International Private Sector Engagement Consultant

Background

Background/Context

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.

UN Women China provides technical and financial assistance to innovative programmes and strategies for gender equality and women’s empowerment.  We work in partnership with governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), UN agencies, donors, communities and networks to advance gender equality.  Placing the advancement of women’s human rights at the center of our work, UN Women China focuses on violence against women, leadership and political participation, economic empowerment and national planning and budgeting.

In China, UN Women is guided by the objectives and priorities set out in the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework in China (2021-2025), UN Women China’s Biennium Workplan (2024-2025) and other corporate strategies such as the UN Women Strategic Plan (2022-2025) and the UN Women’s Economic Empowerment Strategy and other key documents and other international conventions and commitments including The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. For the years 2024-2025, key strategic, development result outcomes for UN Women China include:

1. People’s lives in China are improved further as headway is made in ensuring access to childcare, education, healthcare services, elderly care, housing, and social assistance, and more people in China, including left-behind groups, benefit from equitable and public services and social protection systems as well as accelerated efforts to reduce gender inequality and other forms of social inequality throughout the life-course.
2. Relative poverty and multi-dimensional poverty are reduced, and more coordinated development leads to reduction in gaps between rural and urban areas and among regions, as more people in China, including left-behind groups, benefit from sustainable, innovation-driven and shared high-quality economic development, with enhanced access to  economic opportunities arising through innovation, entrepreneurship and rural revitalization, enjoying decent work, sustainable livelihoods, and the right to develop equally for both women and men.
3. China’s international financing, investments and business engagements, including through connectivity initiatives, programmes and projects, contribute to SDG attainment in partner countries.

To support the achievement of these outcomes, engagement with the private sector (including international and domestic companies, philanthropic organizations and high-net worth individuals) in China is crucial to ensuring the effective partnerships and resources to support UN Women China’s efforts. According to various estimates and studies, annual philanthropic giving in China is estimated to be approximately US$20 billion a year – including corporate and individual giving. Moreover, the private sector in China is increasingly becoming a key contributor to inclusive and sustainable national economic growth and plays an increasingly important role in the development and promotion of women’s economic empowerment in the workplace, marketplace and the community. Understanding the important role of the private sector, the UN Women’s Private Sector Engagement Strategy (PSES) 2023-2025 also outlines a framework for engaging with the private sector to advance the achievement of gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE).

In China, UN Women has been engaging the private sector along multiple fronts, including increasing the number of signatories to over 400 companies in China that have committed to and supporting regional and national efforts to recognize leading companies in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment. Moreover, UN Women China has a history of mobilizing resources from the private sector in order to fund programmes and engage private sector entities to advance social norms and advocate for greater gender equality.

UN Women China Country Office is seeking a national/ international consultant who can support the full achievement of GEWE through private sector partnerships and resource mobilization. By closely collaborating with the public and private sector partnership team and programme teams, the consultant will play a key role in designing the private sector engagement strategy for UN Women China Country Office. The consultant will be reporting to the Public and Private Sector Partnership Specialist.

Duties and Responsibilities

Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work

The consultant will work under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the Public and Private Sector Partnership Specialist to develop and initiate the implementation of a national strategy for private sector engagement in line with UN Women China’s strategic priorities and UN Women’s Private Sector Engagement Strategy (2023-2025). In addition to the specific deliverables, the consultant may support on other tasks and activities that contribute to the achievement of these deliverables.

Deliverables

In particular, the consultant is expected to undertake the following functions and activities:

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based consultancy, with possibility to present at the UN Women Office in China for meetings and consultations (schedule to be agreed later with supervisor). The consultant is required to undertake regular update meetings with the Public and Private Sector Partnerships Specialist. Broader meetings with the China Country Office programme team and other team members as well as other UN agencies will be required as well.

Competencies

Required Skills and Experience