Project Title: Restoring Dignity and Protection for Conflict-Affected Women and Girls in Ortese and Daudu IDP camps, Benue State, Nigeria.
Location: Makurdi LGA & Guma LGA (Ortese & Daudu), Benue State, Nigeria
Partner Org: Foundation for Justice Development and Peace (FJDP)
Project Donor: CDCS
Assignment Type:Research Consultancy
Start Date: September 2026 (tentative, subject to final agreement)
Duration: 3 months
Background
Conflict and displacement in Benue State have significantly increased the vulnerability of women, girls, and children to gender-based violence (GBV). While humanitarian actors have established essential GBV response services, access to formal legal and judicial remedies remains critically limited.
Available evidence suggests that only a small proportion of survivors pursue formal justice pathways. This is driven by a combination of:
Weak legal enforcement and procedural barriers
Limited institutional capacity and coordination among justice actors
Ineffective referral pathways between GBV and legal services
Socio-cultural norms, stigma, and fear of retaliation
Low awareness of rights and available services
Informal and community-based justice mechanisms also play a prominent role but may not consistently align with survivor-centered and rights-based standards.
To address these challenges, Tdh seeks to generate context-specific, actionable evidence to inform programming and strengthen access to justice for GBV survivors in IDP settings.
Description of the Assignment
Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to conduct a participatory, survivor-centered assessment to identify and analyze the systemic, institutional, and socio-cultural barriers limiting access to SGBV survivors—particularly legal and judicial support— for conflict-affected women and girls, and to use the findings to develop practical Guidelines and SOPs.
Scope
The assessment will adopt a 360-degree "justice journey" approach, examining:
Survivor pathways from incident to service access and justice outcomes
Availability and accessibility of legal, judicial, and GBV services
Functionality of referral pathways and case management systems
Institutional capacity and coordination among service providers
Socio-cultural norms influencing reporting and justice-seeking
Legal awareness and information access
Role and influence of informal justice systems
The study will prioritize internally displaced women and girls, including adolescent girls and children, while incorporating perspectives from communities and service providers.
Key Research Domains
Survivor access and justice pathways
Systemic and institutional barriers
Socio-cultural norms and gender dynamics
Awareness and information gaps
Informal justice mechanisms
Opportunities for systems strengthening
Methodological Orientation (Indicative)
While a mixed-methods approach is anticipated, the consultant will justify their methodological choices during inception, which may include KIIs, FGDs, participatory mapping, and other approaches appropriate to the research questions. The research may be primarily qualitative, with limited quantitative elements that prioritizes participatory methods, including:
Key considerations:
Use of non-representative, qualitative sampling (e.g., purposive and snowballing)
Building on existing datasets / evidence as a starting point, the Consultant would ensure necessary integrations from previous or available studies, to avoid duplication.
Application of gender-transformative, human rights-based, and child-sensitive approaches.
Strict adherence to GBV ethical research standards
The selected consultant will develop a detailed methodology in the inception phase.
Indicative Research Questions
The assessment will be guided by a set of indicative research questions aligned with the key domains. These are intended to provide analytical direction, while allowing the consultant to refine and expand them during the inception phase.
Survivor Pathways and Access
What pathways do GBV survivors follow from incident occurrence to seeking support and justice?
At what stages do survivors disengage from formal justice processes, and why?
Systemic and Institutional Barriers
What legal, policy, and procedural barriers limit access to justice for GBV survivors?
What capacity and coordination gaps exist among justice and GBV service providers?
Socio-Cultural Norms
How do gender norms, stigma, and power dynamics influence reporting and justice-seeking behavior?
Awareness and Information
What is the level of awareness of rights and available services among women and girls?
What barriers exist in accessing reliable information?
Informal Justice Systems
What role do informal mechanisms play in GBV case resolution?
How do these mechanisms align with survivor-centered and rights-based approaches?
Systems Strengthening
What practical and context-specific interventions can improve access to justice?
What are the priority actions for strengthening referral systems and coordination?
Note: The consultant is expected to refine and operationalize these questions in the inception phase.
Conceptual Framework and Analytical Lens (To be developed by the Consultant)
The consultant will develop an original conceptual framework that may draw on justice journey models, systems analysis, or other analytical approaches as deemed most appropriate.
Objectives of the Study
Overall Objective
To generate actionable evidence on barriers to justice for GBV survivors to inform programming, advocacy, and systems strengthening.
Specific Objectives
Identify and map good and promising practices, as well as gaps, weaknesses, and loopholes in legislative, policy, and institutional frameworks addressing gender-based violence;
Document and analyse the various forms of discrimination, exclusion, and barriers faced by girl and women survivors in accessing both statutory and customary justice mechanisms, considering intersecting vulnerabilities and grounds of discrimination, including age, disability, socio-economic status, place of residence, displacement status, and other relevant factors;
Examine statutory justice processes and identify barriers, judicial bias, gender stereotyping, secondary victimisation, violations of rights and due process guarantees, and other harmful practices affecting survivors at each stage of formal GBV proceedings, including reporting, investigation, prosecution, trial, sentencing, and post-trial enforcement;
In the customary processes: document the social, familial, and community pressures exerted on girls and other GBV survivors to settle cases outside the formal justice system; assess the extent to which customary justice mechanisms provide safe, fair, and rights-based responses to GBV; analyse how patriarchal norms, discriminatory gender attitudes, and unequal power relations shape proceedings and outcomes; identify barriers preventing survivors from accessing formal justice; and examine the potential harmful effects of customary settlements, including impunity, inadequate remedies, revictimisation, social exclusion, and negative impacts on survivors' physical, psychological, and socio-economic well-being.
Compile and analyse quantitative and qualitative data on legal aid, judicial support, and case processing for survivors of GBV, including:
the number of cases receiving legal aid;
the number of cases formally reported (complaints filed);
the number of withdrawn cases (discontinuations), along with the reasons for withdrawal;
the number of cases handled at different judicial levels and court case disposal rates;
the number of cases adjudicated;
the number of convictions secured;
and the number of cases in which survivors received reparations;
Identify and formulate evidence-based recommendations for programming, advocacy, legal reform, institutional strengthening, and policy interventions aimed at improving access to justice for women and girls affected by GBV, strengthening survivor-centred and gender-responsive justice systems and increasing the representation and participation of women within judicial and justice sector institutions.
Assess effectiveness of current referral pathways and case management practices
Examine survivor pathways from incident to service and justice access
Assess legal awareness levels among women and adolescent girls
Generate evidence to support Tdh in develop:
Access to Justice Guidelines
SOPs for legal handling of GBV cases
Recommendations for strengthening coordination and accountability
Expected Participants
Primary Groups
Internally Displaced Women and Adolescent girls (10 - 19 years)
Female-headed households
Child survivors and at-risk children
GBV survivors (engaged ethically)
Secondary Groups
Men and boys
Community leaders (traditional/religious/camp)
GBV caseworkers and service providers
Police, lawyers, magistrates, social welfare officers.
Scope of Work (Indicative)
The consultancy will be implemented in the following phases:
Phase 1: Inception and Design
Review project documents and existing data
Develop detailed methodology and tools
Submit inception report
Phase 2: Data Collection
Conduct field data collection using agreed tools
Engage stakeholders and target populations
Ensure ethical compliance
Phase 3: Data Analysis and Draft Reporting
Analyze qualitative and quantitative data
Develop draft findings and recommendations
Phase 4: Validation
Facilitate validation workshop(s) with stakeholders
Integrate feedback
Phase 5: Final Outputs Development
Finalize assessment report
Develop Access to Justice Guidelines
Develop SOPs for GBV case handling
Deliverables and Timeline (Proposed, Based on Indicative Scope of Work)
Phase
Key Deliverable
Description
Added Notes
Timeline (Indicative, after contract sign off; 18 weeks)
Phase 1: Inception & Design
1. Inception Report
Detailed methodology, sampling approach, tools, workplan, and ethical protocols
The Inception Report will present the consultants' chosen methodology. Tdh will review for alignment with problem scope and ethical standards but will not require methodological changes unless they contradict agreed principles.
Weeks 1 - 2
2. Data Collection Tools
Finalized qualitative and quantitative tools (KIIs, FGDs, participatory tools)
Weeks 2 - 3
3. Inception Validation Meeting
Presentation and validation of methodology and tools with Tdh and partners
Week 3
Phase 2: Data Collection
4. Field Data Collection
Primary data collection across target locations and stakeholder groups
Weeks 4 - 6
5. Field Debrief Report
Summary of initial observations, emerging themes, and field challenges
Week 7
Phase 3: Data Analysis & Draft Reporting
6. Data Analysis Outputs
Consolidated datasets, coded qualitative data, and preliminary analysis
Weeks 7 - 8
7. Draft Assessment Report
Full draft report with findings, analysis, and preliminary recommendations
Weeks 9-10
Phase 4: Validation & Refinement
8. Validation Workshops
Stakeholder validation of findings (community, GBV actors, justice actors)
Validation workshops with different stakeholder groups to ensure feedback is comprehensive and contextualized.
Week 11
9. Revised Draft Report
Updated report incorporating validation feedback
Weeks 11 - 12
Phase 5: Final Outputs Development
10. Final Assessment Report
Comprehensive final report with validated findings and recommendations
Week 15
11. Access to Justice Guidelines
Practical, context-specific guidance for GBV and justice actors
Weeks 15 - 16
12. SOPs for GBV Case Handling
Standardized procedures for legal and judicial handling of GBV cases
Weeks 16 - 17
Phase 6: Finalization & Close-Out
13. Final Presentation / Dissemination
Presentation of key findings and tools to stakeholders
Week 17 - 18
14. Final Deliverables Submission
Submission of all outputs (reports, datasets, tools, guidelines, SOPs)
Week 18
Roles and Responsibilities
The Consultant / Research Organization
Leads the technical design and research implementation
Developing methodology and tools
Conducts data collection and analysis
Produces all deliverables (as seen in section 13)
FJDP
Support community entry and mobilization
Facilitate engagement with stakeholders
Provide contextual insights
Tdh Nigeria
Define the overarching problem, scope, and expected outputs
Set strategic priorities and success criteria
Provide enabling support - technical tools, ethical guidance and coordination
Provide general responsive oversight without micromanaging methodology
RACI Matrix
Decision
Consultant
Tdh
FJDP
Research design & methodology
A / R
C
I
Sampling strategy
A / R
C
C
Data collection logistics
R
C
R
Ethical protocols
A / R
A
C
Preliminary analysis
A / R
C
I
Final recommendations
A / R
C
C
(R = Responsible, A = Accountable, C = Consulted, I = Informed)
9. Reporting and Coordination
The consultant will report to the Regional A2J Coordinator, the Project Manager and the Technical Adviser - Gender Justice, Tdh Nigeria.
Regular check-ins will be conducted (weekly or milestone-based)
Coordination will be maintained with the Project Manager and relevant stakeholders
Ethical Considerations
The study must adhere to:
Survivor-centered principles (safety, dignity, confidentiality)
Informed consent procedures
Child safeguarding standards
Do No Harm principles
Secure data management and protection
Appropriate referral pathways must be in place for any disclosures during the research.
Required Qualifications and Experience
The consultancy firm / lead consultant should demonstrate:
Proven experience in GBV research in humanitarian settings
Expertise in access to justice and legal systems analysis
Strong experience with participatory and qualitative methodologies
Knowledge of gender, protection, and child safeguarding
Experience working in Nigeria or similar contexts
Strong analytical and report-writing skills
Payment Structure
Payment will be milestone-based, linked to deliverables:
40% on submission of Inception Report
60 % on completion of assignment and submission Final Report
Expected Outcome
Improved understanding of barriers to justice for SGBV survivors.
Strengthened evidence base for programming and advocacy.
Practical tools (Guidelines and SOPs) to improve legal handling of GBV cases
Improved coordination between GBV and justice actors
Strengthened referral and case management systems
Consultant will deliver all raw datasets to Tdh in an encrypted, anonymized format. Data will be managed according to Tdh's Data Management and Protection Policy Framework, to ensure compliance with GDPR and other relevant regulations.