Call for a Consultant to Develop a Tool to Counter Anti-Gender Discourse in Education

Resilience in the Classroom

Across Europe, LGBTQI young people, and particularly trans, non-binary, and intersex students, continue to encounter discrimination, exclusion, and violence within school communities. In parallel, school environments are increasingly shaped by the influence of anti-gender discourse, which can undermine inclusive education efforts, spread disinformation and misinformation, and erode democratic values. Educators and school staff often lack the training, resources, or institutional support needed to respond effectively to anti-LGBTQI bullying and exclusion, while many national education systems fall short in meeting their obligations to ensure safe and inclusive learning environments for all students.

With this in mind, IGLYO plans to develop an educational tool that supports educators, students, and schools in using education as a tool to counter anti-gender discourse in society. This tool should provide guidance on how teaching critical thinking, media literacy, and human rights-based civic education can help students and teachers respond to misinformation and disinformation related to sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics, as well as promote resilience to anti-gender discourse within the wider school community. 

About IGLYO

IGLYO — The International LGBTQI Youth & Student Organisation is the world's largest network dedicated to LGBTQI young people and their rights. They represent the voice of over 135 Member Organisations in more than 40 countries across the European region. IGLYO advances the rights of LGBTQI young people, advocates for their equality and inclusion, empowers their voices, and connects them across borders through international events, capacity-building training, thematic research, advocacy, awareness-raising campaigns, network building, regranting, and intersectional community dialogues. You can learn more about IGLYO at www.iglyo.org.

Background

Across Europe, the rise of anti-gender discourse poses a growing threat to equality, democratic values, and the rights of LGBTQI people. These narratives, often driven by disinformation, misinformation and transnational anti-rights movements, frame schools as key focus points, aiming to restrict young people’s access to inclusive, accurate, and rights-based education. In this context, IGLYO is looking for a consultant or consultancy agency to develop a tool for students and educators on how education can be used as a proactive tool to counter anti-gender rhetoric and foster resilience, inclusion, and critical thinking among students, educators, and communities.

IGLYO has already convened two multi-stakeholder working group meetings and received valuable input from experts in the field. The group’s recommendations emphasise the need for teacher training that not only enhances legal knowledge and conflict management but also equips educators with the tools to counter misinformation. They also call for LGBTQI inclusion to be woven into wider anti-discrimination and civic education, while empowering students through media literacy and youth-led initiatives. Building strong alliances with parents, NGOs and local communities, as well as protecting teachers from backlash, are also seen as crucial steps. With both top-down policy support and grassroots engagement, the guidance aims to help schools become safe, inclusive, and resilient in the face of anti-gender narratives.

Objectives

General Objective

To develop a comprehensive, evidence-based educational tool that strengthens the capacity of educators, students, and school communities across Europe to counter anti-gender discourse. The tool should not only address the challenges posed by misinformation and exclusion in schools but also provide practical strategies to foster inclusive, rights-based, and democratic learning environments, and identify good practice examples from the European context.

Specific Objectives

• Assess the current needs, gaps, and challenges faced by educators, students, and schools in responding to anti-gender narratives and misinformation.
• Map and analyse existing practices that promote critical thinking, media literacy, and human rights-based civic education in school contexts.
• Provide practical guidance and tools for educators to integrate LGBTQI inclusion within broader anti-discrimination and civic education frameworks.
• Identify strategies to empower students, including through media literacy and youth-led initiatives, to enhance their resilience against anti-gender discourse.
• Recommend approaches to build alliances between schools, parents, NGOs, and local communities to sustain inclusive education and protect educators from backlash.

Scope of Work

The consultant will conduct a European-wide analysis and develop an educational tool aimed at countering anti-gender discourse in education. The scope will include:

• Mapping the current situation of LGBTQI students in schools, and examining the current presence of anti-gender discourse in educational contexts.
• Identifying barriers and enablers for inclusion in schools, including policies, institutional practices, training opportunities, safety concerns, availability of resources, alliances with families and communities, and the protection of educators.
• Analysing relevant European and national policies, legal frameworks, and programmes that address discrimination in education, with particular attention to civic education, media literacy, and human rights-based approaches.
• Documenting illustrative case studies of both exclusionary practices and successful examples of inclusive responses in schools, highlighting lessons learned and innovative strategies that can be replicated.
• Assessing community, policy, and grass-roots responses to anti-gender discourse, as well as identifying key gaps, challenges, and opportunities for stronger engagement by civil society, educators, and decision-makers.
• Evaluating gaps in data and representation, particularly concerning the visibility, participation, and voices of LGBTQI students and young people in educational decision-making processes.
• Situating findings within the broader societal context, showing how anti-gender narratives are both mirrored in and challenged by schools, and assessing the role of education in shaping public attitudes towards equality and inclusion.

Role of the consultant

The consultant or consultancy agency working in this project with IGLYO should be able to: 

• Review the previous work done by IGLYO;
• Map, review and conduct an analysis of existing literature;
• Meet with IGLYO’s members, partners, as well as with other potential relevant stakeholders;
• Provide recommendations for policymakers and service providers;
• Identify best practices in this area;
• Draft an education tool;
• Attend an online meeting with the multi-stakeholder working group;
• Incorporate feedback from the working group, IGLYO Staff and other partners.

Deliverables

The consultant will have to submit the following deliverables: 

DELIVERABLE 1. Inception report:

1. Initial understanding of the consultant
2. Detailed work plan of the project, including a timeline for the deliverables
3. Methodology
4. Anticipated challenges

DELIVERABLE 2. Desk literature review

DELIVERABLE 3. Interview transcripts and analysis

DELIVERABLE 4. Draft analysis report:

1. Delivery of a draft report that triangulates information coming from IGLYO’s work, desk literature review and interview analysis (30 pages, approximately), and provides recommendations and good practices
2. Presentation of the report in front of the multi-stakeholder working group
3. Incorporation of feedback from the working group

DELIVERABLE 5. Final educational tool (30 pages, approximately) with recommendations and good practices

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The draft report is due for submission by November 10, 2025. The meeting will be held in late November, and the final educational tool is expected to be delivered by December 15, 2025.

Eligibility criteria

The consultant (or consultancy team) should demonstrate the following:

• Proven experience in research on LGBTQI rights, discrimination, and social inclusion, particularly desk reviews and secondary data analysis.
• Strong knowledge of inclusive education policies and anti-gender discourse.
• Solid understanding of the specific challenges faced by LGBTQI youth in education, particularly trans, non-binary, and intersex students, and the ability to apply an intersectional approach throughout the research.
• Demonstrated expertise in qualitative research methods, including data collection, analysis, and synthesis of findings.
• Strong track record of producing clear, accessible, and well-structured written outputs (e.g. reports, tools, or policy briefs).
• Demonstrated cultural sensitivity and ethical standards, particularly when working with issues of diversity and inclusion
• Familiarity with European policy frameworks on education, equality, and human rights is an asset.

How to apply?

Interested applicants should send the following documents using this form: 

• Updated CVs of each consultant. Each CV should not exceed 3 pages.
• Expression of interest (no longer than 500 words). This expression of interest should summarise the consultant’s key skills and experience related to this call and demonstrate how the consultant fulfils the eligibility criteria. 
• Abridged research proposal (no longer than 3 pages). The proposal should include the following sections:
  
  • Background section outlining the consultant’s understanding of the issue
  • Research proposal, including technical approach, methodology, and target group
  • Roadmap and timeline, including working days for each deliverable
• Proposed budget (no longer than 1 page). Financial proposal, including consultancy fees. The maximum budget available for this consultancy is up to EUR 7,500 (inclusive of all costs, taxes, and fees). Proposals will be assessed on both the technical quality and the financial feasibility of the offer.
• 1 sample of previous work (in English). We will only read one sample of previous work per application. Please, do not submit more than one sample. 

Applications should be sent through the application form by 10 September 2025 at 23:59 CEST. If you have any questions, please reach out to our Deputy Executive Director, Rú Ávila Rodríguez (they/them), at ru@iglyo.org. 

Interviews will be held on September 17th and 18th. Thank you in advance!