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 work of UN Women in Moldova is guided by itsย Country Strategic Note 2023-2027,ย aligned with theย UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Moldova (2023-2027),ย UN Women Global Strategic Plan, National Programs and Strategies and aims to contribute to the gender-responsive implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Strategic Note focuses on four main areas: 1) Ending Violence against Women; 2) Womenโs Leadership and Governance; 3) Womenโs Economic Empowerment; and 4) Humanitarian and Peace development nexus and UN Coordination on gender equality and women empowerment.
To ensure that women and girls, including those at greatest risk of being left behind, have improved access to resources, equal opportunities, and rights to enjoy a life without discrimination and violence, UN Women is implementing the project โEnding Violence, Expanding Livelihood Opportunities for Women and Accelerating Gender Governance in Moldova (EVOLVE4GE)โ with financial support of European Union. The project addresses the key challenges women and girls face in the country, such as a) gender-blind policies and budgets that enable the persistence and perpetuation of gender inequalities; b) uneven participation, contribution, and benefit of women and men from the national economy; c) high prevalence of gender-based violence and limited access to specialist services and capacities for integrated service provision.ย
One of the core priorities of EVOLVE4GE is increasing the availability and accessibility of high-quality childcare servicesโprovided by both public and private sectorsโas a key enabler of womenโs workforce participation. Quality childcare supports early childhood development and helps reduce the motherhood penalty by allowing women to access better employment opportunities and more stable jobs.
A 2020 UN Women study conducted in partnership with the Centre Partnership for Development (CPD) identified access to childcare as critical for promoting gender equality in the labor market. The study proposed four models for expanding alternative childcare services: 1) In-house childcare services within companies; 2) Employer-established standalone childcare centers; 3) Co-financing arrangements for employees using nursery services; and 4) Public-private partnerships for childcare provision.
These findings informed further policy advocacy and practical interventions to encourage employers to develop alternative childcare services for parents/ women with children. To operationalize these recommendations, UN Women Moldova has supported the establishment of child-friendly spaces within various public and private sector institutions, including the Parliament, Government, Ministry of Internal Affairs, National Inspectorate of Police, Chisinau City Halla and within technical and innovations iHUBs such as Inotek (Cahul) and Nortek (Bฤlศi). A successful pilot initiative was also carried out in a private textile company employing predominantly women (90%), showcasing how such services can improve work-life balance, employee retention, and productivity.
In addition, UN Women is implementing the #TogetherWEGrow advocacy campaign in partnership with business associations,ย local communities, and national authorities. This campaign highlights the transformative role of childcare services in enabling women's economic empowerment, promoting gender equality, and advancing socio-economic development. It also raises awareness about recent legal amendments that support the provision of employer-led childcare services and informs stakeholders about available financial incentives and support measures.
These actions build upon UN Womenโs ongoing efforts to improve access to early childhood education and care, particularly for children under the age of three. As part of the EVOLVE4GE project, UN Women aims to offer targeted technical guidance to existing and prospective alternative childcare providers on the development and implementation of internal regulations, ensuring compliance with new legal provisions โ including requirements related to safety, hygiene, staff qualifications, and inclusive access.
In addition to technical support, the project seeks to promote collaboration and learning through networking opportunities among current and future alternative childcare providers, supporting the exchange of best practices and resources such as minimum standards for facility design and use of inclusive, child-friendly materials.
Description of Responsibilities /Scope of Work
To support these efforts, UN Women will contract a national consultant to assist state and private institutions โ particularly those previously supported by UN Women โ in adapting and utilizing their child-friendly spaces to ensure both legal compliance, safety and equitable access for all employees with children.ย
Specifically, the consultant will lead efforts to: 1) screening and analysis of existing and planned initiatives for establishing child-friendly spaces within public institutions and private companies; 2) identify the needs of the employees and assess how these needs align with the physical possibilities of the child friendly space 3) provide technical support for interna regulation development to ensure a accessible and equitable access to all employees with children, tailored to their specific needs and comply with national legal standards; 4) develop a set of minimum standards and practical recommendations for other institutions interested to develop such practices, including identification of needs through a survey among employees and 5) facilitateย networking and knowledge exchange.
The consultant will report to the Project Analyst on womenโs economic empowerment under EVOLVE4GE project, who will be the contact point on contract and payment issues, under overall coordination of the Project Management Specialist EVOLVE4GE. Regular progress reports will be required in accordance with the tasks and work plan.
The consultant will be responsible for the following activities:
Conduct a comprehensive review of 10 existing and planned UN Women-supported initiatives related to accessible, child-friendly spaces, assessing their status, functionality, and alignment with current legal requirements. Identify the needs of employees (especially parents) through consultations or surveys and assess how these needs align with the physical and operational capacities of existing childcare spaces. Provide recommendations for improvement where necessary. Review and suggest improvements of internal regulations for 8 existing child friendly facilities in the Parliament, Government, National Inspectorate of Police, Chisinau City Hall, Inotek (Cahul) and Nortek (Bฤlศi) iHubs, and ConTeyor private company (Causeni). The review will ensure alignment with approved sanitary and safety norms governing alternative childcare services, tailored to employees/ parents with childrenโs needs. Provide support forย 2 new institutions (National Bureau of Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry)ย with developing and approving internal regulations that govern the use of child-friendly spaces. These should ensure equitable and inclusive access, be tailored to employees' needs, and comply with national legal and regulatory standards. Draft a set of minimum standards and practical recommendations for institutions seeking to establish such spaces, including:ย Design and safety requirements Staffing and management guidelines Hygiene and inclusive considerations Tools for conducting internal needs assessments (e.g., employee surveys) Organize and support networking opportunities between existing institutions providing childcare and interested institutions to share best practices, tools, and lessons learned.ยConsultantโs Workplace and Official Travel
This is a home-based consultancy.ย
As part of this assignment, there will be several trips envisaged outside of Chisinau. In the case of travel, arrangements and expenses for travel shall be coordinated with Women, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.ย
Payment details
Payment will be disbursed on a monthly basis, per day worked. UN Women shall pay the Consultant upon certification that the services have been satisfactorily performed, based on the timesheet with record of delivered tasks submitted by the Consultant. The number of days worked is to be determined solely by UN Women.
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 knowledge of the childcare system in Moldova, including the legal and institutional framework, key stakeholders, and recent policy developments. Proven experience in conducting needs assessments and designing surveys, with the ability to analyze results and translate findings into practical recommendations. Strong report writing skills, with the ability to produce clear, well-structured, and accessible documents that effectively present findings, insights, and actionable recommendations to a variety of audiences. Ability to organize multi-stakeholders discussions and events.Required Qualifications
Education and Certification:
Masterโs degree in social science, public policy, law, gender equality, management, or other related areas.ย A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Additional training or certification in gender mainstreaming, gender analysis, or related topics will be considered an advantage. This could include workshops, short courses, or certifications from recognized institutions or organizations specializing in gender equality and women's empowerment.ยExperience:
A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in social sciences, public policy, law, gender equality is required. A minimum of 3 years of experience working with private sector, providing guidance on developing internal policies, developing guidelines and regulations is required. Experience developing, managing, providing advisory services in public and private sector in the fields of equal rights, gender mainstreaming will be considered an advantage.ย Experience working for governmental agencies, international organizations will be considered an advantage.Languages:
Fluency in Englishย Knowledge of Romanian or Russian or any other UN official 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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