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UN Women is recruiting for a Climate and Gender Programme Consultant based in Nairobi, Kenya

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Closing Date: 6 April 2025

UN Women is recruiting for a Climate and Gender Programme Consultant based in Nairobi, Kenya

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 East and Southern Africa Regional Office supports UN Women’s work in 25 countries including 13 Country Offices, one programme presence, where UN Women has a physical presence, and through the UN System in the remainder of the countries. The work of the regional office focuses on providing technical support to the country teams, supporting regional entities such as the Regional Economic Commissions, the African Union and regional civil society organizations. A key part of the RO’s work is on providing thought leadership and supporting or conducting research on issues related to women’s economic empowerment at both macro and micro levels.

East and Southern Africa is a complex and diverse region comprised of sub-regions ranging from countries with weak governance prone to crises that cross borders, while other sub-regions represent middle-income countries that are relatively stable. ESA region faces persistent challenges that hinder women’s economic empowerment and financial inclusion. Limited access to financial services, land, and productive resources continues to reinforce gender inequalities in economic opportunities.

Women and girls in East and Southern Africa represent the most deprived group of the population in spite of their paramount social and economic role. They have limited access to, and control over critical resources, as a result of social, political, and economic norms. UN Women works to advance women’s economic empowerment and autonomy by focusing on three key priorities areas: women and the world of work, gender-responsive climate action, and transforming care systems. These efforts are supported by three cross-cutting areas: promoting gender-responsive macroeconomic policies, addressing social norms, and increasing financing for gender equality.

To strengthen these efforts, UN Women ESARO seeks to hire a consultant to support the integration of gender considerations into climate programmes and policies, promote women’s leadership in green and blue jobs and sustainable enterprises, and engage in key policy processes related to climate change and economic transformation.

The Climate and Gender Programme consultant will report to the Regional Policy Specialist for Women’s Economic Empowerment and work closely with regional, global and country teams, multilateral institutions, civil society organizations and private sector partners to advance gender-responsive climate policies and programmes. Under the supervision of the WEE Regional Policy Specialist, the Consultant is responsible for providing technical support in implementation of projects/programmes and activities under the Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Programme, specifically on the climate action work.

Description of Responsibilities

The Climate and Gender Programme consultant will provide technical, programmatic, and policy support to the WEE work at the intersection of gender, climate and the green and blue economies. This would include, but not be limited to:

Provide technical support to implement of programmes and initiatives on Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE)

Provide technical support on integrating gender equality into climate policies;
Support policy engagement in climate negotiations and regional frameworks, including to UNFCCC processes, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and climate finance discussions;
Support to develop policy briefs and technical reports on gender-responsive climate action, just transitions, and green jobs;
Support UN Women’s participation in key intergovernmental meetings such as UNCBD SBSTTA/SBI, UNFCCC Standing Committee on Finance Forum, and PreCOP strategy meetings, ensuring gender considerations are integrated into discussions;

Enhance women’s access to green jobs and sustainable livelihoods through targeted interventions;

Support the development and implementation of programmes that increase women’s participation in climate-resilient and green/blue economy sectors, such as renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and circular economy initiatives;
Support partnerships with private sector actors, financial institutions, and government agencies to expand financing opportunities for women entrepreneurs in green/blue industries;
Support efforts to build technical skills and financial literacy for women in climate-resilient sectors;
Leverage experience in proposals development and resource mobilization to identify funding opportunities for scaling gender-responsive climate programs.

Strengthen capacity and foster multi-stakeholder engagement for gender-responsive climate action:

Support regional learning sessions, policy dialogues and technical workshops on gender-responsive climate action, sustainable investments, and women’s leadership in green/blue jobs;
Engage with key stakeholders, including multilateral banks, regional bodies (RECs), UN agencies, and financial institutions, to strengthen policy coherence and financing for gender and climate action;
Support to develop tools, methodologies, and training materials to enhance the capacity of policymakers and practitioners on gender-responsive climate action.

Generate, manage, and disseminate knowledge on gender and climate action:

Conduct research and develop knowledge products on gender and climate action, just transition policies, and best practices for advancing women’s participation in climate-resilient economies;
Establish and maintain a database of gender and climate data.

Advance advocacy, strategic communication, and policy influence on gender-responsive climate action:

Develop advocacy materials, presentations, and talking points for high-level policy dialogues, ensuring strong gender perspectives in climate and green economy discussions;
Support UN Women’s engagement in regional and global events (e.g., COP, Standing Committee on Finance, SBIs) to advocate for increased financing for women in climate-related sectors.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel
This is an office-based consultancy (with possible travel and remote arrangements).

Required Qualifications

Education and Certification:

Master’s degree or equivalent in economics, sustainable development, international cooperation, gender studies, climate change, environmental policy, or a related field is required;
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:

At least two years of progressively responsible experience in project management, planning and/or monitoring for sustainable development;
At least one year of experience in climate resilience and gender equality;
Experience in integrating gender considerations into climate change policies, programmes, and financing instruments;
Familiarity with intergovernmental climate processes, including UNCBD and UNFCCC, with direct engagement in policy discussions;
Experience working with international organizations, UN agencies, multilateral development banks, or regional economic communities (RECs) is an asset.
Proven experience in stakeholder engagement and proposals development;
Prior work in East and Southern Africa is an asset.

Languages: