Mastercard Foundation Seeks Gender and Inclusion Technical Partner for Kenya Country Program

Mastercard Foundation Seeks Gender and Inclusion Technical Partner for Kenya Country Program

The Mastercard Foundation is happy to publish a Call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) for a Gender and Inclusion Technical Partner to work with its Kenya Country Program. The partnership will scale up the Foundation's commitment to young women-led design approaches and transformative inclusion programming for persons with disabilities and refugees and displaced individuals. The partnership will focus on the implementation of impact, transformation, and scale from 2025 to March 2026.

Concerning the Opportunity.

The Mastercard Foundation, under its Young Africa Works strategy, is striving to empower 7 million young Kenyans to access dignified and productive work by 2030. This includes 5 million young women, with specific emphasis on young women from rural and marginalized communities. Additionally, the Foundation aims to enable 350,000 young people with disabilities and 100,000 refugee youth men and women (both in and outside of camps) to be part of this transformational experience.

To achieve these ambitious goals, the Foundation seeks a technical partner (or consortium of partners) with expertise in gender-transformative programming, disability inclusion, and refugee inclusion. The partner will play a critical role in assisting the Foundation and its country program partners to strengthen, design, and implement programs that address systemic barriers and ensure equal opportunities for all.

Key Focus Areas.

1. Young Women-Centric Design Approach

The Foundation is committed to supporting gender-transformative programs that address the root causes of gendered constraints such as adverse social norms, institutional and systemic barriers, and inequities. The technical partner will;

• Promote strengthening and checking of programs to place particular emphasis on young women-focused design.

• Build partners' ability to adopt and implement young women-centered approaches.

• Grow and scale current and pipeline programs to meet and exceed the 70% benchmark for young women's participation.

2. Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities and Refugees.

The Foundation recognizes the particular needs of refugees and displaced persons and persons with disabilities, particularly young women within these groups. The technical partner will: 

• Support the mainstreaming of disability and refugee inclusion within all programming pillars.

 • Develop tailored programs to offer specific barriers, i.e., access to assistive devices, education, vocational training, and employment opportunities.

 • Promote the involvement of refugee women and women with disabilities, who even face higher levels of exclusion.

Scope of Work.

The winning consortium member will be tasked with:

1. Offering technical guidance and expertise in gender-transformative programming and inclusion strategies.

2. Facilitating capacity development training and workshops within Foundation partners.

3. Developing tools, frameworks, and resources that enhance program design and implementation.

4. Tracking and assessing the effectiveness of gender and inclusion programs.

5. Strengthening knowledge exchange and learning among the Foundation network of partners.

Why This Matters.

Young women, people with disabilities, and refugees are a key source of talent and innovation for the Kenyan economy. Yet systemic barriers frequently prevent them from realizing their potential. By eliminating these barriers, the Mastercard Foundation is trying to set off a ripple effect that can change the lives of not just individuals, but families, communities, and the economy at large.

This collaboration is a special chance to work towards a more inclusive and equitable Kenya and Africa future at large.

Submission Details

• Submission Period: February 3rd, 2025, to February 28th, 2025.
• Eligibility: Open to organizations or consortia with demonstrated expertise in gender-transformative programming, disability inclusion, and refugee inclusion.
• Submission Requirements:
• Organizational profile and relevant experience.
• Proposed approach and methodology for achieving the objectives.
• Examples of past work in similar contexts.
• Team composition and key personnel.

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