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.ย
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 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 actionย throughout the world. It will provide strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States' priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.
In Ethiopia, UN Womenโs Women in Leadership and Governance programย aims to contribute to the overarching goal: โWomen fully and equally participate in leadership and decision-making and women and girls benefit from gender-responsive governanceโ by addressing multifaceted barriers that hinder women from equally and effectively participating in public and political life as leaders and decision makers. It also aims to contribute towards gender responsiveness of key democratic and governance institutions including parliament and regional councils, local governments, political parties, and electoral management bodies in Ethiopia. The Programme contributes to UN Women Strategic Note (2021 -2025) and United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) (2020-2025)ย Outcome 1ย โAll people in Ethiopia enjoy the rights and capabilities to realize their potential in equality and with dignityโ and Outcome 2 โAll people in Ethiopia live in a cohesive, just, inclusive and democratic societyโ, and Government of Ethiopiaโs 10-year Perspective Plan (2020/21-2029/30) that aspires to bring women at the centre of the countryโs development.1
Since 2017, UN Women Ethiopia has led efforts to promote gender equality in leadership and decision-making roles. In collaboration with governmental and non-governmental partners, the organization has worked to ensure the meaningful participation of women across all sectors.
A key milestone was the launch of the Presidential Leadership Program for Women Leaders on 1 February 2022 in Sululta, Oromia Region. This flagship initiative, championed by former Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde and generously funded by BMGF, was designed to narrow the gender gap in leadership by expanding the pool of capable and willing women leaders. The program equipped 180 mid-level women leaders from the public, private, and civil society sectors with essential leadership skills and transformative competencies.
Building on its success and growing demand, the program was tailored for women parliamentarians (women MPs) in July 2023, in response to a request from the House of Peoplesโ Representatives (HoPR) and withย generous funding from Center for International Reproductive Health Training (CIRHT). Over 135 women MPs received training on personal development, communication, gender, leadership, and peacebuilding. Feedback collected during the training program indicated the program significantly enhanced the confidence and capacity of women MPs to navigate institutional barriers and influence for gender-responsive policy frameworks through the parliamentary work.ย
In December 2024, the program expanded to theย Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), reaching 81 female diplomats, including 18 serving abroad. The three-day training focused on transformative leadership in complex diplomatic settings, with sessions on strategic and inclusive leadership. The training sessions also featured senior female ambassadors to share their insightful experiences through the diplomacy work. In the bigger context, the training is believed to have created a space for women diplomats to internally reflect on gender sensitivity of their ministryโs internal policies and structures.ย
Most recently, in May 2025, the initiative reached the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), engaging 60 women leaders from various departments, including the Document Registration and Authentication Service, the Agency for Civil Society Organizations, and the Federal Prison Commission. The four-day training covered key topics such as basics of leadership principles, gender and leadership, personal development, and conflict management.
Across all these engagements, the Presidential Leadership Program has not only strengthened individual leadership capabilities but also fostered a collective commitment among women leaders to advocate for gender sensitive institutions.ย
During the phase I of the program, UN Women has conducted an impact assessment of the Presidential Leadership Program for Women Leaders, highlighting powerful success stories and personal testimonies that illustrated the programโs transformative effect on women who participated in the program. Building on this, UN Women now aims to carry out a comprehensive monitoring and impact assessment of the tailored and parallel program that was implemented in collaboration with HoPR, MoFA and MoJ.ย
Reporting to Women in Leadership and Governance (WILG) Team Lead, the consultant is expected to:
Review, understand and internalize the tailored presidential leadership program including its background, training objectives, training contents and courses covered; training evaluation forms; training reports including personal stories collected and profile of women leaders who benefited from the programs and their background information. Draft and submit inception report indicating the impact assessment plan including data collection methods, workplan and timeline, and proposed sample size;ย Develop data collection tools;ย Undertake data collection and analysis: data collection can include presence in the working or residence area of women MPs, diplomats and leaders. It will also include undertaking in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and use other methods that facilitate accurate impact assessment. Data collection targets could include women MPs, diplomats and women leaders, their employees or peers as well as family members. Present findings and incorporate feedback from UN Women, the HoPR, MoFA and MoJ. Develop a final impact assessment report of the interventions together with Photographs taken.ยDELIVERABLE Deliverable Expected completion time (due day) Remark Final Inception Reportย By 20 October 2025ย UN Women, HOPR, MOFA, and MOJย Data Collection tools developed and data collected By 10 November 2025ย UN Women, HOPR, MOFA, and MOJ Submit draft report and incorporate feedback By 20 November 2025ย UN Women, HOPR, MOFA, and MOJ
Consultantโs Workplace and Official Travel
This is a home-based consultancy.
Competencies :
Core Values:
Integrity; Professionalism; Respect for Diversity.Core Competencies:
Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues; Accountability; Creative Problem Solving; Effective Communication; Inclusive Collaboration; Stakeholder Engagement; Leading by Example.Please visitย this linkย for more information on UN Womenโs Values and Competencies Framework:ย
Functional Competencies:
Ability to work with minimal supervision. Evidence of having undertaken similar assignments Strong knowledge of women peace and security agenda Strong knowledge of gender equality and women empowerment principles and normative frameworksย ย Strong adult learning and training facilitation skills ย Ability to identify and analyze trends, opportunities and threats on the areas of peace and security in Ethiopia and incorporate lessons in capacity building sessionsEducation and Certification:
Masterโs degree or equivalent in Peace and Security, Gender, Law, Political science and International Relations, Diplomacy or a related field is required. ย A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. A certification on adult training methodologies or training facilitation would be an added advantage.Experience:
At least 5 years of progressively responsible work experience in peace and security particularly related to the women peace and security agenda, gender equality, negotiation and conflict resolutionย Experience in developing training curriculum or module on the area of women peace and security is required. Experience in facilitating capacity building training is required. Experience with UN organizations is an asset.Languages:
Fluency in Amharic and English is required.ย Working knowledge of other UN languages is an asset.Statements :
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,ย and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age,ย ability, national origin,ย 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 toย UN Womenโsย policiesย and proceduresย andย theย standardsย of conduct expected of UN Women personnelย 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.)
Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.
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