Consultant for Women’s Employment and Entrepreneurship

Job Posting Organization:
ONU Femmes, established in July 2010, is a United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. It was created as part of the UN reform agenda to consolidate resources and mandates for greater impact in promoting gender equality. ONU Femmes operates globally, focusing on eliminating discrimination against women and girls, empowering women, and achieving gender equality as partners and beneficiaries of development. In Morocco, ONU Femmes is actively working to accelerate progress in gender equality, particularly in key economic sectors, to improve women's living conditions and ensure their economic empowerment. The organization emphasizes innovative and sustainable solutions for women's employment, particularly in sectors with high potential for inclusion and growth, such as sustainable tourism and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).

Job Overview:
The consultant will play a crucial role in supporting the contextualization of solutions for women's employability and entrepreneurship within the social and solidarity economy sector. This position involves close collaboration with the regional initiative 'Surging Women’s Employment in the Arab States by five percent' (SWEI). The consultant will be responsible for developing a methodology for the pre-identification of women's cooperatives and collecting relevant information, which includes eligibility criteria and appropriate data collection tools. The consultant will conduct field missions in targeted regions to identify eligible women's cooperatives and very small enterprises in the sustainable tourism sector, assess their organizational and technical capacities, and gather their needs for capacity building. The consultant will also produce a consolidated analysis that maps identified cooperatives, categorizes their training and support needs, and analyzes the main challenges and opportunities for their effective participation in the program, considering specific obstacles faced by rural women. Recommendations for adapting training modules will also be formulated, and a results presentation meeting will be organized for ONU Femmes and partners in the targeted regions.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The consultant will be tasked with the following responsibilities:

• Develop a methodology for the pre-identification of women's cooperatives and information collection, integrating eligibility criteria and suitable data collection tools (questionnaires, interview guides, evaluation grids).
• Prepare and conduct two field missions in the prioritized target regions to: (i) identify women's cooperatives and very small enterprises in the sustainable tourism sector that may be eligible, (ii) assess their organizational and technical capacities, and (iii) gather their needs for skills enhancement.
• Produce a consolidated analysis that includes mapping of identified cooperatives, a typology of their training and support needs, and an analysis of the main challenges and levers facilitating their effective participation in the program, taking into account specific obstacles faced by rural women (mobility, access to financing, social norms, etc.).
• Formulate operational recommendations for adapting the training modules planned within the program.
• Organize and facilitate a results presentation meeting for ONU Femmes and partners in the two concerned regions.

Required Qualifications:
The position requires a university degree (Master's level) in social sciences, economics, environmental sciences, or related fields. A bachelor's degree combined with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of a higher university degree. A minimum of 7 years of experience in local development, social and solidarity economy, or supporting cooperatives is required. Experience in conducting organizational diagnostics and assessing capacity-building needs is essential. The candidate must have experience collaborating with local authorities, civil society, and institutional partners. Strong analytical skills, a results-oriented mindset, and the ability to work independently are necessary. Knowledge of the dynamics of women's entrepreneurship and sustainable tourism in Morocco would be an asset.

Educational Background:
Candidates must possess a university degree (Master's level) in relevant fields such as social sciences, economics, or environmental sciences. A bachelor's degree with two additional years of relevant experience may be considered equivalent to a master's degree.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in local development, social and solidarity economy, or in supporting cooperatives. Candidates should have experience in conducting organizational diagnostics and assessing capacity-building needs, as well as experience working with local authorities, civil society, and institutional partners. Strong analytical skills and the ability to work independently are essential.

Languages:
Fluency in Arabic and French is required for this position. Candidates must demonstrate excellent communication skills in both languages to effectively engage with stakeholders and present findings.

Additional Notes:
This consultancy position is based at the ONU Femmes office and requires part-time presence at the office due to the need for close collaboration with the SWEI initiative team. Regular in-person meetings will be necessary to finalize the contextualization of solutions and economic models for women's empowerment developed under the SWEI program. The consultancy will also involve two official trips to the prioritized target regions, which will be communicated later by ONU Femmes. The position emphasizes the importance of gender sensitivity, integrity, professionalism, and effective communication.