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. Placing women’s rights at the center of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

In Mozambique, this role is exercised in the context of the overall support provided by the UN system under the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) 2017-2020. UN Women’s Strategic Note for Mozambique covering the period 2017-2020 focuses on providing financial and technical support to the Government of Mozambique across four thematic areas: Eliminating Violence against Women and Girls (EVAW); Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE), Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and as cross cutting Leadership and Participation, institutional strengthening around gender mainstreaming and gender responsive budgeting. Additionally, it favors girls and young women in the development of high-profit initiatives and labour market opportunities at district and provincial levels.

Placing women’s rights at the centre of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into

action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

Young people are the fastest growing segment of the population in both poor and middle-income developing countries, and their welfare is fundamental to achieving key economic and social objectives. Fully engaged, educated, healthy and productive young people can help break multi-generational poverty, are resilient in the face of personal and societal threats and, as skilled and informed citizens, they can contribute effectively to the strengthening of their communities and nations. On the contrary, if subjected to violence and harmful practices, discrimination or deprived of resources and services, the consequences for young people are almost always evident in the status of their sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and rights as well as in the general economic progress.

Despite the progress achieved at policy and governance level, women (and girls) are still subject to gender discrimination. The economic deprivations of families, as well as girls and women’s lack of access to economic opportunities and resources affect their SRHR; a recent small-scale qualitative research showed that girls’ and young women’s poverty and their poor bargaining power within society exposes them to greater risk of unsafe sex. This appears to be driven by a combination of lack of economic alternatives and existing social norms and cultural practices, lack of information and awareness, as well as lack of access to or power to use contraceptives - with adolescent girls particularly at risk.

Based in the premise that the multifaceted nature of violence against women necessitates intersecting strategies to respond to the diverse manifestations of violence and the various settings in which it occurs in both private and public life, with the financial support from European Union, the United Nations and the Government of Mozambique is implementing the joint programme Spotlight Initiative aiming at: “Accelerating the Prevention and Response to SGBV and Early Marriage for Adolescent Girls and Young Women (ages 10 - 24) in Mozambique”. The programmatic framework for the Spotlight Initiative’s investment in Mozambique in legislative and policy reform, institutional capacity-building and policy coherence, prevention and transformation of social norms, access to quality essential services, data availability for problem identification, preventive action, monitoring and evaluation of results, and ensuring CSOs’ an active role and an effective capacity to respond.

There will also be special focus on accelerating results for ending child marriage, through a combination of approaches uniting different strategies such as: analyzing sub-national data to determine pockets of high child marriage; empowering girls; mobilizing families and communities; promoting community, private sector and government engagement and linking provision of comprehensive SRHR to HP and broader SGBV efforts, Economic empowerment, which will help to provide alternatives to early marriage, will be linked to these efforts via investments.

Evidence show the positive effect of girls and young women’s economic empowerment on their agency, and consequently on their health, uptake of health care services, number of children, health of their children etc. Because young women’s capacity to bring about economic change for themselves is increasingly viewed as the most important contributing factor to achieving equality between women and men, Spotlight Initiative anticipates that a stronger emphasis on providing economic opportunities for the target group will assist in addressing the inequalities present in the geographic areas fueling the vulnerabilities and marginalization of girls and young women.

The study is aligned with the UN Women Africa Strategy (2018 - 2021) that intends to ensure that «No Woman and Girl is left Behind» as Africa implements and strives to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – particularly Goal 5: “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”. It further allows UN Women to coordinate its actions in achievement of the Africa’s Agenda 2063 Goals and Aspirations striving for «An Africa whose development is people-driven, relying on the potential of African people, especially its women and youth, and caring for children» (Aspiration 6). UN Women strategy underscores not only the immense benefits of empowering women and girls, but the inherent value of women’s rights, and empowerment as a women’s human rights imperative.

In this context, UN Women is seeking to hire a National Consultant to assist in conducting a scoping study on strategies, opportunities for economic empowerment of young women and girls in selected districts of Gaza (Xai-Xai City, Chongoene and Chicualacuala) and Manica (Chimoio City, Mussorize and Tambara). The exploratory study will collect relevant information, develop and accompany the functioning of experiments/pilot investments on young women entrepreneurship development as well as, design a strategy and an action plan and define the interventions based in the local context. The National Consultant will work under the overall coordination of the UN Women Country Representative and direct supervision by the Spotlight Initiative Programme Officer and Programme Officer for Women’s Economic Empowerment Portfolio.

Under the overall guidance and direction of the supervisors, SLI Programme Officer and WEE Programme Officer, the Consultant will work closely with the programme team, Provincial Government, UN Agencies involved in the Spotlight Initiative (UN Women, UNFPA, UNICEF and UNDP), private sector and civil society to ensure the technical direction and best results from the study and key outputs are achieved in a cost effective and timely manner. The Consultant will be responsible for conducting the scoping study that will provide baseline data for achievement of the Spotlight Initiative Output 4.2: on “Women and girls' survivors of VAWG, including SGBV/HP, and their families are informed of and can access quality essential services, including longer term recovery services and opportunities”. Drawing on lessons learned from on-going efforts in the provinces of Nampula and Zambézia to ensure girls and young women economic empowerment opportunities, UN Women seeks to ensure that tailor-made activities are implemented for the local contexts of the two provinces, above mentioned.

UN Habitat Mozambique Urban Profile, 2012

Duties and Responsibilities

Purpose and Objectives of the Consultancy

The study aims to shed light on the status on employability and entrepreneurship development for young women in the selected districts of the provinces of Gaza and Manica and serve as an advocacy tool and policy recommendation guideline with national stakeholders including the private sector.

The specific objectives of the assignment are as follows:

1. Identify the policies or existing measures that could enhance or represent bottlenecks to economic empowerment, particularly for girls and young women targeted by the programme in the three provinces;
2. Collect baseline data and information on existing viable economic opportunities (for) for girls and young women in the two provinces;
3. Identify economic opportunities for students in the selected districts based on local labour market demand/requirements;

      4.       Identify and analyze existing initiatives focused on young women’s economic empowerment. Include at least 3 case studies

               in the report;

      5. Identify comprehensive approach to experience the economic empowerment of young women and girls to be scaled-up during

         the  implementation of Spotlight Initiative Programme;

     6. Assess the availability of local actors to contribute to the economic empowerment of young women and girls and respective approaches;

     7. Identify the constrains that affects the business of young women and girls targeted by Spotlight Initiative programme;

     8. Formulate a strategy and an action plan on business development skills for the economic empowerment of girls and young women

     9. Recommend UN Women management on the following:

·         Occupational interest of girls and young women and skills of the workers preferred by employers;

·         Clarify selection criteria and young women business development services;

·         Guidance on profitable sectors/value chains that should be prioritized;

·         Ways to ensure and improve access to markets and access to finance;

·         Ways in which to ensure long term sustainability of young women businesses;

·         How to address gender barriers which may hinder young women’s economic empowerment at community level;

·         Potential partnerships (from parastatal entities, CSOs and the private sector) that could strengthen young women’s economic     empowerment, including providers of technical training;

·         How young women can play leadership and decision-making roles in driving their own economic empowerment; and

·         Key success factors taking into account available resources.

Guiding normative frameworks and reference documents: Constitution of the Republic of Mozambique (CRM); UN Women Flagship Programming Initiative; UN Women Africa Strategy (2018 - 2021); CEDAW (article 14); Beijing Platform for Action; Programme Document “Accelerating the Prevention and Response to SGBV and Early Marriage for Adolescent Girls and Young Women (ages 10 - 24) in Mozambique”; Sustainable Development Goals; Policy of National Employment; Strategic Provincial and District Development Plans; Provincial Development Strategic Plans (PED) and Economic and Social Plans (PES); Government Five-Year Program 2015-2019; Report of Mozambique on the Implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action; International Labour Organization (ILO) knowledge products and methodology on women’s entrepreneurship development; the UN Women and UN Global Compact Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs); the Power of Procurement: How to buy from women-owned businesses; among others.

Duties and Responsibilities

Present an Inception Report

·         Draw a road map and detailed action plan for the entire consultancy and research (including a timeframe); The study methodology will be developed by the consultant and presented for approval to UN Women. The methodology should use a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods that are appropriate to address the main study questions and account for complexity of gender relations and to ensure participatory and inclusive processes

·         that are culturally appropriate. These methods should be responsive to human rights and gender equality principles, the “leaving no one behind” principle and facilitate the engagement of key stakeholders. Measures will be taken to ensure the quality, reliability and validity of data and data collection tools. Limitations with respect to the sample (representativeness) should be stated clearly;

·         Conduct a desk review of existing literature on the subject on global and local context;

·         The inception report should identify possible members that will compose the study reference group.

Draft a Report on the demand and market analysis to identify opportunities and challenges for the economic empowerment of girls and young women in the Provinces of Gaza and Manica

·  Plan and coordinate all the activities for the primary data collection. Determine which districts will the research be conducted and identify which specific localities will be the focus per district;

·         Data collection to follow participatory methodologies putting women entrepreneurs and girls at the center of all analysis;

· Primary data collection should be undertaken through observations, site visit, individual key informant interviews and focal group discussions with representatives of relevant government institutions (duty bearers), development partners, beneficiaries (right holders) and key community players (community leaders, opinion makers) and civil society organizations. The consultant will develop a sampling frame (area and population represented, rationale for selection, mechanics of selection, and limitations of the sample) and specify how it will address the diversity of stakeholders in the intervention; Produce the report on findings with the supervision of UN Women in a timely manner.

Design an experiment on young women’s business development/pilot enterprises

·         Based on initial market assessment propose 3-5 business development initiatives in selected value-chains;

·         Develop young women’s pilot investments’ business plans;

·         Suggest the most appropriate business registration and management models (whether individual enterprise, limited liability company, association, cooperatives, etc.);

·         Follow up in coordination with the project team to assess the enabling environment and entrepreneurial skills on business (leadership, communication, human relation, technical, inborn aptitude, etc.) market access and potential for sustainability;

Facilitate a Validation Seminar

·         Prepare the presentation of findings and take note of all the recommendations made by the validation committee composed of key players in the economic empowerment of young women - UN Agencies involved in the Spotlight Initiative (UN Women, UNFPA, UNICEF and UNDP), the EU, private sector and civil society;

·         A long side with UN Women and partners, incorporate all the strong recommendations identified during the validation workshop into the final study report.

Develop a Strategy and Action plan

·         In order to translate the recommendations into systematic approach to employability and entrepreneurship development the Consultant will develop a strategy and action plan with identified stakeholders to put in place mechanisms to support girls and young women to engage in decent gainful economic activities in Gaza and Manica;

·         Design a model to reinforce the engagement of the private sector in the application of Women’s Empowerment Principles to catalyze results of the Spotlight Initiative programme.

Present the Study Main Findings at a National Event

·         Upon request conduct a presentation of the main findings and recommendations in a national event.

Competencies

Corporate Competences and Ethics

·        Demonstrate integrity, values and ethics in accordance to UN Women norms;

·        Promote the vision, mission and strategic objectives of UN Women;

·        Show respect regardless the race/colour, sex, religion, nationality and age as well as be sensible to cultural adaptation capacity;

·        Consultant are expected to have personal and professional integrity and abided by the UN Code

 Functional Competences

· Knowledge of legislation, programme and public policies on gender, women’s economic empowerment, and women’s rights in general in Mozambique;

·        Demonstrated experience in gender and economics related research;

·        Leadership and skills to work with autonomy and initiative;

·        Strong Advocacy skills;

·        Excellent knowledge of gender equality and women's empowerment in country;

·        Strong knowledge of UN system.

Managing knowledge and learning

·        Promote knowledge sharing and a learning culture;

·        Team working; and

·        Strong communication skills, oral and written in Portuguese and English; knowledge of local languages is an asset.

 Ethical Code of Conduct

·        Independence: Consultant shall ensure that independence of judgment is maintained and that the study findings and recommendations are independently presented;

·        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;

·        Impartiality: Consultant shall operate in an impartial and unbiased manner and give a balanced presentation of strengths and weaknesses of the key players in the field;

·        Conflict of Interest: Consultant are required to disclose in writing any experience, which may give rise to a potential conflict of interest, and to deal honestly in resolving any conflict of interest which may arise;

·        Honesty and Integrity: Consultant shall show honesty and integrity in their own behavior, negotiating honestly the study costs, tasks, limitations, scope of results likely to be obtained, while accurately presenting their procedures, data and findings and highlighting any limitations or uncertainties of interpretation within the study;

·        Competence: Consultant shall accurately represent their level of skills and knowledge and work only within the limits of their professional training and abilities in study, declining assignments for which they do not have the skills and experience to complete successfully;

·        Accountability: Consultant are accountable for the completion of the agreed deliverables within the timeframe and budget agreed, while operating in a cost-effective manner;

·        Obligations to Participants: Consultant shall respect and protect the rights and welfare of human subjects and communities, in accordance with the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other human rights conventions. Consultant shall respect differences in culture, local customs, religious beliefs and practices, personal interaction, gender roles, disability, age and ethnicity, while using study instruments appropriate to the cultural setting. Consultant shall ensure prospective participants are treated as autonomous agents, free to choose whether to participate in the study, while ensuring that the relatively powerless are represented;

·        Confidentiality: Consultant shall respect people’s right to provide information in confidence and make participants aware of the scope and limits of confidentiality, while ensuring that sensitive information cannot be traced to its source;

·        Avoidance of Harm: Consultant shall act to minimize risks and harms to, and burdens on, those participating in the assignment, without compromising the integrity of the study findings;

·        Accuracy, Completeness and Reliability: Consultant have an obligation to ensure that the study report and presentations are accurate, complete and reliable. Consultant shall explicitly justify judgments, findings and conclusions and show their underlying rationale, so that stakeholders are in a position to assess them;

·        Transparency: Consultant shall clearly communicate to stakeholders the purpose of the study, the criteria applied and the intended use of findings. Consultant shall ensure that stakeholders have a say in shaping the study and shall ensure that all documentation is readily available to and understood by stakeholders;

·        Omissions and wrongdoing: Where Consultant find evidence of wrong-doing or unethical conduct, they are obliged to report it to the proper oversight authority.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Post-graduate (Masters) in business administration, rural development/agronomy, development studies, economics, gender studies, and related fields.

 Experience:

·        More than ten (10) years of proven experience in the subject areas relevant to business development services, value chains development, gender equality, market studies, economic empowerment of women, financial literacy; support to micro, small and medium enterprises;

·        Solid knowledge on the status of women’s rights, women’s economic empowerment, legislation and policies in the field of gender as well as on the existing gender equality machinery in Mozambique;

·        Strong understanding of gender equality issues and its intersections with SGBV, SRHR, poverty, HIV, economy, etc.;

·        Understanding of the legal and institutional frameworks on youth’s economic empowerment;

·        Experience in women and youth employability and entrepreneurship skills development (leadership, communication, human relation, technical, etc.) methodologies using UN (e.g. ILO) or EU methodologies;

·        Demonstrated ability and experience to plan and undertake research, collect and analyze data within a given timeframe;

·        Knowledge of Results Based Management and proven experience of using the approach in the formulation of action plans;

·        Demonstrated ability to write quality rapid market assessment reports.

 Language Requirements:

Fluency in Portuguese and English both spoken and written. Fluency in the local languages spoken in selected provinces is desirable.

Good to Know:

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment