Project: Safety, Dignity & Freedom 

Location: Johannesburg 

Duration: 2 months

Start Date:  May 2021 End Date: End June 2021

Reporting to: SDF Programme Officer

Background 

Iranti is a Johannesburg based, human rights organisation that advocates for the advancement of the rights of LTI persons in Africa. We work within a human rights framework raising issues of gender, sex, and sexuality. Our main activities include immediate community support, hate crime documentation, community dialogues, inclusive media production, and creative dissemination to challenge violence and discrimination based on gender identity and bodily diversity. 

As part of Iranti’s Safety, Dignity and Freedom (SDF) initiative which has been implemented in Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, we are currently planning the media sensitisation training. The SDF initiative is running the #NoOneIsOneThing campaign in 2021. #NoOneIsOneThing was ideated due to the need to include LGBTIQA+ people and issues in mainstream media, with the aim of changing the attitudes of society, as means of addressing the rejection of, and/or hostility towards, the LGBTIQA+ community in some of the countries.

The media practitioner sensitisation trainings seek to sensitise mainstream media practitioners on LGBTQIA+ topics and issues and to showcase what we as LGBTQIA+ persons envision reporting about us and our community in mainstream media to look like. The training further seeks to normalise the presence of LGBTIQA+ persons in media and also to show that we exist beyond our LGBTIQA+ identities, we are whole people with overlapping, intersecting, layered identities. 

We are currently conducting a self-documentation training which aims to train LGBTIQA+ persons to tell stories that highlight the intersectional nature of LGBTIQA+ identity. The stories created in the self-documentation training will need to be incorporated to be part of a training toolkit for training journalists and media practitioners on how to better approach and represent LGBTIQA+ topics and issues in their reports and broadcasts. The SDF Media Guide created in 2019 will need to be used as the main training material, and course content should be developed around this.

Scope of Work 

Iranti seeks to appoint a service provider to produce and manage a segment of Iranti’s Media Practitioner Sensitisation Training in 5 partner countries. This project is part of the #NoOneIsOneThing campaign aimed at educating mainstream media producers (journalists and editors) on how to accurately report on LGBTIQA+ issues and topics. This includes development of the training materials and facilitating the training sessions with media practitioners in 5 partner countries.

The service-provider will be responsible for: 

• Using the existing SDF Media Guide, as well as the content developed in the self-documentation training as a basis for the training. 
• All training is online, and materials should be adapted accordingly. 
• Developing and presenting the course and training materials. 
• Working with journalists to produce at least one (1) LGBTIQA+ themed report, to be published in mainstream media. 
• Presenting a plan on providing ongoing support to the journalists for the duration of the project period (mid-May – end June).
• Facilitating panel discussions and sessions with speakers, as well as the #NoOneIsOneThing social media campaign webinar to be held in May.
• Conduct the evaluation of the training/workshop;
• Report on the conducted trainings, workshops and support provided.

Expected Deliverables

The main deliverable for the project is to successfully carry out the media sensitisation training and produce and place reports in mainstream media with 8 journalists from 5 partner countries according to the following reporting requirements: 

• Work plan for implementing the training/workshops, including strategy and proposed methodologies, as well as quality assurance plan;
• Provide training resources for participants.
• Work continuously with 8 journalists for the duration of the project period to produce and place a LGBTIQA+ themed report in mainstream media.
• Technical advice and support to participants during the training/workshop.
• Work with a panel of judges to determine which participants have produced the best work, and allocate incentives accordingly. 
• Final report on the implementation of the tasks after finishing the training/workshops.

Desired competencies, technical background and experience 

• A commitment to Iranti’s mission and a clear understanding of the links between advocacy research, community building, campaigning and media work;
• Experience in facilitating workshops, conferences and panel discussions with artists, content creators and activists.
• A knowledge of mainstream media, journalism and editing processes.
• Experience in establishing and maintaining cooperative working relationships with other organisations, governmental agencies, public and private sector organisations;
• Stakeholder engagement capabilities to facilitate the engagements and collaborations with project managers, staff and partners to gain additional input;
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to work under pressure and in stressful situations; 
• A good understanding of LGBTQIA+ rights and a track record in working with vulnerable communities. 
• Professional copywriting and editing services will be required. 

Conditions 

Applicant must submit a CV with contactable references and must be able to produce examples of previous work of a similar nature. All required documents to be submitted to jade@iranti.org.za by Thursday 15 April 2021.

As per Iranti policy, payment is made against approved deliverables. No advance payment is allowed until completion of collectively agreed deliverables. A Work Agreement letter will be signed in addition to the Terms of Reference in compliance with Iranti policy, and the final payment will be made upon completion of the task to Iranti’s satisfaction.