UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a Future…

UNICEF is implementing a three-year Social Protection for Gender Empowerment and Resilience (SP GEAR) (Amai Titukuke) Programme financed by European Union Delegation and the Embassy of Ireland. This is a 3-year programme aimed at supporting the Government of Malawi to empower Malawi’s poorest and most vulnerable girls and women in 9 districts (Mzimba, Balaka, Ntcheu, Mulanje, Zomba, Neno, Mwanza, Chikwawa & Nsanje).

The objectives of the programme are threefold: (i) enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the Malawi National Social Protection Strategy; (ii) enhance the resilience and livelihoods of women and girls from vulnerable households through economic empowerment activities (iii) enhance access to social services by women and girls from vulnerable households.  A key intervention of the SP GEAR programme is to enhance resilience and livelihoods of girls and women from vulnerable households through gender transformative economic empowerment intervention. Specifically, the programme aims at empowering the poorest and most vulnerable girls and women economically and more importantly to have a sense of agency, voice and leadership skills.

Fundamentally, the programme aims at transforming  behaviour and social norms change at individual, immediate interpersonal relationships at the household and family level to create gender equal relationships. This programme will also provide space and opportunities for men and boys to reflect on their individual experiences, attitudes, and beliefs, as well as their interpersonal relationships and dynamics to adopt gender equal values and take action to challenge harmful social and gender norms and practices at household and community levels. The programme’s approach follows a model of awareness, reflection, trialing behaviours, reinforcing behaviours, living positive behaviours, and promoting respectful behaviours to others. The SP GEAR programme is in line with the government of Malawi gender agenda and UNICEF’s mandate on the promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment which is a critical element for fostering resilience and achieving results for children. UNICEF adopted the UNICEF Gender Action Plan (GAP), 2022–2025 to operationalize the UNICEF Gender Policy (2021–2030) which requires the adoption of a gender-transformative programming approach to promote gender equal communities where girls and boys, women and men are treated equality and their specific needs are addressed.

How can you make a difference?

The consultant has to deliver on the following tasks:

• Review the Gender Mainstreaming Guidelines and Training of Trainers Manual for Social Protection by Ministry of Finance and Economic planning, Umodzi Manual, Training Manual for Engaging Men for Gender Equality within graduation programme, Couple Training Manual, Household Approach Manual and other relevant gender manuals including gender transformative literature in social protection programming to identify similarities and differences  to guide prioritization of topics for inclusion in the manual.
• Identify key concepts of gender inequality, power and resource redistribution at household levels to be considered in the manual.
• Identify the gender-related factors influencing the household decision-making process, women access to and control over household resources and the overall sense of agency and voice including women having multiple roles, the feminine and masculine ideals that bring gender divide in roles, power dynamics and the general power relations at household level and community levels that can be illustrated in the Training Manual.
• Investigate the influence of socio-cultural norms and practices on the women’s failure to make decisions; examine the role of the community in addressing gender barriers and enhancing women’s participation in decision-making, participation, and representation in community governance structures; examine the attitudes of community leaders, men and boys towards women and adolescent girls voice, sense of agency, participation, and presentation in governance structures to identify areas for the manual.
• Conduct consultations with social protection programme staff, GIZ, EU, government MoGCDSW staff and selected implementing partners to identify gaps/issues and strategies to enhance gender integration in social protection to benefit every individual at household level and transform discriminatory gender norms, roles and power relations among others.
• Identify areas of focus for the Gender Transformative Training Manual that would transform negative gender norms and practices in the targeted communities.
• Develop/adapt the Gender Transformative Training Manual for Social Cash Transfer Programme based on the findings from above tasks.

 This assignment will be done in five phases as follows:

Phase I: Develop an Inception Report

• Conduct literature review Gender Mainstreaming Guidelines and Trainer of Trainers Manual for Social Protection Programmes (GoM, 2023), Umodzi Manual, Couple Training Manual  and Househould Approach Manual from Ministry of Agriculture and any other other relevant manuals on gender transformative programming in social protection including key relevent documentation such as findings and recommendations of the social protection evaluation/assessment reports.
• Develop and submit an Inception Report which should, inter alia, stipulate methodology and work plan with clear deliverables and submission dates.
• Present the draft Inception report to the stakeholders for input.

 Phase II: Development of Draft Gender Transformative Training Manual for Social Cash Transfer Programme

• Conduct a comprehensive desk review to identify gender barriers in social cash transfer plus programme affecting social and economic empowerment of vulnerable women and adolescent girls.

• • Conduct consultations with Government MoGCDSW, Local Government, UNICEF staff (Social Protection, Nutrition, Education, SBC, Social behaviour change and Gender) and selected implementing partners to identify key strategic gender barriers and strategies for addressing these barriers affecting women and adolescent girls’ empowerment and access to services.
  • Draft the Gender Transformative for Social Cash Transfer Programme Training Manual adapting the Gender Mainstreaming Guidelines and Trainer of Trainers Manual for Social Protection, Umodzi Manual and Household Approach Manual.

Phase III: Finalization of the Draft Gender Transformative Training Manual for Social Cash Transfer Programme

• Present the draft Manual to stakeholders to validate and build consensus on the Manual including pre testing.
• Integrate input from technical working group to finalise the draft Manual.
• Pre test the draft Manual in collaboration with UNICEF
• Submit the final Gender Transformative Training Manual for Social Cash Transfer Programme.

Phase IV: Facilitate Pre-testing and Translation of the Gender Transformative Training Manual

• In collaboration with UNICEF, facilitate  translation of the Training Manual.

Phase V: Training for Trainers in Gender Transformative Programming Approaches in Social Cash Transfer Programme

• In collaboration with GIZ and MoGCDSW, conduct Training of Trainers (Gender Officers, Community Development Assistants, Social Welfare staff) in Gender Transformative Programming Approaches in Social Cash Transfer Programme.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Academic qualification:

At least minimum of Master’s Degree or PhD in Gender Studies, or Social Science, Anthropology, Sociology with specialization in gender and development.

Work experience:

• 10 years experience and 5 years’ experience for master’s and PhD respectively of professional work in the gender and social protection sector at both national and international level with proven experience in conducting sectoral gender barrier analysis in any relevant sector and development of training materials.
• Experiencing in conducting gender related research, assessment and auditing, development of gender training materials and facilitating gender training.
• Experience working with UN agencies and national government is an added advantage.

Technical skills, knowledge and strength areas:

• Essential: Knowledge of gender issues and the prevailing social and economic challenges faced by women in Malawi and specifically in social protection including social cash transfer programmes.
• Essential: Strong knowledge of child rights and women rights pertaining to developmental and humanitarian programming with a focus on social protection in general and social cash transfer programme in particular.
•  Demonstrated technical expertise in conducting sectoral gender analysis and related capapcity building at different levels.
•  Good communication and writing skills.
•  Excellent computer skills.

Language

• Excellent English and Chichewa written and oral skills.

Please refer to the attached full Terms of Reference  Terms of Reference_Development of gender transformative Training Manual for SCTP.pdf for more details on the consultancy and requirements.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit  here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles 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.

HOW TO APPLY…

Interested Individual Consultant should provide the following:

1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Academic certificates
3. Brief technical proposal (no longer than five pages) demonstrating the Individual Consultant’s understanding of the assignment and approach/methodology to the assignment
4. Financial proposal including a breakdown of their all-inclusive fees (including professional fees, stationery, communication, and other miscellaneous costs).  Financial Proposal for Consultancy.xlsx Complete the attached form.
5. References details from three most recent supervisors.

Remarks: 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.