Background

Grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, UN Women will work 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. Placing women’s rights at the centre of all its efforts, UN Women will lead and coordinate United Nations System efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It will provide strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.
 
The 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (The ‘Earth Summit’), held in Rio, led to worldwide recognition that the current development model is not sustainable and that economic and social development needs to be decoupled from resource depletion and environmental pollution, and that inequitable systems perpetuating poverty need to be restructured. Agenda 21, adopted at this conference, devoted a full chapter to “Global Action for Women Towards Sustainable and Equitable Development” and recognized women as one of nine major and critical groups for the formulation and implementation of policies for sustainable development.
 
However, twenty years later it has become evident that efforts to address sustainable development are fragmented and too weak to ensure real change. A Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) is scheduled to take place in Brazil in 2012, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the 1992 Earth Summit, and the 10th anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD).
 
The objective of the Rio+20 Conference is to secure renewed political commitment for sustainable development, assessing the progress made and the remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development, and addressing new and emerging challenges. The focus will be on two themes: (a) a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication; and (b) the institutional framework for sustainable development.
 
The Rio+20 provides an opportunity to renew commitment and strengthen attention to gender equality and women’s empowerment in sustainable development, assess progress made and remaining gaps on gender equality and women’s empowerment, and highlight the gender perspectives of the two themes of the conference.
 
UN Women will recruit four consultants to prepare four papers that will feed into the preparations for Rio+20:
1.Progress made and remaining challenges in the implementation of the Rio Declaration and Agenda 21, the Beijing Platform for Action and the Millennium Declaration;
2.The critical role of women as leaders, contributors and beneficiaries of social and economic development and environmental protection, and the triple win of reinforcing the linkages between the three pillars of sustainable development;
3.Gender equality and women’s empowerment through an effective and coherent institutional framework for sustainable development;
4.Empowerment of women in a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication;
 
The papers should build on country evidence, experiences and lessons learned; highlight good practices and emerging policy issues at the national level as well as global challenges.

Duties and Responsibilities

The objective of the paper on “Empowerment of women in a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication” is to lay out a conceptual framework with key entry points for women’s economic empowerment and progress toward gender equality in a green economy. It should be based on the broader definition of a green economy: “The green economy is defined as an economy that results in improved human well-being and reduced inequalities, while not exposing future generations to significant environmental risks and ecological scarcities. It seeks to bring long-term societal benefits to short-term activities aimed at mitigating environmental risks.”
 
The paper should identify the enabling policy environment required for gender equality and women’s participation and empowerment, as well as key opportunities, risks and challenges for women in a green economy. It will also assess existing green economy policy instruments and to what extent they will help reduce gender gaps, and how they could be modified to ensure that currently gender gaps and inequalities can be reduced. The paper should be evidence-based and draw on existing literature, case studies and good practices. It will provide key strategic recommendations to inform Member States’ preparations and national submissions well in advance of the 1 November 2011 deadline for inputs to the draft outcome document of Rio+20. The drafting and finalization of the paper will involve consultations with Governments, and key stakeholders, as well as a peer review process.
The paper will consist of four main parts:
  1. Conceptual framework with entry points for enabling gender equality and addressing women’s economic empowerment in a green economy, based on its broader definition;
  2. Analysis of green economic policy instruments, including taxes and subsidies, welfare schemes (related to other fiscal strategies and or state investments), transfer payments (e.g. agricultural subsidies) from a gender perspective (see for example, the report of the Secretary-General to the First Preparatory Committee for Rio+20), including the following:
  • Social investment policies to achieve social goals (including equity and equality) in an environmentally enhancing manner;
  • Education/Training: strategies of investment in education, vocational training, applied science and technology;
  • Public-led investment in agriculture, industry and infrastructure—including in response to unpaid care work (e.g. public transportation and renewable energy)—and natural capital to restore, maintain and enhance the stock of natural capital;
  • Public procurement policies that promote greening of business and markets;
  • Getting the prices right’ of goods and services (e.g. subsidies, value of natural resources, and taxes on harmful practices);
  • Ecological tax reforms to promote a shift of the tax base away from ‘good factors of production (e.g. labour) to ‘bad factors’ (e.g. pollution), therewith boosting employment while correcting environmental externalities (side effects);
  • Technological choices, adaptation and development that enhances livelihoods and wider economic participation in environmentally sound technologies;
  • Strategic investment through public sector outlays, incentive programmes and partnerships, to lay the foundation of a self-sustaining process of socially and environmentally sustainable economic growth; and
  1. Enabling policy environment required for gender equality and women’s participation and empowerment, as well as key opportunities, risks and challenges for women in a green economy.
  2. Conclusions and recommendations for further action by Governments, bilateral and multilateral organizations, including the UN and the International Financial Institutions, civil society and the private sector.
 
Location of assignment
The consultant will undertake the assignment off-site.
 
Remuneration
The applicant is requested to submit a financial proposal as a lump sum.
 
Deliverables:
  • Outline of paper
  • Annotated outline of paper
  • First draft paper for circulation to key stakeholders and peer reviewers for comments, inputs and suggestions (through UN-Women)
  • Second draft incorporating comments, inputs and suggestions received by UN-Women
  • Final paper submitted no later than 7 October 2011.
 

Competencies

Core Values/Guiding Principles
  • Integrity: Demonstrating consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct.
  • Cultural Sensitivity/Valuing diversity: Demonstrating an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Demonstrating an international outlook, appreciating differences in values and learning from cultural diversity.
Specific Competencies
  • Expertise and knowledge on gender equality and sustainable development.
  • Strong analytical, organizational, reporting and writing abilities.
  • Capacity to plan, prioritize and deliver tasks on time.
  • Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback.
  • Ability to work under pressure.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:
  • Advanced university degree in economics, social and/or environmental sciences.
 
Experience:
  • Ten to fifteen years of progressively responsible experience on gender equality and women’s empowerment in the context of sustainable development.
  • A good understanding of multilateral policy processes and the institutional framework for sustainable development.
 
 
Language Requirements:
  • Excellent English written skills for diverse audiences (demonstrated through publication record).
  • Excellent conceptual, writing and presentation skills;
  • Fluency in oral and written English is required.
  • Knowledge of another official UN language is desirable.
  
Selection criteria: The candidates will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria: (i) educational background and work experience (based on the CV); (ii) proposal on the paper; (iii) interview; and (iv) financial proposal.
 
Question I: Please include your financial proposal as a lump sum.
 
Questions II: Please specify how you would tackle the issue of ‘Empowerment of women in a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication’ in the paper. What key issues would you address? (not more than 500 words)
 
Question III: Explain why you would be the most suitable candidate for undertaking this consultancy. (not more than 500 words)
 
Question IV: Please indicate at least 3 reference persons.