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.

UN Women has entered into an Agreement with Global Affairs Canada (GAC) to implement a project on women’s economic empowerment in the Eastern Caribbean (Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines). The project, “Build Back Equal” (BBE), which is led by UN Women and jointly implemented with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), is being implemented from 2022 – 2025, and will contribute to women’s economic resilience in the Eastern Caribbean by taking a comprehensive approach to addressing the barriers women face to economic empowerment and providing increased sustainable opportunities for women’s economic growth. Government and the private sector in four Eastern Caribbean countries will benefit from strengthened capacity and access to financing to sustainably alleviate women’s unpaid care work burden through subsidized quality childcare. Globally, women work more than men: on average they do at least two and a half times more unpaid care and domestic work than men. This implies that women, and particularly the poorest and most disadvantaged, have the double burden of both paid and unpaid work, or in other words they are often more time poor than men. Women bear the multiple loads of productive and reproductive responsibilities, which severely limits their economic opportunities and remains a barrier to their engagement in paid work. Data on unpaid care work and specifically to measure SDG Indicator 5.4.1 (Proportion of time spent on unpaid domestic and care work, by sex, age and location) is sparse in CARICOM. However, the UN Women MCO-Caribbean is leading efforts to close this data gap in the region. Unpaid care and domestic work is usually invisible in policies and budgets because they are not part of the conventional definition and measurement of the economy (Sharp, 2003).

With support from the BBE project, women’s livelihoods will be made more resilient as most marginalized women, including VAW survivors and elderly women will have their livelihoods strengthened through increased access to comprehensive social protection packages (that will also have a focus on reducing unpaid care work), and reliable referral pathways which are shock responsive and include sexual and reproductive health services. Capacities will be strengthened across health care systems to ensure the availability of quality sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services to women and youth.

The project’s overall theory of change is that if women in Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, especially the most marginalized, have increased access to subsidised childcare, reliable sexual and reproductive health services, to climate and shock-responsive social protection which includes gender-based violence services and opportunities for and access to innovative financing, digitization and climate-smart and environmentally-friendly practices to grow their businesses; then they will experience economic resilience and their countries will benefit from their increased productivity to Build Forward Equal.

Under the overall supervision of the UN Women MCO – Caribbean Representative, and direct reporting to the Deputy Representative, the Gender and Development Economist will spearhead the conduct of two studies. The first study is a multi-country study on the Care Economy. The second study is a study on Gender, Taxation and Equality. Both studies will cover Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent & the Grenadines.

Care Economy Study

A key objective of this consultancy is to make visible the care economy (paid and unpaid) and within that, to understand the interdependence between the market (paid) sphere and the non-market (unpaid) sphere, and the gender division of labour within these. The study should provide data and knowledge that would inform policy decisions to implement the 5Rs Strategy to Recognize, Reduce, Redistribute, Represent, Reward, paid and unpaid care and domestic work. The study should also build on and be informed by the following 2 studies undertaken in Barbados and St. Lucia.

• Fiscal Costs of Expanding Early Childhood Development Service in Saint Lucia | Publications | UN Women – Multi-Country Office – Caribbean

• Making a Case for Investment in Universal Childcare in Barbados | Publications | UN Women – Multi-Country Office – Caribbean

Taking the above into consideration, the multi-country study on the Care Economy (childcare services for children ages 0 to 5; eldercare; and care for person with disabilities) in Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent & the Grenadines, will provide the following:

• Estimates of the contribution of paid and unpaid care work to these economies.
• Assessments of the budgetary allocation and public expenditures on care services.
• An assessment of the capacity of public service delivery to meet the current and future demand for care services.
• An assessment of the accessibility and affordability of care services.
• Documentation and analysis of the macroeconomic impact of current budgetary allocations and expenditures on care services as follows:
  • A simulation of the impact of scaling up public investment in the care economy on job creation (direct effects and indirect effects), poverty and gender equality.

• Policy recommendations to boost public investment for the achievement of universal access to childcare services for children ages 0 to 5; eldercare and care for persons with disabilities.

Gender, Taxation and Equality Study

Increasing attention had been paid to the differential impact of tax laws on women and if this contributes or not, to their income security, access to services and accumulation of assets. Several international human rights treaties recognize the prerogative of the state to tax; but to do so equitably and to use the ensuing revenues without discrimination. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, require State Parties to promote substantive equality that would infer the adoption of gender-equitable policies and laws, including tax laws. These are all backed by the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, including Goal 5 on Gender Equality.

Tax revenues average about 21% of GDP in the Eastern Caribbean Economic Union (ECCU). This is higher than what would be expected for these countries’ level of development. Tax reforms initiated in the early 2000s have included the introduction of the value added tax (VAT), and income and corporate taxes and strengthened revenue administration. There is a pattern of low tax rates, low tax bases and small corporate sectors across the ECCU, with direct taxation being generally weaker and below that of countries with similar income levels. In exploring how to broaden the tax net or in times of crisis, there are considerations related to poverty impacts. For example, most countries in the ECCU zero-rate domestic supplies such as basic foods and a defined portion of monthly household electricity consumption. Given that women comprise the majority of the unemployed and disproportionally bear responsibility of unpaid care and domestic women, there is a need to explore further the gender impact of these taxes; particularly the Personal Income Tax (PIT), Value Added Tax (VAT) and Corporate Tax (CT). This study should answer the following questions:

• What evidence is available on tax policies and their administration that exacerbate gender inequality in the target countries?

• What are the examples of tax policies which have been designed or implemented to reduce gender inequality in the target countries? Is there any evidence of the effect of those policies?

Duties and Responsibilities

The Gender and Development Economist is expected to work remotely for the full duration of the consultancy; but will have to deliver presentations in person (see details below), unless agreed otherwise with UN Women. Therefore, if the consultant is not resident in any of the target countries s/he will be expected to include in their fee proposal travel, accommodation and meals costs; and make arrangements to cover these directly during the assignment.

The consultant is expected to deliver the following results:

Care Economy Study

• Document outlining study methodology and approach.
• A multi-country research report which should provide the following:

1. Analysis of the budgetary allocations and public expenditures on budgetary allocation and public expenditures on care services (childcare services for children ages 0 to 5; eldercare; and care for person with disabilities).
2. Assessment of the capacity of care services to meet current and future demand.
3. Assessment of the capacity of accessibility and affordability for care services.
4. Analysis of the macroeconomic impact of current budgetary allocations and public expenditures on care services.

Further to the above, the report should also provide the following:

Childcare:

• The fiscal cost of targeted child benefits for custodial parents inclusive of the following scenarios:

-Scenario 1: 100% of parents living in households at or below the poverty line

-Scenario 2: 70% of parents living in households at or below the poverty line

-Scenario 3: 50% of parents living at or below the poverty line

• The fiscal costs of universal child benefits for parents living in households which children ages 0 to 5.

Eldercare and Persons with Disabilities:

• The fiscal costs of both targeted and universal benefits for eldercare and persons with disabilities.

Finally, the report should include policy recommendations to boost public investment for the achievement of universal access to care services.

The consultant will also be expected to prepare and present a Power point Presentation on Methodology and findings to the following in the 4 target countries:

• 1 presentation to Senior Policy makers and programme managers.
• 1 presentation to parliamentarians.
• 1 presentation to representatives of CSOs/NGOs.
• 1 presentation to representatives of employers confederations, labour unions, government labour inspectorates and the private sector.

Gender, Taxation and Equality Study

• Document Review and overview of the tax regime, reform processes and tax laws and policies in the ECCU and in the four countries under study.
• Document outlining methodology and approach.
• Multi-country research report which should address the following:
  • Gender Issues in PIT
  • Impact of the VAT on Gender Equality and Ability to Pay
  • Gender Issues in CIT
  • Conclusions and Recommendations

The consultant will also be expected to prepare and present a Power point Presentation on Methodology and findings to the following in the 4 target countries:

• 1 presentation to Senior Policy makers and programme managers.
• 1 presentation to parliamentarians.
• 1 presentation to representatives of CSOs/NGOs.
• 1 presentation to representatives of employers’ confederations, labour unions, government labour inspectorates and the private sector.

Competencies

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity;
• Integrity;
• Professionalism.

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 Core Values and Competencies: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf

Functional Competencies:

• Strong economic analysis and social research and analytical skills.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills including the conveying complex concepts and recommendations, in a clear and persuasive style tailored to match different audiences.
• Ability to interact independently as part of a team.
• Ability to multi-task and operate effectively in stressful situations.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• A Master’s Degree in any of the following areas Economics, Econometrics, Public Policy.
• 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:

• At least five years’ experience conducting socioeconomic research and analysis within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is required.
• At least three years’ experience undertaking economic forecasting and modelling within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is required.
• At least five years’ experience working on gender equality and/or human rights is required.
• At least three years’ experience working on fiscal space analysis for social protection or related areas is required.

Languages:

• Fluency in written and oral English is required.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

• The consultancy will be home-based, with travel expected to the four target countries.
• The consultant will be engaged for a maximum of 200 working days within the period, 1 August 2024 to 31 December 2025.

Remuneration

• The consultancy fee will be negotiated before contracting. Each payment will be based on a predefined and formal agreement between UN Women and the consultant and will be disbursed based on satisfactory completion of agreed deliverables.
• The remuneration for this contract type is an all-inclusive fee, the organization will not be liable for additional cost or benefits. Hence, it is the responsibility of the consultant to take out adequate medical insurance for the duration of the contract and it is recommendable that the policy includes coverage for COVID-19 related illness. The medical coverage should be international when the contract requires missions or international assignment.
• If selected for this consultancy, proof of medical coverage should be presented within the first two months of the contract.

Hardware, Software, And Communication

• The consultant must be equipped with a fully functional laptop, which must run at least Windows 7. The consultants must be reasonably accessible by email and telephone (preferably mobile). The use of reliable, internet-based (Skype or equivalent) is required.

Other:

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