Background

UN Women is the United Nations global champion of gender which fulfills a Triple Normative-Coordination-Operational mandate, upholding standards for gender equality and women’s empowerment and making the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals a reality for women and girls and standing behind women’s equal participation in all aspects of life. UN Women links global, national, and local actors to create an enabling environment, working with governments and civil society to design laws, policies, programs, and services to ensure that defined standards truly benefit women and girls worldwide. The Agency works to identify and dismantle structural barriers to GEWE and unequal power relations, including discriminatory laws, policies, and practices.

Building on the impacts and the knowledge of UNIFEM which opened its office in 2002 in Sierra Leone, UN Women established its office in 2011. In line with its universal Normative, Coordination, and Operational triple mandate, the UN Women Office in Sierra Leone works with the Government of Sierra Leone, Civil Society (especially women’s movements), local communities, the international community, and the private sector to advance the agenda of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in the country. At normative level in Sierra Leone, UN Women supports intergovernmental institutions in promoting gender mainstreaming and standards for implementing women’s and girls’ human rights through twenty-eight (28) Ministries, the Armed and the Police Forces. The Agency supports national policies and laws such as the 2019 Amendment of the Sexual Offenses Act, the GEWE Act 2022, and the GEWE Policy of 2020 that aim at localizing global standards and norms such as CEDAW, UNSCR 1325, the Beijing Declaration and Action Plan, the Maputo Protocol on Women’s Rights.

Women in Sierra Leone constitutes 57 percent of the workforce, are the backbone of the agricultural sector, and play a vital role in natural resource management and food production. Yet, 80 percent of registered land belong to men (UNDP, 2023)[1] who have control over cash crop production, farming inputs and technology, while women remain discriminated and denied of ownership and access to, or control of land and most productive resources. Rural women, especially those in remote communities, face severe disadvantages and live in multifaceted poverty. Women are also mostly limited to the informal sector as their ability to participate in the formal sector is largely hindered by unpaid care responsibilities and male-customized business languages and regulations. Inclusive and tailored women’s empowerment with key focus on economic development and social protection initiatives and programmes are central in driving effective poverty reduction and economic prosperities.

Multiple and intersecting forms of discriminatory and inequality sustaining norms and practices that favor men and constrain women reveal how the economic oppression of women is context-specific and incumber the economic progress of a nation.

To address gender inequalities and empower women in fundamental areas such as politics, governance, access to justice, finances, and natural resources, the Government of Sierra Leone has taken significant steps in developing inclusive policies like the National Land Policy, the Customary Land Rights Act and the Land Commission Act. The recent Feed Salone program and the Medium-Term National Development Plan (2024-2030) translate some of these policies and laws into operational strategies.

Through its Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) Programme, UN Women work closely with partners at multi-layered levels with several government ministries, departments and agencies, chieferies, local Councils, and local implementing partners to

[1] UNDP, (2023), Barriers and Enablers of Women’s Participation in Revenue Generation in Sierra Leone https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/2023-02/Barriers-and-Enablers-of-Women%E2%80%99s-Participation-in-Revenue-Generation-in-SierraLeone-2023.pdf support women farmer groups and cooperatives nationwide. In alignment with its vision, UN Women’s Economic Empowerment Strategy aims to ensure that all women have income security, decent work, and economic power and autonomy.

Duties and Responsibilities

UN Women is seeking a Women’s Economic Development Planning Expert with proven experiences in climate resilience, economic development systems, access to market, inclusive green/blue economies and jobs, especially for women and youth, private sector engagement for women’s economic empowerment, and innovative approach to rural women development. Reporting to the Head of Office, and working under the guidance of the Women’s Economic Empowerment Lead of UN Women Sierra Leone, the Consultant has the duty to help UN Women achieve the followings objectives:

1. To set forth a human rights–based gender-responsive, multisectoral and multi-level approach to economic empowerment that responds to patterns of gendered marginalization and discrimination and transforms women’s economic and social status to improve their livelihoods, rights and resilience, contributing to the ones of their households, communities and the Nation.
2. To scale up UN Women’s leadership in the field of women’s economic empowerment (WEE) and influence national discourse through the development of normative frameworks and coordination with the Government of Sierra Leone, the UN System, the private sector and other key stakeholders.
3. To refine and amplify UN Women’s impact in addressing the most pressing challenges related to WEE, including systemic economic inequality, informality, a deepening care crisis, climate change and environmental degradation.

To refine and amplify UN Women’s impact in addressing the most pressing challenges related to women’s economic empowerment especially at community levels, including systemic economic inequality, informality, access to market, a deepening domestic care services, environmental degradation, energy, and climate change factors.

Key Deliverables

The following are expected deliverables based on the scope of work defined above:

1. A very comprehensive inception report which includes, among others, a clear methodology, guidelines and an action plan.
2. An analytical situational report depicting the current position and impact of UN Women on women’s economic resilience and empowerment in Sierra Leone, with actionable recommendations for scaling gains, improving in gaps, and innovating for progress.
3. A compelling documentation of the situation, potentials and visions of women’s economic resilience, and existing opportunities for the fulfillment of the visions. This must be researched and presented from a systemic analysis of economic inequality, informality, unpaid domestic care influence, climate change and environmental degradation and opportunities.
4. The document of UN Women Sierra Leone Strategy for Women’s Climate Smart Economic Growth delineated from the two precedent situational documents to meet the objectives set for this consultancy (please see the 4 objectives).
5. A final note of mission.

The consultant may be performing other duties within his/her functional duties as deemed necessary for the achievement of the objectives assigned to consultancy

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:

FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES:

• Strong knowledge of green and blue economy and job
• Strong knowledge of gender equity and women’s empowerment issues
• Strong knowledge of UN system and understanding of inter-agency coordination processes
• Strong knowledge of results-based programme planning and management
• Strong analytical skills
• Ability to promote and monitor inclusion of gender-specific objectives, indicators, targets and activities in the UN agencies programmes
• Ability to provide advice and support.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

• A post-graduate degree (Doctorate or Master’s or equivalent) in economics, agronomy, socio-economy, or other clearly relevant field is required.
• A first-level university degree in combination with four additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree
• Required Experience:
• At least 15 years of experience in development research, planning and programming focused on the intersection of women, economic development, agriculture and gender.
• In-depth understanding of economic development, green and blue economies/jobs, rural development, participatory approach, development factors and stakeholders, especially in the African Union and ECOWAS contexts.
• Outstanding knowledge of women’s economic situation, gender norms and gender-based barriers and opportunities in access to resources for economic development, especially in low-income West-African countries.
• Experience in designing gender responsive national economic development programs, with strong focus on women’s economic empowerment, climate action, energy, environmental sustainability management, transformative processes and advanced gender-equality policies.
• Proven track records in conducting high quality analysis of gender dynamism, women’s economic empowerment challenges and opportunities, analysis of stakeholders from gender considerations in developing countries, particularly in West Africa.
• Experience in the development program planning, evaluation, management, monitoring and reporting.
• Track records of analyzing, synthetizing and conceptualizing complex insights, practices and contexts, and ability to actively report, and present the outputs.
• Desired qualifications
• Experience working in gender equality and women’s rights at the international level.
• Working experience in developing countries with the UN system, Agencies, Funds or Programs in fields relevant to this consultancy, especially in the ECOWAS contexts
• Language
• Fluency in English is required.