Introduction to MAMA Network
Mobilizing Activists around Medical Abortion – MAMA – Network is a collaboration of grassroots activists and feminist groups based in Sub-Saharan Africa. The MAMA Network represents a regional movement of activists working to share evidence-based and stigma-free information about self-managed medical abortion (SMA) and sexual and reproductive health and rights directly with women on community level. MAMA has over 50 members spread throughout anglophone and francophone Africa, and after developing its Advocacy Agenda would now like to strengthen its advocacy strategies.
MAMA Advocacy
MAMA seeks to focus on the underlying issues surrounding unsafe abortion as it advances its vision. In so doing, it will also begin to work more systematically at mitigating the opposition and stigma associated with abortion and add to the systemic changes that will advance reproductive justice, care, and decriminalization of abortion by addressing the legal, and policy issues surrounding self-managed abortion. Using advocacy, MAMA seeks to contribute to changing the situation represented by the statistics above in ways that will bring meaningful change in the access to full reproductive health of women and pregnant people in Africa where affordable, safe, and effective self-managed abortion is a key component.
Communications Consultancy
In line with the Advocacy strategic plan, this consultancy is aimed at supporting the activities of the MAMA advocacy team and MAMA members towards advocating for SMA in the African regions. This will be through facilitating MAMA organizations social media initiatives to shift the needle on SMA narratives in-country and the African region through positive and targeted SMA messaging.
Terms of Reference
The Consultant proposes to fulfil the terms of the consultancy by undertaking the following activities: –
1. Support thematic conceptual messaging for MAMA Advocacy. This includes: a. Monitoring regional and international trends, themes and language on SMA to ensure harmony of messages being generated.
b. Documenting and analyzing patterns of opposition in the African region to conceive communications that overcome the negative messaging. These positive messages can be shared and adopted by MAMA members in their advocacy programs.
c. Develop themes and messages building up important dates in the regional international platforms on SMA to share with MAMA members leading up to the dates
2. Organizing media outreach: Work with MAMA members to amplify their advocacy work on media platforms. This includes:
a. Reach out to and work with MAMA members on their advocacy workplans on how to maximize advocacy messages on their social media platforms and assist with posting on these platforms.
b. Conduct online training on how to position advocacy messaging on their social media platforms.
c. Support MAMA members monitoring their output and supporting them to have consistent messages on their social media platforms
3. Drafts communications and advocacy material for key SRHR dates throughout the year. a. Create a database of key important dates on SRHR focused on Abortion and SMA. b. Support MAMA members by prompting them and assisting them to post positive advocacy messaging on key dates
4. Evaluate results and impact of communications activities; reports on developments, trends and attitudes regarding SMA
a. Collect and collate data on trends and changes, from feedback from MAMA members on the advocacy message and the potential positive impact.
b. Develop a trends assessment on messaging that is working best and share this with MAMA members to enable them to facilitate more of this nature of messaging. 5. Anticipate and resolve communications/ public relations issues/problems: a. Support MAMA members to monitor and create media updates on SMA to counter opposition messages on social media.
6. Social media interaction: Identify SMA Advocacy champions within the social media/influencer space and link them with MAMA members to work together advance SMA messaging.
7. Takes the lead in organizing MAMA Advocacy media outreach; arranges all media contacts, press briefings, and interviews; provides talking points and other materials incase on press engagements.
Qualifications of consultant
1. 2+ years prior experience in a communications role
2. Understand the best practices of main social media channels including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc
3. Must possess exceptional writing skills and be able to compose engaging and accurate content
4. Strong communicator who works well independently and with a team
5. Superior time management skills and the ability to juggle multiple projects simultaneously 6. Knowledge of Adobe PhotoShop, InDesign, and Illustrator is an asset
7. Understanding of communications, public relations best practices
8. Ability to think strategically and identify ways to improve communication efforts 9. Must be resourceful and take initiative even when given minimal direction
Timeframe
The duration of this consultancy will be from March 2023 to June 2023
Please send in applications to wkareithi@ticahealth.org Deadline for application is 14th February 2023
