National Consultant to develop a Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Manual for Climate Action and NDC 3.0 in Malawi

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Job Description

Background:

UN Women champions the vision of equality enshrined in the UN Charter, dedicated to eradicating discrimination against women and girls, empowering women, and achieving gender parity as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action, and peace and security.

Malawi faces significant vulnerability to climate change, enduring recurrent droughts, floods, cyclones, and unpredictable rainfall that impede socio-economic progress. Recent climate-related disasters, such as Tropical Storm Ana in 2022 and Cyclone Freddy in 2023, inflicted widespread damage to infrastructure, livelihoods, agriculture, and well-being, resulting in losses equivalent to approximately 2.7% of GDP.

The impacts of climate change are not gender-neutral. Women, girls, youth, individuals with disabilities, and other marginalized groups experience disproportionate vulnerabilities due to systemic inequalities in access to land, finance, climate information, technology, productive resources, and decision-making platforms. As women form the majority of Malawi's smallholder agricultural workforce, they are particularly exposed to climate shocks that threaten food security, income, and household resilience.

Recent assessments highlight that:

• Over 57% of individuals impacted by Cyclone Freddy were women and girls.
• Approximately 51% of households affected by the 2024 El Niño-induced food insecurity were headed by women.

Malawi has made strides in integrating gender equality into its national climate and development frameworks, including:

• The National Climate Change Management Policy (2016)
• The National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Framework (2021)
• The localized Belem Gender Action Plan (2026)
• Malawi Vision 2063
• Malawi’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)

Despite these advancements, gender integration within climate action remains largely descriptive and inadequately institutionalized. Persistent challenges exist in utilizing sex-, age-, and disability-disaggregated data (SADDD), implementing gender-responsive climate budgeting, enhancing coordination mechanisms, improving monitoring systems, and deploying practical implementation tools.

As Malawi develops its NDC 3.0, a strategic opportunity arises to strengthen and institutionalize Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) within climate action initiatives, aligning with:

• The UNFCCC Gender Action Plan
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 5 and 13)
• The Paris Agreement
• Malawi Vision 2063
• Global commitments on gender equality and climate justice

To support this crucial process, UN Women, in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, seeks to engage a national consultant to develop a National GESI Manual. This manual will facilitate the integration of gender-responsive approaches into Malawi's climate action efforts.

Objective of the Assignment

The primary objective of this consultancy is to embed equity and inclusivity into Malawi’s climate response. This ensures that the development and implementation of NDC 3.0 not only focus on emission reduction and resilience building but also advance social justice, gender equality, and sustainable development. The GESI Manual will provide practical guidance, tools, and frameworks for mainstreaming 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 thorough desk review of relevant policies, strategies, frameworks, and international commitments pertaining to climate change, gender, social inclusion, development, and sectoral areas concerning gender-responsive climate action.
• Identify existing gaps, opportunities, and entry points for strengthening GESI integration within Malawi's climate action initiatives.
• Organize and 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 relevant stakeholders.
• Develop a National GESI Manual, incorporating practical tools, training guidance notes, templates, indicators, and frameworks for implementation. This manual will be aligned 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

This consultancy will focus on enhancing the institutional, technical, and operational mechanisms required to integrate gender equality and social inclusion into Malawi’s climate action agenda and the NDC 3.0 implementation framework.

The assignment will encompass:

• 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

• An Inception Report detailing the methodology, work plan, and timelines.
• A Draft GESI Manual, including sector-specific guidelines and tools.
• A Final GESI Manual, incorporating stakeholder feedback.
• Training Materials for government officials and stakeholders.
• A Final Consultancy Report summarizing the process, findings, and recommendations.

Methodology

The consultancy will employ a participatory, inclusive, and evidence-based approach, including:

• 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 an inclusive and participatory process, with meaningful engagement of women, youth, individuals with disabilities, CSOs, academia, government institutions, and development partners.

Expected Output

The consultancy is anticipated 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 across the mentioned sectors.
• Standardized gender-responsive indicators and reporting systems.
• Policy and communication briefs.
• Enhanced stakeholder understanding and ownership of gender-responsive climate action.

Deliverables and Timeline

• Week 1-2: Preparation of Inception Report.
• Week 2-7: Desk review and stakeholder consultations, including a gender analysis of the draft NDC 3.0. Outputs: Consultation reports and data collection/analysis report.
• Week 7-12: Development of the Draft GESI Manual. Output: Draft GESI Manual.
• Week 12-13: Validation workshops and stakeholder consultations. Output: Validation workshop reports.
• Week 13-15: Development of policy and communication briefs. Output: Draft briefs.
• Week 15-18: Finalization of the GESI Manual and consultancy report. Outputs: Final GESI Manual and final report.

Consultant’s Workplace and Travel

This is a home-based consultancy. The consultant will be required to travel within Lilongwe as needed to conduct stakeholder consultations, validation meetings, and field engagements.

For any official trips approved by the office, travel-related costs will be covered in accordance with the associated duty travel policy.

Reporting and Supervision

The consultant will report directly to UN Women Malawi and will collaborate closely with:

• Knowledge of gender and women’s empowerment.
• Strong understanding of UNFCCC processes and the Gender Action Plan.
• In-depth knowledge of climate finance frameworks and gender equality principles.

The consultant will be responsible for ensuring the 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 all deliverables.

Relevant Government Ministries and partners will:

• Provide technical inputs.
• Participate in consultations and validation processes.
• Support the dissemination and institutionalization of the finalized GESI Manual.

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

For more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework, please visit this link.

Functional Competencies:

• Proficiency in gender and women’s empowerment principles.
• Strong understanding of UNFCCC processes and the Gender Action Plan.
• Expertise in climate finance frameworks and gender equality.
• Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality technical reports and policy documents meeting international standards.
• Excellent analytical, facilitation, and report-writing skills.

Required Qualifications and Experience

Education and Certification:

• A Master’s degree in Gender Studies, Climate Change, Environmental Sciences, Development Studies, Social Sciences, Economics, or a related field is mandatory.
• Alternatively, a first-level university degree combined with two additional years of relevant professional experience may be considered in lieu of a Master’s degree.

Experience:

• A minimum of 7 years of demonstrable experience in gender equality, social inclusion, climate change, environmental governance, or closely related fields.
• Proven experience in developing policy frameworks, training manuals, toolkits, or guidance documents.
• Experience engaging with government institutions, development partners, civil society organizations, academia, and community stakeholders.
• Experience working with Women’s Networks in Climate Action in Malawi will be considered an asset.
• Proficiency in both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.

Statements

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly established UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. This creation was part of the UN reform agenda, consolidating resources and mandates for enhanced impact. It merged and built upon the vital work of four previously distinct UN system bodies (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW, and UNIFEM), which were exclusively focused on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Diversity and Inclusion:

UN Women is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment built on mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes individuals irrespective of their race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, competence, integrity, and organizational needs.

If you require any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards conduct 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 required of UN Women personnel. Rigorous reference and background checks will be conducted, which may include verification of academic credentials and employment history. Selected candidates might be asked to provide additional information for these checks.

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including education and employment history, are fully completed. Incomplete applications may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.

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