Terms of Reference (TOR) Final Evaluation of the Women Friendly Label (WFL) Project

**Terms of Reference (TOR)**

**Final Evaluation of the Women Friendly Label (WFL) Project**

**1. Background**

Despite progress in women’s education and participation, women’s economic empowerment in Jordan remains constrained by structural barriers, including limited access to safe and equitable workplaces, persistent gender norms, and weak institutional mechanisms to prevent discrimination and harassment in the private sector. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), which constitute a significant share of employment in Jordan, often lack the technical capacity, resources, and policies needed to promote gender equality and ensure safe working environments for women.

In response to these challenges, ActionAid Arab Region (AAAR), in partnership with Al-Hayat Rased and with funding from the European Union, implemented the Women Friendly Label (WFL) project. The project aims to improve workplace conditions for women and promote inclusive economic participation by introducing and institutionalizing a certification mechanism that recognizes and supports women-friendly workplaces.

The WFL project is built on the premise that **sustainable change in women’s economic empowerment requires both capacity strengthening and systemic incentives**. To this end, the project combines:

- **Capacity building and mentoring** for SMEs and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to enhance their understanding of gender equality, workplace protection, and inclusive policies
- **Pre-assessments and certification processes** to support SMEs in meeting women-friendly standards
- **Development and rollout of the Women Friendly Label**, providing recognition and visibility to compliant businesses
- **Awareness raising and advocacy efforts** targeting stakeholders, including policymakers, trade bodies, and the wider community
- **Multi-stakeholder engagement**, including consultation sessions and partnerships with relevant institutions

Over the course of its implementation (2024–2026), the project:

- Engaged 24 SMEs in the WFL certification process (assessment, capacity building, renovation, and certification)
- Supported 48 CBOs/ CSOs and stakeholders through tailored capacity development initiatives
- Conducted training programs reaching over 140 employees
- Delivered mentoring, coaching, and networking opportunities to strengthen institutional practices
- Organized consultation sessions, advocacy workshops, and public events, including a WFL award ceremony
- Contributed to policy dialogue and recommendations aimed at enhancing women’s role in the economy

A baseline assessment was conducted at the start of the project to establish benchmarks related to workplace protection, knowledge of gender equality, and perceptions of safety and inclusion among women employees. These baseline values informed the project’s logframe and will serve as a reference point for measuring change at endline.

The project adopts a holistic approach, addressing both:

- **Individual-level change** (knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of women and employees), and
- **Institutional-level change** (policies, practices, and workplace environments within SMEs and CSOs)

The final evaluation will assess the extent to which the project has achieved its intended outcomes and contributed to improving the protection environment, advancing gender equality in workplaces, and enhancing women’s sense of safety and inclusion, while also examining the sustainability and scalability of the Women Friendly Label model.

**2. Purpose of the Evaluation**

The purpose of the final evaluation is to:

- Assess the overall performance, results, and impact of the project
- Measure progress against the logframe indicators (compared to baseline values)
- Evaluate the effectiveness of the WFL model in improving workplace environments
- Generate evidence-based lessons learned and recommendations for scaling and sustainability

**3. Objectives of the Evaluation**

The evaluation will:

1. **Measure outcomes and impact**, particularly:
- % improvement in the overall protection environment in targeted companies
- % increase in knowledge of gender gaps and women’s economic empowerment
- % of CSOs/SMEs with sufficient knowledge and resources to implement workplace change
- % of women reporting improved safety and equality (e.g. reduced harassment)
2. Assess the project using **OECD-DAC evaluation criteria**:
- Relevance
- Effectiveness
- Efficiency
- Impact
- Sustainability
3. Examine:
- The effectiveness of capacity building, mentoring, and certification processes
- Behavioral and institutional changes within SMEs and CSOs
- Contribution to policy and advocacy outcomes

**4. Key Evaluation Questions**

**A. Outcome & Impact (Logframe-based)**

- To what extent has the protection environment improved in participating SMEs?
- To what extent has knowledge of gender equality and economic empowerment increased?
- Do SMEs and CSOs feel they have su