Request for Proposals

Supporting Men’s Engagement
Applications deadline: 18 November 2024

**Request for Proposals**
**Supporting Men’s**
**Engagement
**RFP n#: 2024-11-FR-MENS**

Location: Gujarat, India

Start date: 25 November 2024

End date: 01 March 2025

Better Cotton key contact:
Yrene Coli Rivera
Senior Gender Coordinator

until 11 November month 2024.

will only be considered in exceptional circumstances.

**Submission Update**:
**We have changed how we are receiving bids. After submitting your details through the form, you**

**Description**

Better Cotton is the world’s largest cotton sustainability programme. Our mission: to help cotton
communities survive and thrive, while protecting and restoring the environment. In difficult times, we
are meeting the challenge head on. Through our network of field-level partners we have provided
training on more sustainable farming practices to more than 2.9 million cotton farmers in 26 countries.
More than a fifth of the world’s cotton is now grown under the Better Cotton Standard and our
membership network includes more than 2,400 members.

Request for Proposals - Men’s curriculum - Better Cotton bettercotton.org

Supporting Men’s Engagement
Applications deadline: 18 November 2024

**Background**
A core part of Better Cotton's mission is our commitment to social impact, particularly to “_enhance the _
- wellbeing and economic development of cotton farming communities”, _as outlined in Better Cotton’s
2030 strategy.

Our social impact workstream cuts across three main thematic areas: gender equality, sustainable
livelihoods and decent work, which are critical and interdependent aspects of Better Cotton’s
programmes. To further drive change on gender equality, Better Cotton set an Impact Target for 2030,
to reach one million women in cotton with programmes and resources that promote equal farm
decision-making, build climate resilience, or support improved livelihoods.

Better Cotton is implementing the 18-month PACE + WICA pilot project with the aim to improve
women’s decision-making power in cotton farms and - communities, empowering them to reach their
full potential while benefitting from a supporting cotton farming environment. The project consists of
three main strategies; 1) Improving women’s aspirations and abilities to negotiate decisions, access
to and control of resources; 2) Strengthening women’s collectives to address gender barriers in cotton
farming communities; and 3) Engaging men and cotton farming communities for a supportive
environment and leadership. The pilot will target 8300 women and 2000 men in cotton farming
communities in Gujarat, India.

By increasing men’s and communities’ awareness on gender biases and stereotypes, the project will
create the enabling environment for i) women’s role to be recognised and valued both in the
household and in the cotton supply chain, and ii) increased recognition of women taking up different
roles within cotton communities. The activities (targeting 2000 men and youth) conducive to these
sub-outcomes will entail:
1. Provide technical support to the development of a Gender Sensitisation module for men to be
included in the Life Skills curriculum

2. Provide technical support during training of trainers (TOT) of community trainers
3. Conducting gender sensitisation workshops with men and youth in cotton communities in

collaboration with community partner.
4. Provide guidance during the local gender sensitisation campaigns in communities with

support from Community partner.
5. Identifying & engaging male champions as allies for positive gender norms.

**We are seeking proposals from skilled individuals or organisations to 1) review and strengthen the**
**Gender sensitisation module for men; 2) shadow field staff in conducting the gender sensitisation**
**training and provide recommendations for improvement; 3) develop gender strategy for additional**
**actions.**

More information about Better Cotton’s Gender work can be found on our website: How Better Cotton
is taking action to progress women’s empowerment

Request for Proposals - Men’s curriculum - Better Cotton bettercotton.org

Supporting Men’s Engagement
Applications deadline: 18 November 2024

**Scope of Work**

We expect the consultancy to be carried out in a collaborative manner with the Better Cotton team as
well as with our Programme Partner, who will have an active participation in the study.

**Task 1: Module development and improvement**
- Provide technical expertise for strengthening the ‘Male Engagement’ module.
- Develop or recommend tools, guidelines, and materials for the delivery of modules.

**Task 2: Support Partner gender work**
- Provide technical expertise during the implementation phase to ensure adherence to gender

strategies.
- Shadowing of Field Staff in training to help strengthen the delivery of training modules.
- Document findings, lessons learned, and best practices related to gender integration