Support with research proposal on Barriers to Food Access for Disabled People

Mission and objectivesThe World Food Programme (WFP) is the leading humanitarian organization saving lives and changing lives, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. As the international community has committed to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition by 2030, one in nine people worldwide still do not have enough to eat. Food and food-related assistance lie at the heart of the struggle to break the cycle of hunger and poverty. For its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict, WFP was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020. In 2020, WFP assisted 115.5 million people – the largest number since 2012 – in 84 countries. On any given day, WFP has 5,600 trucks, 30 ships and nearly 100 planes on the move, delivering food and other assistance to those in most need. These numbers lie at the roots of WFP’s unparalleled reputation as an emergency responder, one that gets the job done quickly at scale in the most difficult environments. WFP’s efforts focus on emergency assistance, relief and rehabilitation, development aid and special operations. Two-thirds of our work is in conflict-affected countries where people are three times more likely to be undernourished than those living in countries without conflict.

ContextPersons with disabilities experience multiple barriers to adequate and nutritious food, including physical inaccessibility, income inequality, and exclusion from social protection mechanisms. These intersecting disadvantages increase the risk of food insecurity and poor health outcomes. WFP Tajikistan aims to strengthen its inclusive programming by developing a research proposal that will inform future interventions, guide advocacy, and support donor engagement. The proposed research will directly contribute to WFP’s 2023 Disability Inclusion Roadmap and align with the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS). Findings will also serve as an input for a planned regional pilot stocktaking and disability inclusion assessment to guide WFP’s organizational response across the country. The research proposal will position WFP Tajikistan to better target unrecorded and underserved groups in food security programming. This opportunity is open only to persons with disabilities as part of the May Inclusion Initiative 2025. We strongly encourage applications from individuals with lived experience of disability and professional expertise in inclusive research or food systems.

Task DescriptionWFP Tajikistan seeks one experienced Online Volunteer to support the Disability Inclusion (DI) team in developing a high-quality research proposal focused on food access barriers faced by persons with disabilities. In close coordination with the DI team and programme staff, the Online Volunteer will: • Review existing WFP reports and research to assess available evidence • Identify key gaps to be addressed by the proposed research • Define the scope, research objectives, and questions in collaboration with WFP staff • Draft a research methodology section, including proposed tools, sample design, and deliverables The Online Volunteer will be provided with relevant documents and inputs. Coordination will be maintained via regular online calls (Zoom, Teams, or Skype).

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