Terms of Reference
Location of Assignment: Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe
Duration of Assignment: Two months
Reporting to: The Secretary General
1. Introduction:
The Southern African People’s Solidarity Network (SAPSN) intends to undertake a documentary on the debt crisis in the SADC region with a particular focus on women and girls in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The documentary will aim to compare and contrast the debt situations in these three countries, highlighting shared factors or unique challenges that women and girls are facing; analyze how each government has responded to the debt crisis, with a focus on the effectiveness of their strategies. The documentary will also highlight how the debt crisis in the three countries affects the entire Southern African region economically and politically.
2. Background
Southern Africa is a region brimming with potential, rich in resources and culture but beneath the surface, many countries in the region are grappling with a crippling debt crisis, one that threatens to strangle their economies and dim their futures. Women and girls in Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are disproportionately affected by this debt crisis. Malawi has long relied on foreign aid, making it vulnerable to external shocks. Recent aid reductions due to the “Cashgate Scandal” of 2013 were government officials embezzled millions of aid money, further strained finances leading to deeper debt crisis. The Malawian economy is heavily reliant on tobacco exports, fluctuations in price and potential future bans on tobacco use threaten its economic stability. This has devastating effects on women and girls who rely on this income to support their families. The country is also highly susceptible to droughts and floods due to climate change. This disrupts food production, increases reliance on food aid, and limits export revenue, deepening debt especially on women and girls as this is their main source of income. Zambia’s rich copper deposits fueled economic growth for decades. However, reliance on copper exports exposed the country to price fluctuations. When copper prices fell, Zambia struggled to repay loans taken during the boom period and has continued to struggle to date. In recent years, China has emerged as a major creditor for Zambia. The majority of Zambia’s debt was written off by 2005 under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank’s Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative but new debt has resulted in lower allocations for other priority areas including health, education and social protection. This has heavily affected women and girls who are already marginalized in society. Zimbabwe on the other hand has experienced hyperinflation, destroying public trust in its currency and hindering economic activity. This crisis continues to impact government revenue and its ability to repay debt.
Zimbabwe’s history of political instability and targeted sanctions by Western nations have limited its access to international financial markets and foreign investment. This has hampered economic growth and made debt repayment challenging therefore making it difficult for women and girls to access basic necessities. Allegations of corruption and mismanagement of natural resources like diamonds and gold have limited potential revenue streams that could have been used to address debt. Zimbabwe has gone on to engage on a debt clearance process which is being championed by African Development Bank President Dr. Adesina and former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano in a bid to address its indebtedness.
3. Objectives:
- To raise awareness on the complexities of the debt crisis and showcase the real-life impact of debt on women and girls in these countries.
- To raise awareness and promote informed participation in regional debt justice and economic transformation processes.
- To use the documentary as an advocacy tool for the civil society to recommend to policymakers, practitioners on how to mitigate the impact of debt crisis on women and girls.
4. Roles and Responsibilities of the Consultant:
The consultant shall:
- Gather data and statistics on the debt situation in Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe (Research historical events and factors that contributed to the debt crisis; Identify potential interview subjects – government officials (Ministry of Finance), Africa Development Bank, IMF, Civil
- Society, economists, activists, and women & girls).
- Craft a compelling narrative that weaves together interviews, visuals, and narration.
- Secure filming permits for the countries you plan to visit or assign a second party to film;
- Organize travel and accommodation for the film crew.
- Capture high-quality footage of interviews, visuals and any necessary visuals, animation or graphics on how debt has affected women and girls in the proposed countries.
- Conduct post production editing of the documentary.
- Develop a simple resource pack for users of the documentary.
- Provide a detailed work plan and budget for the assignment. (SAPSN reserves the right to check for reasonability, allocability and allowability of these costs)
5. Key Deliverables:
A documentary that:
- Builds awareness on the impact of the debt crisis on women and girls in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe
- Ignites the discussion on feminist alternatives to the debt crisis
- Builds advocacy messages/ tools for CSOs; movements; CBOs working with women and girls affected by the debt crisis.
- Provides solutions on how to mitigate the challenges that women and girls are facing due to the debt crisis.
- A simplified resource pack that summarises the documentary findings.
6. Required Skills and Experience
The ideal Consultant should be a Journalist/ Documentary Filmmaker with filming experience in the region
[1] https://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/public-financial-management/0/steps/14718
[2] https://www.unicef.org/esa/media/11336/file/UNICEF-Zambia-Health-Budget-Brief-2022.pdf
[3] https://www.sundaymail.co.zw/zim-arrears-clearance-debt-resolution-talks-resume
How to apply:
If interested in the above-mentioned opportunity, please submit your application including your portfolio and CV to [email protected] by 10 June 2024. Please indicate your budget as you apply. All applications received after the deadline will not be reviewed.
Please indicate “Debt Justice Documentary” in the subject line.