National Consultant to provide programmatic support on Women Economic Empowerment area @ UN Women - UNDP ACCESS

Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

Through its programmes and projects, UN Women is providing technical assistance to national partners (governmental and non-governmental), including private sector, in the implementation of existing international and national commitments to women’s rights and gender equality, it facilitates networking and exchange of good practices and advocates for women’s rights and gender equality in all areas of life.

The work of UN Women in the Republic of Moldova is guided by its Country Strategic Note 2023 - 2027, aligned to the UN-Moldova Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for 2023-2027 and the UN Women Global Strategic Plan (SP) (2022-2025), and aims to contribute to the gender-responsive implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The overarching vision of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is inclusive and sustainable growth with its promise to leave no one behind. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, target 5.5. calls to “ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of the decision-making in political, economic and public life”. Gender equality is mainstreamed throughout the SDGs, including SDG 8 “Decent Work and Economic Growth”.

Gender equality by 2030 requires urgent action to eliminate the many root causes of discrimination that still curtail women’s rights in private and public spheres. At its core, the economic empowerment of women depends on the quantity and quality of paid employment, the provision or absence of public services, the amount of unpaid care work borne by women, as well as coverage or lack thereof under core social and labor protections.

The Country Strategic Note 2023 - 2027 focuses on four impact areas:

• 1. Governance & participation in Public Life
• 2. Economic Empowerment & Resilience, 3 Ending Violence against women & girls, 4 Peace& Security, Humanitarian Action & Disaster Risk Reduction.

To achieve progress under these areas, UN Women works with variety of national and international partners and as part of different national and regional initiatives.

For the economic empowerment and resilience of women, UN Women works to strengthen capacities of the Parliament and Government to develop, adopt and implement legal, regulatory and policy frameworks, as well as care service provision models that create decent work for women and that support the reduction and redistribution of unpaid care work and more equal sharing of care and domestic work between women and men, including developing the legal framework and piloting for alternative childcare services.

UN Women collaborates with various institutional actors, as well as with the Economic Council within the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, in order to promote gender-sensitive programs for women employed and to implement the Roadmap on Women's Economic Empowerment.

UN Women will also seek to improve women’s access to male-dominated professions, notably in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and build their information and communication technology (ICT) skills, and promote women’s increased access to economic opportunities through supporting best practices of the private sector.

The cooperation with the private sector covers the work on promotion The Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs). Companies becomes more aware about the WEPs and knowledge products and tools to guide private sector institutions on WEPs implementation and monitoring in their workplaces and industries etc. were developed. Further work is required to continue on promotion of WEPs within the private sector.

UN Women also provides advisory and financial support to small producers to contribute to the development of their business, product exports and job creation in rural areas.

Key partners: Parliament and relevant Parliamentary Commissions, Ministry of Economy and Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, Economic Council under the Prime Minister, ODA National Agency of Employment, National, local and public institutions, Businesswomen associations and Employers Union, Private companies and Chamber of Commerce, Academia, rural CSOs and women-activists, humanitarian/refugee response actors, media; UN agencies – UNDP, UNFPA, ILO, UN Global Compact and the international community, i.e. USAID, World Bank, EBRD, EU, Trust Funds and other.

Therefore, UN Women is looking for a national consultant with expertise in the area of gender equality and women economic empowerment (WEE), to provide programmatic support to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of WEE portfolio of UN Women Country Office.

Description of Responsibilities /Scope of Work

The selected national consultant will be responsible to support timely and synergetic implementation of the UN Women Strategic Note in the area of women’s economic empowerment. The consultant will provide programmatic support in the development and implementation of effective programmes consistent with UN Women rules and regulations. She/he works in close collaboration with the operations, programme and projects’ staff in the UN Women[RU1] Moldova CO. The consultant shall report directly to the designated UN Women Moldova Programme Analyst with overall oversight by the UN Women WEPP Project Manager and the Women Economic Empowerment and Resilience Specialist.

The Consultant will undertake the following tasks:

Support the review of economic development policies, with focus on those related to entrepreneurship and export promotion, legal frameworks and programmes, to integrate gender equality and women’s economic empowerment priorities.

• Provide strategic and technical support across the WEE portfolio, including programme planning and development, research and knowledge management, partnership building and coordination, policy dialogue, preparation of technical documents and knowledge products, and quality assurance of programme activities and deliverables.
• Support the coordination of training delivery with partners and ensure follow-up on the application of acquired knowledge in institutional practice.

Support initiatives to improve women’s access to finance

• Support access to finance work with financial institutions, including banks, microfinance institutions.
• Support the development and implementation of institutional strategies, policies and action plans that advance gender equality and women’s financial inclusion.
• Contribute to the design, implementation and assessment of financial and non-financial support approaches responsive to women’s needs, including those of women entrepreneurs.
• Contribute to the development of practical guidance, tools and capacity-building initiatives to strengthen institutional responsiveness, women’s financial capabilities and readiness to access financing.
• Support the use of research, sex-disaggregated data and monitoring tools to assess gaps, track progress and inform improvements in financial inclusion programmes and services.
• Document implementation experience and contribute to the development of knowledge products on access to finance.

Support women’s entrepreneurship and business support programmes for women entrepreneurs

• Support the development of sectoral gender and value chain analysis particularly in agriculture and food industries and ensure that findings inform programme design.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of business support programmes and integrated business support approaches, that strengthen women’s entrepreneurship, business resilience, competitiveness and participation in domestic and international markets.
• Support women entrepreneurs’ networks and mentors, rural cluster development and links to existing business infrastructure.
• Support women’s access to vocational education and advocacy campaigns on care responsibilities and gender stereotypes.
• Provide technical guidance to partner institutions and business support organisations to integrate gender-responsive approaches into their programmes, services and delivery mechanisms.
• Contribute to the development of methodologies, practical tools and partnership arrangements for piloting and expanding business support initiatives.

Support a structured approach to company-level WEPs implementation and results monitoring

• Guide companies in identifying and using relevant existing WEPs tools, guidance and resources, adapting their application to the specific needs, capacities and priorities of individual companies.
• Support companies in assessing gaps in their existing policies and practices, using relevant WEPs assessment tools, employee consultations, internal policies and available organisational data.
• Provide technical guidance to translate assessment findings and WEPs commitments into practical company-level actions, priorities and implementation plans.
• Support companies in developing, reviewing or strengthening internal policies and practices related to gender equality, including equal pay, recruitment, career progression, women’s leadership, care responsibilities, flexible work arrangements, safe and respectful workplaces and gender-responsive procurement.
• Help companies apply relevant WEPs tools to track progress and document changes in policies, workplace practices and organisational approaches, using existing WEPs indicators and reporting resources where applicable.
• Maintain regular follow-up with WEPs signatories to identify implementation challenges, technical assistance needs and opportunities for further support from UN Women.
• Facilitate peer exchange among WEPs signatories, enabling companies to share practical approaches, challenges, lessons learned and examples of WEPs implementation.
• Document company experiences, practices and results to inform UN Women’s technical assistance, WEPs engagement, advocacy and recognition of good workplace practices.

Provide strategic advice, partner coordination, knowledge management and technical quality assurance across the WEE portfolio

• Support the implementation of UN Women’s Strategic Note and WEE area action plans, providing substantive inputs to programme planning, development and implementation.
• Gather, analyse and synthesise country-level information, research, policy papers, case studies and relevant international practices to inform programme priorities and identify opportunities for adaptation at national and local levels.
• Contribute to the development of programme proposals, concepts, knowledge products, tools and other initiatives adapted to the national context, in collaboration with the UN Women team and implementing partners.
• Develop and expand partnerships with public institutions, financial institutions, companies, business associations, civil society, academia, media and development partners, including non-traditional partners at national and local levels.
• Support the conceptualisation and organisation of multistakeholder dialogues, seminars and conferences; contribute substantive expertise to partner and programme coordination meetings and support follow-up on agreed actions.
• Document lessons learned and good practices, and prepare analytical briefs, case studies and technical content for outreach, communication, advocacy and donor visibility products, including fact sheets, infographics, campaigns and social media, in collaboration with relevant UN Women staff.
• Undertake other tasks directly related to the WEE assignment and within its scope, as agreed with the supervisor or assigned by the Programme Manager.
• Prepare concepts and terms of reference for relevant workplan components and review the technical quality of reports and deliverables produced by consultants, service providers and implementing partners.

Workplace and Official Travel

This consultancy is home based. The National Consultant/Gender Specialist is expected to be available for meetings and coordination with the UN Women Moldova team, partners, and relevant stakeholders as needed.

No travels are envisaged under the current assignment. In the case of unforeseeable travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between UN Women and the National Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

Financial Arrangements

Payment will be disbursed on a monthly basis, upon submission and approval of deliverables and timesheets with actual days worked and certification by the UN Women responsible staff that the services have been satisfactorily performed.

Performance Evaluation

Consultant’s performance will be evaluated against such criteria as: timeliness, responsibility, initiative, communication, accuracy, and quality of the products delivered.

Competencies

Core Values

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework:

Functional Competencies

• Ability to review national economic, agricultural, and rural development policies, strategies, and programmes to integrate gender equality and women’s economic empowerment priorities
• Capability to coordinate training delivery for national partners, ensure follow-up on institutional application, and support the advancement of the equal pay agenda
• Capacity to collaborate with banks and microfinance institutions to develop gender-responsive financial and non-financial support approaches tailored to women entrepreneurs
• Competency in creating practical tools and guidance to strengthen women’s financial readiness while using sex-disaggregated data to track progress and inform service improvements
• Competency in conducting sectoral gender and value chain analyses (particularly in agriculture and food industries) to guide programme design
• Ability to design integrated business support programmes that enhance women entrepreneurs' competitiveness, cluster development, and access to domestic and international markets
• Capacity to guide private sector companies in using WEPs diagnostic tools, assessing policy gaps, and translating commitments into practical company action plans
• Ability to assist companies in monitoring progress against WEPs indicators, facilitating peer learning among signatories, and documenting workplace case studies
• Strong analytical and writing skills to draft project proposals, concept notes, knowledge products, and Terms of Reference (ToRs), as well as conducting quality control over deliverables produced by contractors and partnersDemonstrated ability to leverage productivity software, advanced spreadsheet applications, and database management systems to analyze data and support programmatic operations across web-based organizational platforms.

Required Qualifications

Education and Certification

• Master’s degree in economics, finance, public administration, human rights, gender equality, management or other related areas is required;
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience

• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience at national or international level in managing complex and multi-component programmes and projects, preferably in the area of gender equality, women’s economic empowerment and gender responsive budgeting is required;
• Minimum 3 years of collaborative work experience with national partners at policy/decision making and/or institutional and local level, including government and civil society organisations is required;
• Experience in the UN system, agencies and international organizations is an asset;
• Experience in working with diverse public and private actors on gender and socio-economic empowerment and response, is an asset.

Languages

• Fluency in Romanian and English (written and spoken) is required.
• Knowledge of Russian would be considered an advantage.

Statements

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.