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 Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MGCSP), established by Executive Instrument 1 (E.I. 1) in January 2013, is mandated to lead policy formulation, coordination and monitoring and evaluation of Gender, Children and Social Protection issues within the framework of the national development agenda. The Ministry plays a central role in advancing gender equality, equity, the empowerment of women and girls, promoting the survival and development of children, thus ensuring their rights. It will also lead to harmonizing social protection interventions to better serve vulnerable populations including persons with disabilities by integrating rights based and inclusive approaches to, national development processes.ย
In line with its mandate, the Ministry leads the coordination of gender equality efforts across government institutions working closely with Gender and Social Inclusion Units of Ministries and Commissions and County Gender Coordinators. . However, gaps persist in inter-ministerial collaboration, monitoring mechanisms, and institutional coherence. To address these challenges and enhance national accountability to gender equality commitments, the Ministry, with the support of UN Women developed a Gender Coordination Model (GCM) in 2024.
To support the effective functioning of the Ministerโs Office, a dedicated Technical Gender Adviserย is required to provide technical assistance to the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection. This role is critical for streamlining program implementation, ensuring timely follow-up on policy and coordination priorities, and facilitating communication across internal and external stakeholders. The national consultant will serve as gender support staff to the Office of the Minister, with dual responsibilities: (1) to provide high-level technical and coordination support to the Minister on key gender equality initiatives; and (2) to support the institutionalization of the Gender Coordination Mechanism at both national and county-levels. The consultant will work closely with MGCSP technical divisions, stakeholders, and development partners to ensure timely execution of ministerial priorities, strengthen inter-departmental alignment, and enhance overall gender coordination capacity.
Working under the strategic guidance of the Minister, the consultant will collaborate closely with MGCSP technical divisions, UN Women, and development partners to strengthen inter-departmental alignment, promote policy coherence, and enhance joint programming on gender equality. The consultant will contribute to the effective implementation of ministerial priorities and help build sustainable coordination mechanisms across government structures.
Description of Responsibilities /Scope of Work
Under the strategic oversight of the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Technical Gender Adviser will perform the following key functions:
Support to the Office of the Minister Serve as the primary technical liaison between the Ministerโs Office and MGCSP departments to facilitate timely follow-up on internal priorities, decisions, and strategic engagements; Support the preparation and execution of high-level meetings, retreats, and coordination forums, ensuring coherence across technical divisions and alignment with ministerial directives; ย Support in tracking the implementation of ministerial priorities and prepare regular briefing notes, progress updates, and technical memos for the Minister; Represent the Minister at selected policy dialogues, stakeholder meetings, and national or international forums, providing documentation and follow-up actions upon designation; Maintain close working relationships with UN agencies and partners including UN Women, UNFPA, UNDP and the World Bank, and other key development partners to advance gender-responsive initiatives, contribute to joint planning processes, and ensure coherence in donor coordination efforts. Institutionalization of the Gender Coordination Mechanism (GCM) and support implementationย Lead the operationalization of the GCM by developing a national roadmap, institutional structures, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to embed gender coordination within government systems; Strengthening institutional capacity by designing and facilitating training for gender focal points, County Gender Coordinators, and technical units to advance inter-ministerial coordination, gender-responsive planning, and policy implementation; Support the development of a decentralized coordination framework aligned with national priorities and promote systematic engagement between county and national structures; Establish mechanisms for joint planning, resource mobilization, and knowledge sharing among key stakeholders;ย Serve as a liaison between the MGCSP and UN Women to strengthen coordination and synergy. Support Policy Development, Knowledge Management, and Advocacy Draft gender-responsive policy briefs, speeches, technical papers, and advocacy materials in support of the Ministerโs leadership on national and international platforms; Consolidate and synthesize technical inputs from MGCSP technical divisions to inform high-level decision-making and donor engagement; Coordinate internal knowledge-sharing events and capacity-building initiatives to promote institutional learning and policy coherence on gender equality; Provide strategic advice to the Minister on emerging gender trends, reform opportunities, and global best practices. Monitoring, Accountability, and Reporting Support the roll out a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework with key indicators aligned with national, regional, and global gender commitments (ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, SDG 5, Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women, African Union Agenda 2063). Contribute to the development of an integrated reporting and data collection system to track progress across ministries, development partners, and civil society stakeholders. Contributes to a digital dashboard and reporting tools to enable real-time tracking of gender-related interventions and policy outcomes.At the outset of the assignment, the consultant will develop a detailed workplan in consultation with the Office of the Minister, relevant MGCSP divisions and UN Women, outlining key deliverables, timelines, and coordination arrangements to guide implementation. The consultant will provide regular updates to the Office of the Minister and work closely with UN Women to ensure technical alignment, progress tracking, and coherence with broader development partner frameworks. Monthly reports will be submitted to both MGCSP and UN Women.
Consultantโs Workplace and Official Travel
This is an office-based consultancy at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.ย
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:
Strong analytical, policy development, and coordination skills. Expertise in monitoring and evaluation (M&E) for gender programming. Excellent training, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement skills. Proficiency in gender-responsive budgeting and planning. Strong report writing and communication skills in English.Required Qualifications
Education and Certification:
Masterโs Degree in Gender Studies, Development Studies, Public Administration, Social Sciences, or a related field. 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:
Minimum of 5 โ 7 years of relevant experience in gender programming, policy coordination, or public sector advisory roles. Demonstrated experience in coordinating multi-stakeholder processes and high-level engagements is required.ย Proven expertise in operationalizing multi-stakeholder coordination mechanisms. Strong knowledge of Liberiaโs gender policies, national development frameworks, and international gender commitments (SDG 5, CEDAW, AU Gender Agenda 2063). Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills. Proven ability to synthesize complex information into clear, actionable outputs. Ability to work independently, maintain confidentiality, and manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.Languages:
Fluency in English is required.How to Applyย
Personal CV or P11 (P11 canย be downloaded from:ย https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.docย ) A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page)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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