Research Consultant

Summary

Join Equality Now, an international human rights organization, as a short-term research consultant to contribute to a report on the intersections between child marriage and family laws in South Asia. The research will focus on protection gaps enabling child marriage within religious and minority communities across eight South Asian countries. You will build upon Equality Now’s initial mapping, researching disparities between general laws and personal/family laws, reviewing key case laws, and describing recent reform efforts. The consultant will also map civil society organizations working to end child marriage in the region. The final deliverable will be a comprehensive report with recommendations to close legal protection gaps and improve implementation of family laws relating to child marriage. The position is home-based, with a three-month timeline and a budget of USD 6000.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree in law, human rights, and/or women’s rights
• A minimum of 5 years of experience working directly on women’s rights, preferably in the South Asia region
• Demonstrable knowledge and experience on child marriage issues in the South Asia region
• Excellent writing and analytical skills

Responsibilities

• Research on Protection Gaps in Family Laws related to Child Marriage in South Asia
• Building on the initial mapping undertaken by Equality Now, research on the protection gaps which enable child marriage within religious and minority communities across 8 South Asian Countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, The Maldives)
• Highlight disparities in legal standards under general laws on child marriage operating in the country as compared to personal/family laws governing minority religious communities (where they exist)
• High-level overview/research of key case laws on child marriage in relation to personal/family laws of minority communities
• Describe any recent reform efforts towards amending family laws relating to child marriage in South Asia
• Map civil society organizations and groups working to end child marriage within religious and minority communities in South Asia, with a deeper analysis of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal
• Prepare a regional overview of existing protection gaps in  laws relating to child marriage across South Asia, with an focus on family laws
• Provide in-depth case studies of the situation regarding implementation of existing laws on child marriage as linked to family laws in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal
• Develop targeted recommendations to close legal protection gaps and improve implementation of family laws relating to child marriage
• Prepare a separate annex document mapping CSOs working to end child marriage (regional, with particular empasis on Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal), including a brief description of areas of focus, and contact details where available
• Respond to any feedback from Equality Now which will consist of requests for clarification and/or additional data; and update the draft report based on comments and input from Equality Now
• Inception Report, highlighting the planned timeline for development of the report, proposed methodology, and draft outline and structure of the report
• Conduct research on links between child marriage and family law in South Asia; and prepare a draft report, along with a list of recommendations
• Prepare and submit final research report, with feedback integrated from Equality Now

Preferred Qualifications

Proficiency in English required, and proficiency in a South Asian language (particularly Urdu, Nepali or Bengali) is desirable