Gender and Green Economy programme Specialist

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.

UN Women’s Regional Office for West and Central Africa will implement the second phase of its programme: Women’s Access to the Green Economy in West and Central Africa between 2024-2026.  The objective of the second phase of this programme is to consolidate achievements of the first 18 months of implementation in capacity building of strategic actors, and policy formulation and reform in key policy areas with potential to accelerate women’s participation in the green economy and complement this with targeted action in critical levers such as women’s access to green finance. The regional programme aims at facilitating women’s participation in the green economy in the region, leveraging research, knowledge generation, capacity building of policy-makers and advocates, and policy dialogue and reform on gender and the green economy transition at the national and regional levels. 

The programme comprises 4 outcomes: Outcome One focuses on developing knowledge and tools to support mainstreaming of gender in green transition policies. Outcome Two focuses on enhancing the understanding and capacity of policy makers and advocates in regional institutions (ECOWAS) and Member States to understand gender considerations in green transition and integrating gender in green transition related strategies and policies. Outcome Three aims to support integration of gender considerations in national policies/laws/strategies related to the green economy transition. Outcome Four focuses on increasing women’s access to finance to participate in the green economy.

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Women’s Economic Empowerment Regional Policy Advisor, the Green Economy Programme Specialist is responsible for coordinating and implementing the programme activities. She/he will also serve as an expert on innovative solutions for green finance and green economy. She/he will also work in close collaboration with the programme and operations team, UN Women HQ staff, Government officials, donor and civil society ensuring successful UN Women programme implementation.

Duties and Responsibilities

Oversee the development of strategies on green economy and green finance for women

• Lead research to promote women’s access to green economy/finance in West and Central Africa
• Formulate strategies to scale up gender-responsive green economy/finance initiatives in West and Central Africa
• Manage, supervise, and coordinate consultants for the implementation of project activities related to gender and green economy/finance

 

Provide technical assistance on gender and green economy/finance to regional/national partners

• Identify capacity-building needs and support the development of modules to build capacity in the area of innovative and green finance mechanisms for women-led businesses, women entrepreneurs, and cooperatives
• Organize regional learning/capacity-building events on green finance for national and regional stakeholders
• Provide assistance to women’s groups, advocates, and women-led SMEs to access economic opportunities arising in green and sustainable finance (including capacity building of women via access to information, networking, connection to funding mechanisms, training on procedures)

 

Provide advice and expertise on green economy/finance

• Provide advice to the Regional Office for West and Central Africa and Country offices on innovative green finance solutions for women in the green economy.
• Advise national and regional policymakers and stakeholders on integrating gender-responsive principles in green and sustainable finance national/regional strategies, legislation, and policies.
• Provide technical support to the regional office, country offices, and relevant stakeholders, including technical contributions and evaluation of green financing for women.
• Support UN Women COs and governments in countries in WCA in the development of programming in the areas of gender and green economy/finance.

Manage knowledge building and sharing and communications advocacy on innovative solutions for gender-responsive sustainable development and green economy

• Develop knowledge products on gaps and opportunities for women-led businesses, women entrepreneurs and cooperatives in the green and sustainable finance
• Support the RO/CO/PPs in the formulation and implementation of regional/national learning strategies to build the capacity of UN Women’s and its strategic partners in the area of gender, sustainable development, and green finance.
• Actively participate in UN Women’s Community of Practice/s on gender and climate change to share results, information and lessons from the project

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: The specialists may supervise short term consultants needed for the development of specific tasks.

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:

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FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES:

• Timely and quality implementation of project activities against set workplans, timelines, and budgets,
• Quality and timely reporting
• Strong relations with partners and stakeholders
• Regular and timely monitoring of activities
• Timely organization of events;
• Enhanced best practices and lessons learned documented and circulated

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in innovation sciences and technology, green finance, social sciences, green economy or a related field is required
• 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 5 years of progressively responsible experience at the national or international level in managing complex and multi-component programme interventions with national partners, in the area of innovative mechanisms/solutions for women entrepreneurs, women SMEs and women cooperatives in the context of sustainable development programming
• Expertise and experience working to support women’s resilience, financial inclusion and access to finance;
• Experience working on women’s economic empowerment in West and Central Africa
• Experience in coordinating, implementing, monitoring and evaluating development programmes and projects is desirable

Languages

• Fluency in English and French is required.
• Knowledge of another official UN language is desirable (French)

Application

All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from: . Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

In accordance with the UN Staff Regulation 4.5 (b) A temporary appointment does not carry any expectancy, legal or otherwise, of renewal. A temporary appointment shall not be converted to any other type of appointment. This temporary appointment is budgeted for a maximum term of 729 days.

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.

Diversity and inclusion

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.