177-004  
Issuance Date: 10/20/2025
Deadline for Offers: November 20, 2025, 6:00 PM – IRAQ time
Description: IWPR is looking for a consultant to provide support to media outlets to produce high-impact multimedia content while building the editorial capacity of journalists and editors to report ethically and effectively on sensitive women’s rights-related issues.
Funded by: US Department of State
Implemented by: Institute for War and Peace Reporting 
Point of Contact: iwpriraq@iwpr.net

(Terms of the RFQ are adapted per donor regulations)

For the full RFQ please download: RFQ: Digital Security Iraq.pdf

Instructions to Offerors

The Editorial / Women’s rights and protection Expert/Consultant will:

• Provide technical assistance to two independent media outlets to develop, package, and strategically present content that highlights the work of WROs and counters anti-women’s rights narratives.
• Provide technical assistance and guidance to produce an editorial policy on applying women’s rights-sensitivity principles for covering women’s rights issues.
• Build the capacity of journalists and editors in women’s rights-sensitive reporting, editorial ethics, and audience-responsive content production.
• Ensure the content aligns with journalistic standards, promotes information integrity and avoids the reproduction of stereotypes.

Scope of Work

Content Strategy & Technical Support

• Produce an editorial policy on applying women’s rights-sensitivity principles for covering women’s rights issues.
• Guide editorial planning and content packaging to effectively promote the work of WROs.
• Advise on editorial angles and content formats (articles, interviews, podcasts, multimedia) to enhance audience engagement and impact.
• Review and provide editorial feedback on content drafts to ensure quality, clarity, and women’s rights sensitivity.
• Support integration of storytelling approaches that humanize WRO work and counter anti-women’s rights rhetoric.

Capacity Building

• Design and deliver tailored training sessions for journalists and editors on:
  • Editorial skills and journalistic ethics
  • Women’s rights-sensitive reporting
  • Avoiding harmful stereotypes and promoting information integrity
  • Covering sensitive topics with impartiality and empathy
• Mentor editorial teams through hands-on support and feedback loops over the content development cycle.

Monitoring & Evaluation Support

• Contribute to tracking the quality, tone, and reach of published content.
• Document learnings and best practices for integrating women’s rights perspectives in independent media production.
• Provide inputs into final evaluation or learning products as required.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Advanced degree in journalism, women’s rights studies, communications, or related fields (or equivalent work experience).

Experience

• Minimum 7 years of experience in journalism or media development, with a strong editorial background.
• Proven expertise in women’s rights-sensitive reporting and applying feminist principles to media production.
• Experience working with or covering Women’s Rights Organizations or women’s rights justice issues.
• Demonstrated experience in building capacity and mentoring journalists and editors.
• Familiarity with promoting information integrity is an asset.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong editorial and storytelling skills across platforms (print, digital, audio, visual).
• Excellent facilitation, coaching, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work across cultures and engage respectfully on sensitive topics.
• Fluent in Arabic and English.

Requirements for the selection of consultants

• IWPR prior approval and vetting of consultants is required

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND: The purpose of this RFQ is to solicit quotations for this service. Therefore, IWPR invites you or your firm to participate in this competitive solicitation for pricing, delivery, and terms of potential sale on the following services for IWPR’s office in IRAQ. IWPR is an independent, non-governmental organization which gives voice to people at the frontlines of conflict and transition to help them drive change.

(Offerors are responsible for ensuring that their offers are received by IWPR in accordance with the instructions, terms, and conditions described in this RFQ.  Failure to adhere with instructions described in this RFQ may lead to disqualification of an offer from consideration).

For the full RFQ please download: RFQ: Digital Security Iraq.pdf