Arts research opportunity to study women's agency in Egypt

Creating safe spaces for artistic expression: Insights into women's voice, autonomy and agency

About the opportunity

We are looking for a supplier to provide a gender analysis and assessment of arts & culture initiatives supporting women in Egypt. This opportunity is open to companies globally. Proposals from the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region and Egypt are encouraged.

Part one: situation/ gender analysis

Analyze the status, roles, and representation of women, gender relations, in the arts and culture sector. The analysis will uncover barriers to gender equality and propose strategies to create a more inclusive and equitable cultural landscape.
The gender analysis will address the following key areas:

1. Representation and participation
2. Leadership and decision-making
3. Policy and programmes
4. Cultural narratives and aontent
5. Economic and financial aspects
6. Intersectionality

Part two: assessment of the impact of supporting initiatives and spaces for free expression on women

1. Assess the role of artistic spaces in enhancing individual and collective agency among women artists in Egypt.
2. To explore how intersecting factors—such as socio-economic status, education, and geographical access—shape the experiences and opportunities of women within these spaces.
3. Analyse the relationship between artistic expression and women’s autonomy and empowerment. This includes understanding how engagement with art influences women’s voice, decision-making power, and ability to challenge gender norms.
4. Examine the impact of supporting artistic spaces on engaging in social dialogue and community engagement Examine how these spaces facilitate collaboration, networking, and solidarity among women artists and cultural practitioners, and their role in fostering dialogue.
5. Examine the work the British Council has done to create the art spaces and how British Council support has contributed towards promoting gender equality through these spaces.
6. Provide recommendations to enhance the accessibility and impact of these spaces, including suggestions for the British Council arts programming in MENA .

Budget

The budget range is between £15K and £25K.

Mandatory requirements

• Extensive experience and understanding of the arts and culture scene in Egypt and MENA region.
• Extensive experience and understanding of gender issues and how they intersect with other forms of exclusion in the context of art and culture.
• Access to the arts and culture networks in Egypt ensuring representative sampling for the research.
• Experience in producing high-quality mixed methods research in a challenging context where access to data and beneficiaries may be limited/challenging.
• Understanding of the MENA context of gender equality and culture. Applicant is required to provide evidence of their track record and experience of work in the MENA region.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Fluent in Arabic language speaking and reading.
• Ability to travel and move freely in Egypt.

Timeline

How to apply

This page shows a summarised version of the brief. For a full outline of the research commission, please download the Request for Proposals document below. For reference, a blank copy of the Terms and Conditions of the contract are also provided. To apply, please complete a Supplier response form and a Pricing approach form. The Supplier response form asks you to answer a series of questions, and the Pricing approach form covers your project budget. Register for free on our procurement platform to submit your proposal and to ask any clarification questions before the deadline.