Junior Officer, Women Economic Empowerment

Details

Mission and objectives

UN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide.
UN Women supports UN Member States as they set global standards for achieving gender equality, and works with governments and civil society to design laws, policies, programmes and services needed to ensure that the standards are effectively implemented and truly benefit women and girls worldwide.

Context

The work of UN Women in Uganda is guided by its STRATEGIC NOTE 2022-2025 , aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Cooperation Framework Plan for Uganda , UN Women Global Strategic Goals, The Uganda National Development Plan III and UN Women Africa Strategic Plan, which all aims to contribute to the gender-responsive implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Strategic Note focuses on four main are-as: 1) Women’s Leadership and Governance; 2) Humanitarian and Peace development nexus and UN Coordination on Gender Equality; 3) Women’s Economic empowerment and 4) Ending Violence against Women.
In Uganda, women’s economic empowerment remains a significant challenge due to persistent gender disparities in access to resources, income, and employment opportunities. While women constitute a substantial portion of the agricultural Labour force, their productivity is hampered by limited access to land, credit, and agricultural inputs. According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, only 25% of women own land either individually or jointly, severely limiting their economic independence. Furthermore, women’s participation in the formal Labour market is considerably lower than that of men, with female wage workers making up only 17.4% of the employed population. These economic limitations underscore the need for targeted interventions that enhance women’s economic capabilities and access to critical resources.
Additionally, climate change further complicates the economic situation for women and girls in Uganda. As primary caregivers and the managers of household food security, women are disproportionately affected by climate-related events such as droughts, floods, and irregular rainfall patterns, which directly impact their agricultural output and livelihoods. Despite their critical role in natural resource management, women are often excluded from decision-making processes related to climate action. A 2017 report by the Ministry of Water and Environment highlighted that less than 30% of participants in climate change adaptation training programs were women, indicating a significant gap in inclusivity. This disparity emphasizes the importance of integrating gender-responsive strategies in climate change policies and actions to ensure that women’s specific needs and perspectives are addressed, enhancing their capacity to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change effectively.
As such, a UN Women volunteer is expected to provide crucial administrative and logistical support while also offering creative inputs in the development and implementation of interventions aimed at promoting gender equality, women’s economic empowerment, and climate action. The volunteer will assist in organizing events, managing databases, and ensuring efficient operation of daily activities, while also contributing innovative ideas to enhance the effectiveness of programs. This role is pivotal in facilitating the smooth execution of projects that seek to elevate women’s economic status and integrate gender-responsive measures into climate action initiatives. The volunteer’s involvement will help ensure that these interventions are not only effective but also inclusive and tailored to meet the specific needs of women in the community.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the Programme Specialist for Women Economic Empowerment, and Technical Guidance from Programme Analyst, the UN Volunteer will engage in foundational tasks to support the enhancement of women’s productivity, income, and resource access, as well as bolster their active participation in climate action:
1. Assist in gathering and analyzing sex-disaggregated data and participate in research activities that aid in developing programs to improve women’s economic empowerment and climate resilience.
2. Help collect essential updates on policies, market trends, and environmental impacts that disproportionately affect women, supporting efforts to increase their economic resources and involvement in climate action.
3. Support resource mobilisation efforts to scale women’s economic empowerment activities in Uganda.
4. Identify and support capacity-building opportunities for partners, helping to provide necessary training and technical support that empowers women both economically and in climate initiatives.
5. Contribute to creating outreach materials such as social media content, event collateral, and infographics that promote awareness of women’s economic roles and their environ-mental engagements.
6. Assist in organizing and managing events, workshops, and training sessions focused on themes of economic empowerment and climate resilience for women.
7. Help prepare essential documentation such as project summaries, briefing notes, and other materials that demonstrate the progress and impact of women-focused empowerment and climate initiatives.
8. Support the monitoring and evaluation of projects by providing input into reports that ana-lyse the success of initiatives in enhancing women’s economic status and participation in environmental actions.
9. Engage in developing innovative communication strategies that foster positive social norms and behaviour change, aiming to enhance economic opportunities for women and their active participation in environmental management.