Background/Context
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.
Through its programmes and projects, UN Women is providing technical assistance to national partners (governmental and non-governmental), including private sector, in the implementation of existing international and national commitments to womenโs rights and gender equality, it facilitates networking and exchange of good practices and advocates for womenโs rights and gender equality in all areas of life.ย
The work of UN Women in the Republic of Moldova is guided by itsย Country Strategic Note 2023 - 2027, aligned to the UN-Moldova Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for 2023-2027 and the UN Women Global Strategic Plan (SP) (2022-2025), and aims to contribute to the gender-responsive implementation of theย 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The overarching vision of theย 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Developmentย is inclusive and sustainable growth with its promise to leave no one behind.ย Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, target 5.5. calls to โensure womenโs full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of the decision-making in political, economic and public lifeโ. Gender equality is mainstreamed throughout the SDGs, including SDG 8 โDecent Work and Economic Growthโ. Gender equality by 2030 requires urgent action to eliminate the many root causes of discrimination that still curtail womenโs rights in private and public spheres. At its core, the economic empowerment of women depends on the quantity and quality of paid employment, the provision or absence of public services, the amount of unpaid care work borne by women, as well as coverage or lack thereof under core social and labor protections.ย
Theย Country Strategic Note 2023 - 2027ย focuses on four impact areas: 1. Governance & participation in Public Life 2. Economic Empowerment & Resilience, 3 Ending Violence against women & girls, 4 Peace& Security, Humanitarian Action & Disaster Risk Reduction. To achieve progress under these areas, UN Women works with variety of national and international partners and as part of different national and regional initiatives.ย
In December 2024, UN Women Moldova signed the โIncrease womenโs resilience and excellence through quality, inclusive employment and family friendly opportunitiesโ Project funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA). This project is situated under Pilar 2 of the Country Strategic Note focusing on Economic Empowerment and Resilience. The overall outcome of the project is that by 2028, women and girls, especially the most vulnerable, including women with children, NEET, benefit from inclusive, competitive, and sustainable economic development and access to gender-responsive workplaces and employment. The project will be implemented jointly with UNFPA Moldova CO, the United Nations Population Fund, the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young personโs potential is fulfilled.ย Through its programs and projects, UNFPA promotes gender Equality and women empowerment by shifting gender stereotypes to increase menโs engagement and expand family-friendly policies in public and private sector. UNFPA interventions align with relevant nationalย policies and regional and international commitments to advancing economic empowerment and equitable opportunities for men and women.ย
The project directly supports key reforms and programmes led by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection (MLSP), in particular the Reform on Improving the Services of the National Employment Agency (NEA), 2023โ2026. It aims to strengthen the capacity of NEAโs territorial offices to improve the quality and effectiveness of employment services for women with children, women with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups, thereby addressing persistent gender and socioeconomic disparities in the labour market.
In response to a formal request from MLSP, several donors and implementing partners have mobilized efforts to support related initiatives, including programmes targeting NEET youth, womenโs employment, and childcare services. Recognizing the risk of overlapping interventions and fragmented efforts, UN Women has taken the lead in coordinating stakeholder actions and fostering synergies. As a first step, UN Women is working to align ongoing and planned interventions, identify areas for collaboration, and explore funding and technical support needs for the implementation of proposed initiatives.
To ensure strategic coordination and avoid duplication, a consultant will work in close collaboration with the MLSP and relevant stakeholders to conduct a comprehensive mapping of existing and planned initiatives. This process will contribute to a more coherent and effective approach to active employment measures and gender-responsive labour market reforms.
Description of Responsibilities /Scope of Work
Under the overall guidance of UN Women and in close collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection (MLSP), the consultant will support the strategic coordination of donor and partner efforts related to employment policies and programmes, with a specific focus on gender-responsive approaches. The consultant will be responsible for mapping existing and planned initiatives, identifying opportunities for synergy, and supporting the development and alignment of interventions in line with national priorities:ย
Conduct a comprehensive mapping of ongoing and planned initiatives by government institutions, development partners, and civil society organizations related to employment of NEET youth, womenโs employment, persons with disabilities, and childcare services. Analyze the relevance, geographical coverage, and potential overlaps of these initiatives, particularly in relation to the NEA Services Reform 2023โ2026. Provide support the MLSP on consultations and coordination meetings with key stakeholders, including national and local institutions, donor agencies, UN entities, and implementing partners. Support the establishment or strengthening of a coordination platform/working group to ensure ongoing dialogue and information exchange among stakeholders. Provide technical support to UN Women and MLSP in developing an integrated coordination framework or roadmap to guide implementation of aligned and complementary initiatives. Prepare periodic progress reports and updates summarizing key findings, stakeholder inputs, and coordination efforts. Document lessons learned and good practices that could inform future employment and care-related programming. Contribute to knowledge products or presentations as required for strategic meetings or donor briefings.Consultantโs Workplace and Official Travel
This is a home-based consultancy, with the possibility of field visits as required. In such cases, all travel-related costs will be covered by UN Women Moldova CO, in accordance with UN Womenโs travel policy and applicable regulations.
The consultant is expected to be available for virtual meetings and coordination with the UN Women Moldova team, partners, and relevant stakeholders as needed.
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, deliverables submitted by the Consultant. The number of days worked is to be determined solely by UN Women.
Competencies
Core Values:ย
Respect for Diversityย Integrityย ProfessionalismยCore Competencies:ย
Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issuesย Accountabilityย Creative Problem Solvingย Effective Communicationย Inclusive Collaborationย Stakeholder Engagementย Leading by ExampleยPlease visit this link for more information on UN Womenโs Core Values and Competencies:ย ย https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment/application-process#_Valuesย ย
FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES:ย
Excellent knowledge of one or more topics listed above; Excellent writing skills; Excellent analytical skills; Ability to write policy papers, speeches, briefings; Excellent knowledge of programme development, implementation, results-based management and reporting. Excellent training skills Ability to draft manuals/guidance/policy documentsRequired Qualifications
Education and Certification:
Masterโs degree or equivalent in social sciences, public policy, law, economics, gender studies, or a related field; 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;Experience:
At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in social sciences, public policy, law, labour market analysis, or employment policy design is required; At least 2 years experience working in the Republic of Moldovaโs social protection or employment sector, with a strong understanding of national institutions, policies, and reform processes is required; Demonstrated experience in coordinating or engaging with multiple stakeholders, including government institutions, development partners, civil society, and UN agencies is required; Experience in conducting institutional assessments, or providing policy advisory support in the context of labour market reforms or active employment measures is an asset; Prior experience working on gender equality, women's economic empowerment, or care economy-related issues is an asset; Experience in facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogues, working groups, or coordination platforms is an asset; Previous collaboration with or advisory role to the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection or the National Employment Agency (NEA) is considered a strong asset.Languages:
Fluency in English and Romanian is required.
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.)
By submitting this application, you certify that all information provided therein is true, correct and made in good faith. In addition, you acknowledge that: (i) if all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are not completed, your application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process; and (ii) if you have falsified, misrepresented or withheld information relevant to your candidacy, your application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process, or if an offer is issued that it may be rescinded. Please note that you will not be able to edit your application once it is submitted.