UN Women Advancing Gender-Responsive Agriculture and Rural Womenโ€™s Empowerment under JP RWEE, Home-based, National Consultant

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  • Added Date: Friday, 04 July 2025
  • Deadline Date: Thursday, 17 July 2025
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Background:

Grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, UN Women works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between all genders as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action, and peace and security. Placing womenโ€™s rights at the center of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates the efforts of the United Nations System to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of national priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with government, civil society, and other relevant actors. In Nepal, UN Women, with an overarching five-year Strategic Note (SN) 2023 โ€“ 2027, aims to support the national stakeholders in advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women in line with internationally agreed normative standards that contribute to four outcome areas of the UNSDCF 2023 โ€“ 2027.

Under the framework of the current UN Women Nepal Country Office (NCO) Strategic Note 2023-2027, UN Women in Nepal continues its work to strengthen womenโ€™s leadership and participation in national and local level decision-making processes, empower women economically by supporting women, especially those from the most vulnerable and excluded groups, promote environmental sustainability, climate and disaster resilience, and transform gender discriminatory social norms and end harmful practices for inclusive and transformative human development.

Agriculture employs two-thirds of Nepalโ€™s population and contributes 26% to GDP. Despite this, nearly 45 of 77 districts are food insufficient, and Madhesh Provinceโ€”despite being in the fertile Terai regionโ€”faces serious food and agricultural challenges. Issues such as inadequate irrigation, climate-induced disasters (notably floods and desertification), and depletion of water resources due to overexploitation of the Chure hills worsen the situation.

A key challenge is the large-scale male youth out-migration, especially from Madhesh and Koshi Provinces. This has led to a \"feminization of agriculture,\" where womenโ€”who make up 80% of the agricultural workforceโ€”bear the dual burden of farming and unpaid care work. However, only 19.7% of women legally own land, and many face restricted access to services, information, and technologies, particularly in Madhesh.

Climate change, including extreme weather events, and the COVID-19 pandemic have compounded these challenges. The pandemic disrupted input supplies, markets, labor, and food value chains, causing major losses in poultry, vegetables, milk, and fisheries, and disproportionately affecting womenโ€™s employment and food security.

Structural inequalitiesโ€”such as discriminatory migration policies, gender norms, lack of access to resources, and inappropriate agricultural technologiesโ€”continue to marginalize women farmers. Despite their central role in agriculture, their contributions are undervalued, and their specific needs remain largely unaddressed in policy and practice.

To address these interconnected challenges, UN Women, in partnership with WFP, FAO, and IFAD, is implementing the Joint Programme on โ€œAccelerating Progress Towards Rural Womenโ€™s Economic Empowerment (JP RWEE)โ€, Phase II (2022โ€“2027), under the leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD). JP RWEE contributes to the Government of Nepalโ€™s Agricultural Development Strategy (ADS) and aligns with the Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Strategy developed with technical assistance from the first phase of JP RWEE.The JP RWEE adopts a holistic, multi-dimensional approach to rural womenโ€™s empowerment through four interrelated outcomes:

โ€ข ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  Improved food security and nutrition;

โ€ข ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  Increased income, decent work, and economic autonomy;

โ€ข ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  Enhanced participation and leadership in rural life and institutions;

โ€ข ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  A more gender-responsive policy environment.

In this context, UN Women seeks to engage a National Consultant to provide technical expertise in advancing gender-responsive agriculture policies, frameworks and programming for rural women. The consultant will work closely with federal, provincial, and local government institutions, particularly in Madhesh Province, and with key stakeholders including civil society organizations, to promote inclusive, equitable, and transformative policy reform in the agriculture sector.

This consultancy will contribute to:

โ€ข ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  Integrating gender equality in agriculture-related policy and planning processes,

โ€ข ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  Supporting the effective implementation of gender-responsive provisions within existing frameworks,

โ€ข ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  Advocating for rural womenโ€™s priorities in agriculture and food systems,

โ€ข ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  Strengthening national visibility and positioning of the JP RWEE, and

โ€ข ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย  Promoting institutional learning, coordination, and accountability for gender equality in agriculture.

By engaging this consultant, UN Women aims to enhance the enabling policy environment that recognizes, supports, and invests in rural womenโ€™s roles and rights in agriculture, ensuring that gender equality is central to Nepalโ€™s agricultural sector transformation.

2. Objectives

The primary objective of the consultancy is to provide technical expertise to enhance the gender-responsiveness of agricultural policies,ย  frameworks and programmes in Nepal, with a focus on rural women. The consultant will support UN Women NCO to advance its work on climate resilience agriculture value chain, particularly through the JP RWEE interventions in advancing inclusive policy reforms and ensuring that agriculture programmes address rural womenโ€™s needs, promote equitable access to resources, and build resilience. The role also includes strengthening the visibility and strategic positioning of JP RWEE and UN Women in gender and agriculture policy and programme spaces.

3. Description of Responsibilities /Scope of Work

Under the supervision of the Womenโ€™s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Programme Specialist, and in close coordination with WEE programme team, the National Consultant will provide technical support and strategic guidance on the country officeโ€™s advancing gender-responsive agriculture policies and frameworks, including linkages with climate change and DRR. The detailed scope of work and responsibilities of the assignment are as follows:ย ย ย 

๐Ÿ“š ๐——๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—›๐—ผ๐˜„ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—š๐—ฒ๐˜ ๐—ฎ ๐—๐—ผ๐—ฏ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—จ๐—ก ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฏ! ๐ŸŒ๐Ÿค ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—ก๐—˜๐—ช ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ฟ๐˜‚๐—ถ๐˜๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—š๐˜‚๐—ถ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—จ๐—ก ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฏ ๐˜„๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต ๐˜๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜ ๐˜€๐—ฎ๐—บ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—จ๐—ก๐—›๐—–๐—ฅ, ๐—ช๐—™๐—ฃ, ๐—จ๐—ก๐—œ๐—–๐—˜๐—™, ๐—จ๐—ก๐——๐—ฆ๐—ฆ, ๐—จ๐—ก๐—™๐—ฃ๐—”, ๐—œ๐—ข๐—  ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ผ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€! ๐ŸŒ

โš ๏ธ ๐‚๐ก๐š๐ง๐ ๐ž ๐˜๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐‹๐ข๐Ÿ๐ž ๐๐จ๐ฐ: ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ž๐ซ๐Ÿ๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐“๐ž๐œ๐ก๐ง๐ข๐ช๐ฎ๐ž๐ฌ ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐ž๐ญ ๐š ๐ฃ๐จ๐› ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐”๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ž๐ ๐๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐Ž๐–!

Support inclusive policy dialogue: Facilitate and contribute to high-level policy dialogues with federal, provincial, and local governments to promote gender-responsive agricultural policies and ensure the voices and needs of rural women are reflected in relevant planning and decision-making processes. Advance evidence-based advocacy: Lead and support the organization of advocacy initiatives and technical discussions focused on gender-responsive agricultural services; financing, social protections etc. for rural women. Strengthen policy and technical support: Provide strategic and technical inputs to policy formulation and programme development processes, with a focus on integrating gender equality across agricultural strategies at all levelsโ€”particularly in the five JP RWEE local governments in Madhesh Province including agriculture linkages with climate and DRR. Build institutional capacity: Design and facilitate targeted capacity-building initiatives for government counterparts and key stakeholders to advance their understanding and application of gender-responsive approaches in agriculture and rural womenโ€™s economic empowerment. Enhance programme visibility and positioning: Develop strategic actions and support in implementation to enhance the visibility and national positioning of JP RWEE and UN Women in key agriculture and rural development forums and networks. Support inter-governmental coordination: Serve as a liaison between UN Women and key federal and provincial ministries to foster partnerships and institutionalize gender-responsive agricultural planning and implementation. Generate knowledge and tools: Develop high-quality knowledge products, including policy briefs, technical papers, and learning materials, to inform programme implementation and strengthen the capacity of government partners and stakeholders in the area of rural women and agriculture. Promote collaboration and resource mobilization: Identify strategic entry points for collaboration with government and development partners and contribute to resource mobilization efforts that support the NCO efforts on scaling of gender-responsive and climate resilient agriculture programming.

Deliverables Deliverable in 2025 Expected completion time (due day)ย  Payment Schedule (optional)

Inception Report and Work Plan: A detailed inception report outlining methodology, work plan, timeline, and stakeholder engagement approach. Strategic Positioning Plan for JP RWEE Developed: A short strategy document with concrete actions and opportunities for enhancing JP RWEE visibility and influence in national and subnational forums. By 15 Augustย  20% High-Level Policy Dialogue Events Supportedย Concept notes, agendas, briefing notes, and summary reports for at least two multi-tier government policy dialogues (federal, provincial, local) on gender-responsive agriculture. By 30 September ย  10% Capacity Building Workshops Conducted: At least one capacity-building session organized for government officials and stakeholders, including session plans, materials, and training reports with participant feedback. Evidence-Based Advocacy Events Organized: At least two advocacy events designed and delivered (e.g., roundtables, policy labs) on gender-responsive financial products for rural women, including background materials, speaker briefs, and event reports. By 30 November 10% Technical Policy Inputs Provided: Written technical inputs submitted to federal/provincial/local government stakeholders, including support to agricultural plans in five JP RWEE local governments in Madhesh Province. Knowledge Products and Policy Briefs Produced: At least two high-quality deliverable (e.g., policy brief, technical note, or case study) on topics such as gender-responsive agriculture, womenโ€™s land rights, or inclusive financing.

By 30 Decemberย 

10% Deliverable in 2026 Expected completion time (due day)ย  Payment Schedule (optional) High-Level Policy Dialogue Events Supported: Concept notes, agendas, briefing notes, and summary reports for at least two multi-tier government policy dialogues (federal, provincial, local) on gender-responsive agriculture. By 30 Aprilย  10% Capacity Building Workshops Conducted: At least one capacity-building session organized for government officials and stakeholders, including session plans, materials, and training reports with participant feedback. Evidence-Based Advocacy Events Organized: At least two advocacy events designed and delivered (e.g., roundtables, policy labs) on gender-responsive financial products for rural women, including background materials, speaker briefs, and event reports. By 30 October 10% Technical Policy Inputs Provided: Written technical inputs submitted to federal/provincial/local government stakeholders, including support to agricultural plans in five JP RWEE local governments in Madhesh Province. Knowledge Products and Policy Briefs Produced: At least two high-quality deliverable (e.g., policy brief, technical note, or case study) on topics such as gender-responsive agriculture, womenโ€™s land rights, or inclusive financing. Report on Collaboration and Resource Mobilization Opportunities: A brief report summarizing key entry points and potential partnerships for future collaboration and funding to scale gender-responsive agriculture interventions.

By 30 November

20% Final Consultancy Report: A comprehensive final report detailing activities, key achievements, challenges, recommendations, and annexed documentation of outputs and materials. By 30 December 10%

Consultantโ€™s Workplace and Official Travel

State whether the assignment requires partial, intermittent or fulltime presence on UN Women premises, and if applicable, a justification on why a full-time presence at a UN Women office is required. Describe expected travel that the consultancy assignment will require, including locations and duration(s).

This is a home-based consultancy. As part of this assignment, there will be field travel to Madhesh Province and other relevant locations as required.

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 Womenโ€™s Values and Competencies Framework:ย 

Functional Competencies:

Technical Expertise in Gender and Climate Resilient Agriculture Practices:
Demonstrated knowledge of gender-responsive agricultural policy, rural development, and social protection systems, with the ability to apply this expertise in programme design, implementation, and policy dialogue. Policy Analysis and Advisory Skills:
Proven ability to conduct policy and institutional analysis, formulate policy recommendations, and provide technical inputs to policy development processes at federal, provincial, and local levels. Strategic Thinking and Political Acumen:
Strong capacity to identify strategic opportunities for positioning gender equality in agriculture and rural development, and to engage effectively with government counterparts and development partners. Advocacy and Communication:
Ability to develop and communicate compelling advocacy messages and evidence-based arguments that promote rural womenโ€™s rights and gender equality in agriculture. Knowledge Generation and Writing:
Excellent analytical and writing skills, with experience in producing high-quality knowledge products such as policy briefs, technical reports, and case studies tailored for policymakers and practitioners. Capacity Building and Facilitation:
Demonstrated experience in designing and delivering training and capacity-strengthening activities for diverse stakeholders, including government officials, CSOs, and community leaders. Partnership Building and Coordination:
Strong interpersonal and coordination skills with the ability to build and sustain effective partnerships across different sectors and levels of government. Results Orientation and Accountability:
Ability to work independently, deliver high-quality results under tight deadlines, and manage multiple tasks with a strong focus on impact and accountability.ย  IV. Required Qualifications

Education and Certification:

Masterโ€™s degree or equivalent in Gender Studies, Agriculture/Rural Development, Public Policy, Development Studies, Social Sciences, or a related field.

Experience:ย 

Minimum 7 years of progressively responsible experience in the areas of gender equality, climate resilient agriculture/rural development, or related sectors, preferably in policy advisory, programme implementation, or government engagement roles. Proven experience in developing or contributing to gender-responsive policies, strategies, or frameworks, particularly in climate resilient agriculture, food security, rural development, or economic empowerment. Experience in working with government institutions at federal, provincial, and/or local levels in Nepal, particularly in policy formulation and implementation. Experience in facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogues, advocacy events, or technical workshops. Demonstrated experience in developing policy briefs, analytical reports, or knowledge products for decision-makers. Experience working with the UN system is a considerable asset.ย 

Languages:

Fluency in written and spoken Nepali and English is required. Knowledge of local languages spoken in Madhesh Province is an asset.

Evaluation Criteria:

Minimum seven years of progressively responsible experience in the areas of gender equality, agriculture/rural development, or related sectors, preferably in policy advisory, programme implementation, or government engagement roles. (15) Proven experience in developing or contributing to gender-responsive policies, strategies, or frameworks, particularly in agriculture, food security, rural development, or economic empowerment. (20) Experience in working with government institutions at federal, provincial, and/or local levels in Nepal, particularly in policy formulation and implementation. (15) Experience in facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogues, advocacy events, or technical workshops. (10) Demonstrated experience in developing policy briefs, analytical reports, or knowledge products for decision-makers. (10) Experience working with the UN system is a considerable asset.ย (10) Interview with the recommended candidates (20)

ย The maximum score that the candidate can achieve for this consultancy is 100. Out of 80, candidates who receive a score higher than 65 will be selected for interview. Hence out of 100, candidate should score more than 60 to qualified for this position. ย 

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 Womenโ€™sย 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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