Consultancy to produce a pacific periods digital story series

Services

Remotely lead the collaborative design and creation of a digital story series on menstrual periods with members of the Pacific Menstrual Health Network.

Duration: August 2023 – May 2024

Time required: 30 days

Reports to: Technical Lead – Equality and Inclusion, WaterAid

Fee for service: Daily rate to be provided with application

Introduction

WaterAid’s vision is of a world where everyone has access to safe water and sanitation. Our mission is to transform lives by improving access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in the world’s poorest communities. WaterAid works with partners to maximise its impacts for policy change/influence. Never before has there been more global recognition of the importance of WASH. WaterAid works through supporting local organisations and government authorities to design and demonstrate appropriate and sustainable WASH programs.

WaterAid also seeks to influence policy change through government and other key sector actors to secure and protect the right of people to safe, affordable water and sanitation services. Everything we do is shaped by our six values: Integrity, Respect, Collaboration, Courage, Accountability, Innovation.

Pacific Menstrual Health Project Overview

Since 2019, WaterAid has supported the Pacific Menstrual Health Network, funded by DFAT Australian NGO Cooperation Program. The Network of actors are working together to strengthen evidence, learning and influencing of menstrual health. The Pacific Menstrual Health Network (the Network) aims to support girls, women and gender diverse people’s menstrual health, dignity and participation in education and work.

The art of oral storytelling is embedded in Pacific culture. Through storytelling, cultural values, beliefs and history are meaningfully woven together and passed on through the generations. To honour this powerful tradition, normalise the conversation and galvanise support for menstrual health in the Pacific, the Pacific Menstrual Health Network (PMHN) plans to create a series of short videos shot in five Pacific countries by leading local female videographers to break the taboo and stigma surrounding menstruation. The story series will be launched on menstrual hygiene day 2024, but could be used in various ways on line and at events.

Consultancy role

The purpose of this consultancy is to support the Network members to create an effective, creative and locally led advocacy tool. It aims to influence decision-makers to ensure all women, girls and people who menstruate are able to realise their menstrual health rights throughout the course of their lifetime.  The Network members and WaterAid are committed to Do No Harm principles and ways of working, and uphold empowerment, safety and well-being of Pacific Island people as paramount in all advocacy efforts. This consultancy will be undertaken with strong safeguarding, consent and accountability standards by using feedback loops, consent and safeguarding activities.

The consultant will support the Network to create a series of short videos shot in five Pacific countries by local female videographers. The consultant must work with existing local partners in each of the countries to identify who the storytellers will be and to coach them through the process. The five videos will be shot in:

• Fiji
• Papua New Guinea
• Samoa
• Solomon Islands
• Vanuatu
• (and possibly Timor-Leste)

The consultant must work remotely, there is no funding for travel.

The consultant will be responsible for:

• Identifying one women videographer per country (WaterAid will contract each one directly)
• Coordinating with a working group made up of Network members to co-write scripts and key messaging
• Supporting local partner and videographer in each country to scout location; identify storyteller; do all shoot planning
• Ensuring all content is gathered in a safe and ethical manner, which follows safeguarding procedures, consent and strong accountability systems
• Training; briefing and capacity  strengthening of local videographers (so they work together)
• Overseeing quality of filming
• Collaborating with WaterAid on digital platform creation (WaterAid will fund this directly)
• Editing all videos, content and working with digital platform creators
• Dissemination planning and support to local partners for social media

See position description for overview of timings. 

Skills and qualities:

To be successful, the consultant must have the following:

Experience gathering creative content and storytelling on a sensitive topic like menstruation in an empowering, safe, feminist and ethical way

Knowledge and experience of Pacific cultures and creative storytelling to inform Pacific-led advocacy

Experience working with and a strong network of local videographers (particularly women) in the Pacific

Experience coaching, capacity strengthening and strengths-based ways of working with local partners

How to apply:

To apply, please send a one-page brief by 5pm AEST Wednesday 9 August which outlines how you would undertake this consultancy and ensure Do No Harm principles are applied. Please outline an estimate of fees (daily rate) to: [email protected] with the subject line: Pacific periods digital story series.

WaterAid is a child safe organisation. We recognise that we must meet community expectations and the trust placed in our personnel to maintain the highest standards of conduct with children. Therefore, all positions engaged by WaterAid are required to comply with our Child Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct. WaterAid is committed to protection from sexual exploitation and abuse in everything we do. The values and standards we uphold are highlighted in our Global Code of Conduct. All positions within WaterAid are required to comply with our Global Code of Conduct.