National Consultant for Conducting Research on Identifying Gaps in Existing Policies for the Economic Inclusion of Women with Disabilities

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. UN Women has a universal mandate that encompasses a normative, an operational/programmatic as well as a coordination role, all of which are closely linked with its unique structure. At the core of its mandate, UN women plays a leading role in supporting governments in delivering on their gender equality and women empowerment (GEWE) commitments through the project "The Empowerment of Women and Girls with Disabilities Towards Full and Effective Participation and Gender Equality in Adamawa State" which aims to promote the rights and inclusion of women and girls with disabilities works to ensure a more systematic approach to strengthen the inclusion of the rights of women and girls with disabilities in UN Women’s efforts to achieve gender equality, empowerment of all women and girls, and the realization of their rights. This aligns with UN Women’s Strategic Plan 2018–2021 and commitments made in the common chapter to the Strategic Plans of UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF and UN Women, and further builds upon UN Women’s work in the area of empowerment of women and girls with disabilities.

Northeast Nigeria is a region marked by significant challenges, including ongoing conflict, economic instability, and socio-cultural barriers. The Boko Haram insurgency has caused widespread displacement and disrupted local economies, severely impacting the lives of women and girls, especially those with disabilities. This has further led to significant instability, resulting in large numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs). Women with disabilities within this displaced population are particularly vulnerable, often facing severe barriers to accessing basic services, education, and employment opportunities?. Negative perceptions and stigma surrounding disabilities are pervasive in many Nigerian communities, including those in the Northeast. These attitudes contribute to the marginalization of women with disabilities, limiting their participation in social, economic, and political life. Such discrimination affects their ability to access education, gainful employment, and financial services?. Nigeria has made legislative strides with the enactment of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act in 2019, which is designed to protect the rights of persons with disabilities and promote their inclusion in all aspects of life. However, the implementation and enforcement of this law remain weak, particularly in conflict-affected areas like Northeast Nigeria. These women often face compounded disadvantages due to their gender, disability, and the unstable socio-political environment. The economic inclusion of women with disabilities is hindered by significant policy gaps and systemic barriers. The region faces unique challenges due to ongoing conflict, displacement, and socio-cultural attitudes that exacerbate the difficulties faced by women with disabilities.

Duties and Responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the guidance of the UN Women Deputy Representative, with day-to-day reporting to the Programme Coordinator, the consultant will support UN Women Nigeria Country Office to Conduct Research on Identifying Gaps in Existing Policies for the Economic Inclusion of Women with Disabilities with focus on Affirmative action, decent work and social protection.

The consultant will be expected to:

• Reviewing relevant national, regional, and international policies, frameworks, and legislation pertaining to disability rights and women's economic empowerment.
• Conducting consultations with key stakeholders, including government agencies, civil society organizations, women with disabilities, and relevant experts.
• Collecting and analyzing data on the current status of economic inclusion for women with disabilities in Adamawa State.
• Identifying best practices and successful interventions from other contexts that could be adapted or replicated in Adamawa State.
• Developing a comprehensive report documenting the findings, analysis, and recommendations.
• Develop policy brief that captures or highlight gaps in economic inclusion especially within the Humanitarian context.
• Develop Advocacy messages focused on social protection, decent work and affirmative action
• Facilitate a dissemination workshop to advocate for the development and implementation of policies that promote decent work and social protection specifically tailored to women with disabilities.
• Facilitate an advocacy workshop on inclusive public and private procurement processes that consider businesses owned or managed by women with disabilities.

The selected Consultant will be expected to complete the following key-deliverables within the indicative timeframe:

Reporting

Under the supervision of the Deputy Country Representative, and in close collaboration with the programme Manager on Humanitarian and DRR, and other relevant UN Women Nigeria CO staff, the selected consultant will develop and deliver the above listed outputs in accordance with the above outlined timeframes and specifications.

Competencies

Core Values

• Integrity: Demonstrates consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UNDP and UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct.
• Professionalism: Demonstrates professional competence and expert knowledge of the pertinent substantive areas of work.
• Respect for Diversity: Demonstrates an appreciation of the multi-cultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Demonstrates an international outlook, appreciating difference in values and learning from cultural diversity.

Competencies:

• Ethics and Values: Demonstrate and safeguard ethics and integrity.
• Organizational Awareness: Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment.
• Development and Innovation: Take charge of self-development and take initiative.
• Teamwork: Demonstrate ability to work in a multicultural, multi-ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
• Communication and Information Sharing: Facilitate and encourage open communication and strive for effective communication.
• Self-management and Emotional Intelligence: Stay composed and positive even in difficult moments, handle tense situations with diplomacy and tact, and have a consistent behavior towards others.
• Conflict Management: Surface conflicts and address them proactively acknowledging different feelings and views and directing energy towards a mutually acceptable solution.
• Continuous Learning and Knowledge Sharing: Encourage learning and sharing of knowledge.
• Appropriate and Transparent Decision Making: Demonstrate informed and transparent decision making.

Functional Competencies

• Good programme formulation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation skills
• Good budget and finance skills
• Good knowledge of Results Based Management
• Ability to gather and interpret data, reach logical conclusions, and present findings and recommendations
• Good analytical skills
• Knowledge of UN programme management systems

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

A master’s or doctoral degree in relevant fields such as Social Sciences, Public Policy, Development Studies, Economics, Gender Studies, Disability Studies, or related disciplines.

Experience:

• Demonstrated expertise in gender equality, disability inclusion, and policy analysis.
• Experience conducting research and assessments related to economic empowerment and inclusion of marginalized groups.
• Strong analytical and writing skills, with the ability to produce high-quality reports and presentations.
• Understanding of the socio-economic and political context of Northeast Nigeria, including cultural attitudes towards disability and gender
• Knowledge of the Nigerian context, including familiarity with relevant policies, institutions, and stakeholders.
• In-depth knowledge of disability rights frameworks, international conventions (e.g., the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities), and national legislation like Nigeria’s Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act
• Experience of working with multi-stakeholder organizations is essential: governments, CSOs, and the UN/ multilateral/bilateral institutions.
• Excellent analytical and reporting skills.
• Ability to speak and write in a clear and gender-sensitive language.

Note: Applicants are required to send the following documents in one application by email.

• Application letter explaining interest in the consultancy and suitability of the candidate for the consultancy position
• Updated CV
• A short proposal (max 1,500 A4 pages) that details a proposed methodology and conceptualization of the consultancy.
• Personal History Form (P11). The P11 Form can be downloaded from the following website:

Duration of the Assignment

The assignment is expected to take 35 working days from the date of signing the contract.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in written and spoken English is required.

Application

All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from:

https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.doc. Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

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, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided based on 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 to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel 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.)