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.

The world is being adversely impacted by the consequences of the coronavirus (COVID-19) with an unprecedented economic downturn that is felt not only by all segments of populations, but also has strong gender implications. It is becoming obvious that the labour market and economies including the global supply chains are heavily affected, leading to worldwide business disruptions.

The COVID-19 pandemic is highlighting, and magnifying inequalities and the multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination faced by women and girls. The pandemic has moved beyond a global health crisis and has morphed into a labor market, social and economic crisis, posing a serious threat to women’s employment and livelihoods, especially in precarious informal and non-essential sectors. This is particularly consequential for Arab States, where gender gaps are among the widest compared to the rest of the world.

The pandemic is having a dramatic effect on the jobs, livelihoods, and well-being of workers and their families and on enterprises across the globe, particularly the small and medium-sized. While certain sectors and industries have successfully moved online, pointing the way towards exciting innovations in the world of work, small and medium-sized enterprises – the engine of the regional economy and major employers of women – are suffering immensely and many may not recover.

Globally, the pandemic will likely push 47 million more women and girls below the poverty line. The Arab region’s economy is expected to contract by at least 5.7% and the ranks of the poor are estimated to rise by 14.3 million people, swelling to more than 115 million. That is one-quarter of the total Arab population. 

In a region where 14.3 million people were already unemployed, the ILO estimated losses in the equivalent of 17 million full-time jobs in the second quarter of 2020. With the largest gender gap in human development in the world, women in the Arab region suffer significant consequences of the pandemic. Women earn on average 78.9%percent less than men on a per capita basis and they stand to lose 700,000 jobs particularly in the informal sector where they constitute 61.8 percent of workers and lack social protection nets. Other estimates from June 2020 anticipated that women would bear 41% of job losses in the Arab world, even though they constitute no more than around 19% of the workforce.

Across the MENA region, SMEs account for over 90% of all business and provide a major source of job creation (IMF, 2019). Therefore, policies supporting SMEs, which concentrate the majority of female employment in the private sector or providing assistance to informal workers which constitute 62% of female employment in MENA[1][2], are likely to be of particular importance for women. Importantly, many businesses have taken steps to promote a responsive work environment for women during the pandemic, through protecting jobs of women, promoting teleworking arrangements, and ensuring better work-life balance.

[1] Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs)

[2] Source: Bonnet, Florence, Joann Vanek, and Martha Chen. 2019. Women and Men in the Informal Economy – A Statistical Brief. Manchester, UK: WIEGO.

The recently published UN Women and IFC Report: Bridging the Gap: Emerging Private Sector Response and Recovery Measures for Gender Equality amid COVID-19[1] showcases a growing number of companies and organizations around the world that are taking action to ensure the economic inclusion and social well-being of their employees, customers, and suppliers, as well as local communities.

In this regard, platforms for the private sector such as the Women’s Empowerment Principles[2] (WEPs) play an important role in providing technical expertise and facilitating knowledge exchange among businesses regionally and globally. The WEPs are a primary vehicle for corporates to deliver on gender equality dimensions of the 2030 agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, and one of the most important global initiatives aimed at empowering women and ensuring that women have an increasing role in economic life, in all sectors and at all levels. The WEPs are the entry point for private sector companies to ensure that their policies and practices are gender-sensitive and support women and men equally at this critical time, through providing flexible work arrangements for women, remote arrangements, and protecting jobs of women, and having in place anti-harassment policies where possible.  

[1] https://www.weps.org/resource/bridging-gap-emerging-private-sector-response-and-recovery-measures-gender-equality-amid

[2] The Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) are a set of seven principles offering guidance to businesses on how to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in the workplace, marketplace, and community. Jointly established by UN Women and UN Global Compact, the WEPs are informed by international labor and human rights standards and grounded in the recognition that businesses have a stake in, and responsibility for, gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Duties and Responsibilities

Reporting to the UN Women Regional Programme and Policy Specialist and working in close cooperation with the UN Women Regional Office in the Arab States (ROAS) Women’s Economic Empowerment team and WEE focal points in respective UN Women country offices, the Private Sector Development Analyst will:

• Familiarize with the Women’s Economic Empowerment work of UN Women, and the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) in particular.
• Review the ROAS WEPs Strategic Plan 2021 – 2025 and draft the corresponding Annexes, including the results framework, performance monitoring framework, annual work plan, etc. 
• Using evidence available from the region and globally, articulate and draft the Business Case for the private sector in the Arab States to join the WEPs in general, and to implement specific principles as relevant.  Ensure key messages of the Business Case are used consistently across the region to promote uptake of WEPs  
• Undertake desk research and propose effective approaches (i.e. sectoral, size, geographical areas, growth potential etc) to implement the WEPs strategic plan in selected countries with a view to expanding and deepening the collaboration with the private sector to promote Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. The desk research should include a mapping and comparative analysis of private sector engagement for gender equality initiatives in the region.
• Support in strengthening UN Women’s partnerships with the private sector and relevant acting stakeholders at the technical level such as with IFC, World Bank, ILO, UNGC etc.
• Stay abreast with the developments in relation to private sector engagement on GEWE and WEPs through regular participation at WEPs Global Focal Point meetings, following the relevant online website and other media channels, peer-exchange with other regions, knowledge management of relevant studies and other publications, etc.
• Monitor the developments in the region on private sector engagement for sustainable development, with a focus on gender equality and women’s empowerment in particular. Prepare issue-based briefs, background notes, talking points, etc. Serve as Ring the Bell focal point for Arab States region
• Provide technical input and monitor closely the work of a professional company contracted to develop and implement an awareness campaign on raising awareness on WEPs, on the business case for gender equality and women’s empowerment.
• Facilitate the organization of events and ceremonies such as the launching of WEPs initiative, WEPs orientation sessions, the WEPs Arab Forum, etc. Prepare reports on lessons learned, best practice, and challenges  
• Actively engage with private sector companies in the region, directly and through Country Office colleagues or national counterparts as appropriate to promote uptake of WEPs through sharing information and material, holding presentations, answering individual queries, organizing training sessions, etc. Provide support
• Support the approval process (due diligence and publishing online) of the WEPs signatories.
• Facilitate the development of support packages to companies; draft TORs and monitor the work of task-specific consultants in support to WEPs Strategic Plan implementation.
• Maintain an up-to-date repository of resources and tools available in support to implementing the WEPs (English and Arabic). Propose development of an interactive regional WEPs platform.
• Provide hands-on support to country offices to draft WEPs Strategic Country Action Plans. Capacity building and direct support as needed to implement the CAPs.
• Support in resource mobilization efforts of the WEE team, (concept notes, support the development of project proposals, propose innovative approaches to RM etc.) 

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:https://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/about%20us/employment/un-women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf?la=en&vs=637

Functional Competencies

• Excellent knowledge of women´s economic empowerment;
• Excellent knowledge and experience in engaging with the private sector;
• Ability to synthesize research and draw a conclusion on the related subjects;
• Commitment to accomplish work;
• Ability to meet deadlines and responds positively to critical feedback;
• Strong knowledge of the region;
• Excellent networking skills;
• Ability to perform qualitative and quantitative policy research;
• Excellent analytical skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in economics, sustainable development, social sciences, or other relevant fields.
• 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:

• At least 2 years of demonstrated work experience in private sector engagement is required.
• Previous work experience in promoting women’s economic empowerment in general, and in the private sector, in particular, is an asset.
• Knowledge of specifics and trends on women’s economic empowerment in the Arab States is an asset.
• Experience working with the UN is an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Knowledge of fluent spoken and written Arabic and English is required.
• Working knowledge of the French language is considered an asset.

Evaluation Criteria:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology: Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points in the technical evaluation would be considered for the financial evaluation.

Criteria Weight

Technical: 70% (70 points)

• Master’s degree or equivalent in economics, sustainable development, social sciences, or other relevant fields (10p)
• At least 3 years of demonstrated work experience in private sector engagement is required. (30 points)
• Previous work experience in promoting women’s economic empowerment in general, and in the private sector, in particular, is an asset (10p)
• Knowledge of specifics and trends on women’s economic empowerment in the Arab States is an asset (5p).
• Experience working with the UN is an asset (5p).
• Knowledge of fluent spoken and written Arabic and English is required (5p)
• Working knowledge of the French language is considered an asset (5p)

Financial: Lowest Financial Proposal: 30% (30 points)

The points for the Financial Proposal will be allocated as per the following formula:

• Contract will be awarded to the technically qualified consultant who obtains the highest combined score (financial and technical);
• The points for the Financial Proposal will be allocated as per the following formula: (Lowest Bid Offered*)/ (Bid of the Consultant) x 30;
• 'Lowest Bid Offered' refers to the lowest price offered by Offerors scoring at least 49 points in the technical evaluation.

Application

Interested Individual Consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

• A cover letter with a brief presentation of your consultancy explaining your suitability for the work or link to the portfolio of work;
• UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from http://www.unwomen.org/about-us/employment;
• Personal CV; and Financial proposal; Proposed all-inclusive cost per each deliverable outlined in this TOR.

The above-mentioned documents should be merged in a standalone file including all of them since the online application submission does only permits uploading one file per application. Incomplete submission can be a ground for disqualification.

Note:

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.