Background

The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (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.

In Türkiye, in line with its global Strategic Plan 2022-2025 and Country Strategic Note (2022-2025), and the overall UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Türkiye (UNSDCF) (2021-2025), UN Women works towards the overarching goal of “Women and girls including those at greatest risk of being left behind fully exercise their human rights, enjoy a life free from violence and discrimination, and lead, influence and benefit from sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development towards the advancement of gender equality in Türkiye”. UN Women works in four thematic areas: (i) governance and participation in public life; (ii) women’s economic empowerment; (iii) ending violence against women and girls; and (iv) women, peace and security, humanitarian action and disaster risk reduction. UN Women contributes to three UNSDCF outcomes: 1) Women and girls have improved and equal access to resources, opportunities, and rights, and enjoy a life without violence and discrimination; 2) By 2025, Persons under the Law on Foreigners and International Protection are supported towards self-reliance. 3) By 2025, governance systems are more transparent, accountable, inclusive and rights-based with the participation of civil society, and quality of judicial services is improved.

Although Türkiye has made significant progress of advancing gender equality through legal reforms over the past two decades and has reached gender parity in most levels of education, deep-rooted discriminatory gender stereotypes and restrictive social norms continue and undermine efforts to combat violence against women and girls, and to increase women’s participation in decision-making and in economic, public and political life.

To support to overcome the systemic barriers against women’s economic participation in the country, UN Women engages with the private sector in the country. Türkiye has a vibrant and powerful private sector which provides employment to the majority of workers – some estimates show that almost 83% of employment is within the private sector. The well-established status and reach of private sector and its many constituents (i.e. employees, suppliers, clients, consumers etc.) give it commensurate impact, outreach and contribution to policy making. The Women’s

Empowerment Principles (WEPs) are a set of Principles offering guidance to business on how to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace and community and thus creates an enabling business environment to contribute to overcome also the systemic barriers.

Established by UN Global Compact and UN Women, the WEPs are informed by international labour and human rights standards and grounded in the recognition that businesses have a stake in, and a responsibility for, gender equality and women’s empowerment. UN Women uses the WEPs as the leading framework in creating the desired change within and beyond the private sector. WEPs offers the private sector a clear and powerful framework to address existing gender gaps and to bring about change. UN Women Türkiye works with the private sector in the country by crafting bespoke WEPs programmes for them to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE) in their workplace, marketplace, and community.

UN Women Türkiye and a WEPs signatory private sector company (THE COMPANY) have agreed on a comprehensive and long-term programme to better implement the WEPs framework through incorporating data generation, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, to make a lasting and meaningful impact on the GEWE issues within and beyond THE COMPANY. THE COMPANY is part of the energy sector In Türkiye where many of the future jobs are expected to come from – due to the transformation required to combat climate change. This sector will be drastically changed by technological advancements and generate new employment opportunities. However, the energy sector, as is, is male dominated. Barriers exist for women’s entry and career advancement in the sector. UN Women’s engagement with THE COMPANY is aimed to create an environment within and beyond THE COMPANY, where women currently working or would like to work and advance in these high paying “jobs of the future” can advance. UN WOMEN signed the Private Sector Collaboration Agreement with THE COMPANY to implement a programme to cover above mentioned aspects in three Outputs under the overall framework of the WEPs.

The Programme’s ultimate goal is to advance gender responsive corporate practices and policies within THE COMPANY in line with effective implementation of the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs). Towards this goal, the Programme is designed to achieve the following Outcome and Outputs: Programme Outcome: An enabling environment for THE COMPANY to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace and community will be fostered by accelerating the effective implementation of the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs).

Output 1. THE COMPANY will increase its capacity to implement WEPs effectively in the workplace,

Output 2. THE COMPANY employees will increase capacity and resources to advance women’s empowerment and leadership in the company and beyond,

Output 3. THE COMPANY will increase its capacity for creating inclusive and gender-responsive portrayals in communications and advocating for gender equality across its ecosystem through campaigns.

In line with the Output 2 of the Programme, UN Women is looking to hire a National Consultant to develop an Asynchronous Training Content on Gender Equality for THE COMPANY which will target 15,000 employees in THE COMPANY’s current ecosystem. The production of the Asynchronous Gender Awareness Training will be entrusted to a specialized Education Technology Company. The National Consultant will supervise the Education Technology Company under UN Women Türkiye Office’s supervision. The Asynchronous Training will serve as an essential onboarding requirement for all incoming employees and as a continual learning resource for the existing workforce (around 15,000 employees) on the current Online Training Platform of the COMPANY.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under supervision of Programme Analyst (HeForShe) National Consultant for Developing Asynchronous Training Content on Gender Equality for PS will undertake the following tasks:

1. Rapid needs assessment for content development to understand the specific needs and challenges related to gender equality within THE COMPANY and to consider the diversity of the workforce and tailor the content to address relevant issues.

• Desk review of relevant policy documents of THE COMPANY and UN Women’s global trainings on gender equality.

• Meetings with project team get their expectations,

• Design and implement interviews or focus groups to gather insights into the specific training needs of the target audience.

• Analyze the collected data to determine the most critical gender awareness topics and areas where knowledge gaps exist.

• Compile findings into a detailed report that outlines the training needs, recommended content areas, and learning objectives.

2. Content of Asynchronous Gender Awareness Training

• Defining clear learning objectives for the asynchronous training. Aligning these objectives with the overall goals of promoting gender awareness and equality.
• Developing asynchronous training content up to 5 e-learning modules, each focusing on a specific aspect of gender awareness. Common topics may include unconscious bias, workplace inclusivity, women’s empowerment, leadership, and addressing gender stereotypes. The final topics will be determined based on the results of the rapid needs assessment. Each module should last 10-15 minutes.
• Developing e-learning module content will include following steps:
  • E-learning design
  • E-learning implementation
  • Finalize e-learning module after incorporating feedback.

• Incorporate interactive elements to keep participants engaged, such as quizzes, case studies, discussions, and reflection activities. These interactions help reinforce learning and keep participants actively involved in the training. The consultant should suggest and elaborate on these interactive elements.
• Develop various multimedia formats to enhance the learning experience. This includes preparing scripts for multimedia content such as videos, infographics, audio clips, and real-world examples to make the content dynamic and relatable.
• Include practical scenarios that participants might encounter in their work environment. These scenarios help bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world application. Relevant case studies highlighting successful gender equality initiatives or challenges that need addressing should be incorporated.
• Include self-assessment opportunities, such as quizzes, for participants to reflect on their own beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors related to gender. Each training module will have final assessment section at the end of the module.
• Provide additional resources for participants who wish to explore specific topics further. This could include articles, books, or links to external websites offering valuable insights into gender equality.

3.Supervision of the Education Technology Company

The production of the Asynchronous Gender Awareness Training will be entrusted to an Education Technology Company. Throughout the development process, the National Consultant is expected to work closely and collaboratively with and supervise the chosen Education Technology Company. This collaboration aims to seamlessly integrate the training content into a visually compelling and technically proficient format.

• Deliver a workshop aimed at introducing the principles of gender equality and raising awareness among the team members at the Education Technology Company who will be involved in the production of the training content.
• Detailed e-learning module designs provided to the Education Technology Company to ensure alignment with the training objectives.
• Supervise the Education Technology Company during the e-learning implementation process to ensure the e-learning design and content is accurately and effectively translated into the final asynchronous training product.
• Piloting one of the training modules together with the Education Technology Company,
• Review and approve the visual and technical elements of the training during production, ensuring they meet the required standards and align with the training objectives.
• Collaborate with both the UN Women project team and the specialized Education Technology Company to review drafts, incorporate feedback, and ensure the final product is an engaging and effective asynchronous learning experience.
• The above-mentioned tasks are indicative and subject to further detailing through specific service requests to be made by UN Women Türkiye Office during the course of the contract duration.
• The consultant is expected to work closely and in coordination with the project team.

• Deliverable	Workdays up to	Expected completion time (due day, tentative)
  Deliverable 1: A Workplan and a methodology including the timeline for completing the expected deliverables	2	20 October 2024
  Deliverable 2: A Rapid needs assessment report that outlines the training needs, recommended content areas, and learning objectives	15	15 November 2024
  Deliverable 3: A gender awareness workshop aimed at introducing the principles of gender equality and raising awareness among the team members at the Education Technology Company involved in the training content production.	3	20 November 2024
  Deliverable 4: Pilot Module 3 with a focus on: (i) E-learning design (ii) E-learning implementation (iii) Finalize Module 3 after incorporating feedback.	10	(May change due to counterparts’ agendas, to be completed in Q4 of 2024) 20 December 2024
  Deliverable 5: E-learning designs of Modules 1,2,4, and 5	20	(May change due to counterparts’ agendas, to be completed in Q1 of 2025) 14 February 2025
  Deliverable 6: E-learning Modules 1,2,4 and 5 (ii) E-learning implementation of the Modules 1, 2, 4, and 5. (iii) Finalization of the Modules 1,2,4 and 5 after incorporating feedback.	20	(May change due to counterparts’ agendas, to be completed in Q2 of 2025) 14 April 2025
  Deliverable 7: Final revisions on all 5 e-learning modules and a comprehensive final report of the assignment	5	16 May 2025
  TOTAL	75

  The mentioned number of working days has been estimated as being sufficient/feasible for the envisaged volume of work to be completed successfully and is proposed as a guideline for the duration of assignment. It cannot and shall not be used as criteria for completion of work/assignment. The provision of envisaged deliverables and timesheets approved by the UN Women Programme Analyst (Project Coordinator) shall be the only criteria for Consultant’s work being completed and eligible for payments.

  The amount paid to the Consultant shall be gross and inclusive of all associated costs such as travel, social security, pension, and income tax etc. Payments will be made upon submission and approval of deliverables above and certification by the UN Women supervisor that the services have been satisfactorily completed.

  Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

  This is a home-based assignment with no travel foreseen. THE COMPANY is based in Istanbul. In case of an unforeseen travel, UN Women Türkiye Office will cover the organization and the costs of the consultant’s travel as per UN Women’s rules and regulations. UN Women will not be responsible for covering any transportation costs within the duty station, including taxi fares.

  Mandatory Training Courses

  The Consultant shall complete all the mandatory and other required UN training courses and modules on time. The certificates shall be submitted to the supervisor.

  Key Performance Indicators:

• Adherence to UN Women mandate, standards, and rules
• Timely and quality delivery of the e-learning design and implementation
• Timely and quality delivery of briefings, presentations and reports

Competencies

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in social sciences including gender studies, education, international relations or other related field 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:

• A minimum of 7 years of experience in developing high quality training content and knowledge product on gender equality/women’s empowerment is required.
• Experience in developing asynchronous training in gender equality and/or women’s empowerment is an asset.
• Experience with in developing and delivering gender awareness trainings for private sector
• Previous working experience with UN Agencies and other international organizations is an asset.

Languages:

• Fluency in written and spoken Turkish and English is required.