ECOWEBPH

Post Title: Legal Consultant

Areas Covered:

1. Bayog Zamboanga del Sur
2. Iligan City Lanao del Norte (CADT 212)
3. Naawan Misamis Oriental (Lubilan Ancestral Domain)
4. Opol Misamis Oriental (Dulangan Ancestral Domain)
5. Upper Malubog, Misamis Oriental (Dulangan Ancestral Domain)
6. Sibagat Agusan del Sur (CADT 093)
7. La Paz Agusan del Sur (CADT 117)
8. Loreto Agusan del Sur (CADT 090)

Duration: Four (4) months from the signing of the contract, as follows:

Expected Activity	Timeline
Signing of the Contract	November 2026
Consultation Workshops with IP Women Leaders	November 2026
Drafting of the Manual *Note that the manual shall be drafted per topic, each of which shall undergo review and pilot testing.	December – February 2026
Review of the Manual	December – February 2026
Pilot Testing	December – February 2026
Validation	December – February 2026
Final Submission of the Manual	March 2026

Submission Deadline: November 15, 2026

Expected Start Date: Immediately after signing the contract

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

The Indigenous Women Legal Empowerment and Policy Advocacy on Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion by strengthening Section 26 of IPRA (IPRA-26 GEDSI) project is implemented to ensure that indigenous women enjoy equal rights andopportunities with men in the political and cultural spheres, and that their representation in decision-making processes and bodies at all levels – within and beyond their ancestral domains – is effectively secured. The project complements ECOWEB’s implementation of the Enhancing Conservation, Ownership, and Social Enterprises in Ancestral Domain (ECOSEAD) project by lobbying appropriate justice mechanisms that enable women to participate meaningfully in decision-making within and beyond their ancestral domains. 

The project is currently being implemented in the ancestral domain areas of (1) Loreto, Agusan del Sur; (2) La Paz, Agusan del Sur; (3) Sibagat, Agusan del Sur; (4) Naawan, Misamis Oriental; (5) Iligan City; (6) Dulangan Ancestral Domain; and (7) CADT 296 -Bayog, Zamboanga del Sur.

OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT

              Indigenous People (IP) Women face a web of a series of crises that bars their access to justice. The challenges IP women face in meaningfully participating in decision-making processes within their ancestral domains have left them vulnerable to the full realization of their rights. Consultations have shown that women internalize gender roles that leave them vulnerable to gender-based violence and abuse, render unpaid domestic work, face the consequences of the climate crisis, and even reinforce existing gender-related prejudice, especially involving LGBTQIA+ persons. As such, for the project to achieve its goal of ensuring that Indigenous women enjoy equal rights and opportunities with men in the political and cultural spheres, and that their representation in decision-making processes and bodies at all levels -within and beyond their ancestral domains is effectively secured, it is imperative to create a context-based manual for IP Women Legal Empowerment and Paralegal Training Manual that will contextualize women’s rights in the sphere of human rights and strengthen their capacity in the realization of their rights and the assertion thereof.

SCOPE OF WORK

              The Legal Consultant shall undertake the following duties and responsibilities:

1. Conduct collaborative learning sessions for the formulation of the IP Women Legal Empowerment and Paralegal Training Manual
2. Facilitate the conduct of collaborative learning sessions for the identification of prevailing human rights issues that bar IP Women’s access to justice and the exercise of their rights as women;
3. Review project documents, the Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Sustainable Plan (ADSDPP), and such other documents, as may be permitted by partner indigenous community and consult with traditional IP leaders to ensure that the training manual shall be in full consideration of the cultural and societal realities of women on the ground and would not further subject them to prejudice, discrimination, or unpaid work;
4. Formulate the IP Women Legal Empowerment and Paralegal Training Manual, which shall:
5. Provide a comprehensive guide on women’s legal empowerment through the contextualization of women’s rights as an element of human rights and its interconnectedness with other human rights;
6. Basic idea in implementing the principles of legal empowerment: (1) know the law; (2) use the law; and (3) shape the law.
7. Strengthen the capacity of IP women in the exercise and assertion of their rights through a thorough discussion of the national laws protecting, promoting, and advancing the rights of women and children, their rationale, and available remedies and services;
8. Facilitate the reflection of IP women on the degree of the exercise of their rights and the situation of women in their respective communities;
9. Provide a guide on the conduct of legal trainings and seminars with traditional IP leaders on women and children’s rights and Gender Empowerment, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI), in full consideration of their traditions and customs;
10. Facilitate the reflection by traditional IP women leaders on women’s rights and GEDSI for the adoption of appropriate policies and projects for their Ancestral Domains;
11. Empower women to lobby their respective IPS and government agencies for services appropriate to their context.
12. Conduct pilot trainings, seminars, and workshops with identified IP-partners.
13. Perform administrative and support functions:
14. Perform administrative processes in the conduct of activities, procurement of materials, liquidations, reporting, and such other processes as defined under the policies of ECOWEB;
15. Observe ECOWEB policies, project protocols, donor requirements, and security procedures at all times;
16. Ensure proper conduct in community engagements and observance of ECOWEB’s safeguarding and PSEAH policies; and
17. Ensure proper safekeeping of all project-related documents and data under her responsibility.

EXPECTED DELIVERABLES / OUTPUTS

1. A detailed Work and Financial Plan;
2. Completion of the conduct of collaborative learning sessions, consultations, and such other activities for the completion of the training manual;
3. Submission of documentation for each activity conducted for the completion of the training manual, including learning session reports, pilot testing reports, etc.
4. Completion of the final IP Women Legal Empowerment and Paralegal Training Manual on or before March 30 2026. The Manual shall be considered finally submitted after review, pilot testing, validation, and revision as necessary in accordance with the conduct of the foregoing;
5. Timely submission of complete and accurate documentation of conducted activities including consultation reports, attendance records, training evaluations, activity reports, final completion reports, liquidation reports, and such other reporting documents;
6. Regular coordination and engagement with the Project Officer; and
7. Immediate escalation of issues, risks, or concerns affecting child protection, PSEAH, and/or community relations.

FACILITATION AND REPORTING

              The Legal Consultant shall report directly to the Project Officer of the IPRA-26 GEDSI Project. The Legal Consultant shall work in close coordination with:

1. IPRA-26 GEDSI Project Officer;
2. Appropriate ECOWEB consultants;
3. ECOSEAD Project Manager and Staff;
4. Indigenous Political Structures of the Ancestral Domains within the project area; and
5. Partner IP Women Leaders and Indigenous Peoples Organizations.

The technical deliverables of the legal consultant shall be subject to the review of the IP Women Participants, the project’s technical partners, ECOWEB’s consultants, and its Executive Director.

QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE

              The ideal candidate should possess the following:

Minimum Qualification:

1. Juris Doctor or LLB holder;
2. At least two (2) years of experience in community-based development work, particularly engaging with indigenous peoples, women, and children;
3. Proven experience in conflict-sensitive and culturally responsive community work;
4. Expertise in all human rights instruments, especially the Indigenous People’s Rights Act and its Implementing Rules and Regulations and subsequent Administrative Orders, Magna Carta for Women, and such other related legal instruments;
5. Experience in writing training modules and manuals for community-based development; Women in Development and Nation Building Act,
6. Familiarity with field coordination, activity facilitation, community engagement, and basic project documentation; and
7. Absence of any record related to the violation of children and/or women’s rights, including but not limited to PSEAH, gender-based violence, and such other offenses, whether or not subject to appropriate legal sanctions.

Required Skills and Competencies

1. Technical writing for community-based development;
2. Strong interpersonal and community facilitation skills;
3. Good oral and written community skills in English and Cebuano;
4. Multi-cultural sensitivity and ability to work with Indigenous Cultural Communities;
5. Good organizational and documentation skills; and
6. Ability to work independently in the field while maintaining close coordination with the project team.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE AND DEADLINE

Interested consultants should submit the following:

1. A cover letter expressing their interest and suitability for the position.
2. A detailed CV highlighting relevant experience and qualifications.
3. Contact information for at least two references.

Kindly send applications to ecoweb2006@gmail.com and ecoweb@ecowebph.org and addressed the same to ECOWEB’s Executive Director, Ms. Regina Salvador Antequisa on or before November 15, 2026.