Consultant

UN Women Job Description 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.Post a job Malawi is among the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, experiencing recurrent droughts, floods, cyclones, and erratic rainfall patterns that continue to undermine socio-economic development gains. Climate-related disasters such as Tropical Storm Ana (2022) and Cyclone Freddy (2023) caused extensive damage to infrastructure, livelihoods, agriculture, and human wellbeing, with losses estimated at approximately 2.7% of GDP. Climate change impacts are not gender neutral. Women, girls, youth, persons with disabilities, and other marginalized populations face disproportionate vulnerabilities due to structural inequalities in access to land, finance, climate information, technologies, productive resources, and decision-making platforms. Women constitute the majority of Malawi’s smallholder agricultural workforce and are therefore highly exposed to climate shocks that threaten food security, incomes, and household resilience. Recent assessments indicate that: Women and girls represented more than 57% of those affected by Cyclone Freddy; Approximately 51% of households affected by the 2024 El Niño-induced food insecurity were female-headed. Malawi has made progress in integrating gender equality considerations into national climate and development frameworks, including: The National Climate Change Management Policy (2016); The National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Framework (2021); The domesticated Belem Gender Action Plan (2026) Malawi Vision 2063; and Malawi’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). However, gender integration within climate action remains largely descriptive and insufficiently institutionalized. Challenges persist in the use of sex-, age-, and disability-disaggregated data (SADDD), gender-responsive climate, budgeting, coordination mechanisms, monitoring systems, and practical implementation tools. As Malawi develops its NDC 3.0, there is a strategic opportunity to strengthen and institutionalize Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) within climate action work in line with: The UNFCCC Gender Action Plan; Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 5 and 13); The Paris Agreement; Malawi Vision 2063; and Global commitments on gender equality and climate justice. To support this process, UN Women, in collaboration with Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare seek to engage a national consultant to develop a National Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Manual to support the integration of gender-responsive approaches into Malawi’s Climate Action work Objective of the assignment The objective of this consultancy is to embed equity and inclusivity into Malawi’s climate response, ensuring that the development and implementation of NDC 3.0 not only reduce emissions and strengthen resilience but also advance social justice, gender equality, and sustainable development. The GESI Manual will provide practical guidance, tools, and frameworks to mainstream gender and social inclusion across climate policies, programs, and projects, thereby empowering vulnerable groups and enhancing institutional capacity for inclusive climate governance. Description of Responsibilities The consultant will undertake the following tasks: Conduct a comprehensive desk review of relevant climate change, gender, Social Inclusion, development, and sectoral policies, strategies, frameworks, and international commitments related to gender-responsive climate action. Identify gaps, opportunities, and entry points for strengthening GESI integration in Malawi’s Climate Action work. Conduct stakeholder consultations, key informant interviews, and technical engagements with Government institutions, development partners, civil society organizations, academia, women’s organizations, youth groups, and other stakeholders. Develop a National GESI Manual, including practical tools, training guidance notes, templates, indicators, and frameworks for implementation in line with NDC 3.0 and priority sectors such as: Agriculture; Energy; Mining; Tourism; Fisheries, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs; Trade and Industry Scope of Work The consultancy will focus on strengthening institutional, technical, and operational mechanisms for integrating gender equality and social inclusion into Malawi’s climate action agenda and NDC 3.0 implementation framework. The assignment shall include: Review of national and international frameworks; Stakeholder mapping and consultations; Sectoral gender and climate analysis; Development of practical tools and guidance; Facilitation of consultations and validation meetings; Finalization of a nationally endorsed GESI Manual. Deliverables Inception Report detailing methodology, work plan, and timelines. Draft GESI Manual with sector-specific guidelines and tools. Final GESI Manual incorporating stakeholder feedback. Training Materials for government and stakeholders. Final Consultancy Report summarizing process, findings, and recommendations. Methodogy The consultancy will adopt a participatory, inclusive, and evidence-based approach involving: Comprehensive desk reviews; Key informant interviews; Focus group discussions where appropriate; Stakeholder consultations; Technical working sessions; Comparative analysis of regional and global best practices; Validation workshops. The consultant is expected to ensure that the process is inclusive and participatory, with meaningful engagement of women, youth, persons with disabilities, CSOs, academia, Government institutions, and development partners. Expected Output The consultancy is expected to deliver: A gender analysis of Malawi’s climate action framework; A nationally validated GESI Manual for Climate Action and NDC 3.0; Practical tools and templates for GESI integration in sectors mentioned above; Standardized gender-responsive indicators and reporting systems; Policy and communication briefs; Strengthened stakeholder understanding and ownership of gender-responsive climate action Malawi business directory Deliverables and Timeline Preparation of inception report 2 Inception report Desk review and stakeholder consultations including a gender analysis of the draft NDC 3.0 5 Consultation reports and data collection, analysis report. Development of draft GESI Manual 5 Draft GESI Manual Validation workshops and stakeholder consultations 1 Validation workshop reports Development of policy and communication briefs 2 Draft briefs Finalization of GESI Manual and consultancy report 3 Final GESI Manual and final report Consultant’s Workplace and TravelCommunications & Media Studies This is a based consultancy. The consultant will be required to travel within Lilongwe where necessary, to conduct stakeholder consultations, validation meetings, and field engagements. In case of any official trip, approved by the office, the travel-related costs will be covered as per the associated duty travel policy. Reporting and supervision The consultant will report directly to UN Women Malawi and work closely with: Knowledge of gender and women’s empowerment. Strong knowledge of UNFCCC processes and Gender Action Plan Strong knowledge of Climate finance frameworks and Gender equality The consultant will be responsible for ensuring timely delivery of all outputs and maintaining high standards of technical quality. Institutional Arrangements UN Women will: Provide overall technical oversight and coordination; Facilitate stakeholder engagement where necessary; Review and approve deliverables. Relevant Government Ministries and partners will: Provide technical inputs; Participate in consultations and validation processes; Support dissemination and institutionalization of the final GESI Manual.

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