Consultant for Women’s Financial and Economic Inclusion in Rural Egypt

Job Posting Organization:
UN Women is an entity of the United Nations established in July 2010, 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 the area of gender equality. UN Women merges the work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system that focused on gender issues, namely DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW, and UNIFEM. The organization operates globally, with a mission to eliminate discrimination against women and girls, empower women, and achieve equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action, and peace and security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security. UN Women is involved in various initiatives and programs worldwide, including the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

Job Overview:
The consultant will be responsible for conducting a thorough analysis and producing a comprehensive documentation report on the operational lifecycle, performance metrics, key challenges, and scalable best practices of the Ta7wisha Programme, which aims to enhance women's financial and economic inclusion in rural Egypt. This consultancy will involve mapping the core processes of the programme, identifying challenges and bottlenecks, and synthesizing best practices. The consultant will work closely with the Programme Analyst(s) at UN Women and will be supported by a Programme Assistant. The role requires a deep understanding of gender issues, economic empowerment, and the specific context of rural Upper Egypt, as well as the ability to engage with various stakeholders, including government partners, NGOs, and community members.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conduct in-depth process mapping and operational analysis of the Ta7wisha Programme, including the development of detailed process flowcharts and stakeholder interaction models.
• Analyze existing project monitoring data to assess performance against key indicators, including the number of women onboarded, groups formed, digital usage rates, loan repayment rates, and savings accumulation volume.
• Conduct field research to collect primary data through interviews and focus group discussions with programme facilitators, saving groups members, and implementing partners in Beni-Suef and Assiut.
• Identify and document challenges encountered by the programme, categorized into digital, socio-cultural, and institutional/operational barriers.
• Extract and detail successful methodologies for replication and provide actionable recommendations for the scale-up and continuous improvement of the Ta7wisha model.
• Document integrated livelihoods support components and analyze how digital financial access is leveraged with technical and market support.
• Develop a comprehensive process documentation report and deliver presentations on key findings and recommendations.

Required Qualifications:

• A Master’s degree or equivalent in finance, social sciences, economics, gender development studies, or other relevant areas of expertise 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.
• At least 7 years of progressively responsible work experience in project implementation and areas of focus is required.
• Familiarity with gender issues, development challenges, and the context of rural Upper Egypt is required.
• Ability to work with government partners, NGOs, and community stakeholders is required.
• Solid understanding of gender equality and women’s economic empowerment issues is required.
• Excellent analytical skills with a strong drive for results and capacity to work independently is a plus.

Educational Background:
The position requires a Master’s degree or equivalent in relevant fields such as finance, social sciences, economics, or gender development studies. Alternatively, a first-level university degree combined with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.

Experience:
The consultant must have at least 7 years of progressively responsible work experience in project implementation, particularly in areas related to gender equality and women's economic empowerment. Familiarity with the specific challenges faced in rural Upper Egypt is essential, as is the ability to engage effectively with various stakeholders, including government entities and community organizations.

Languages:
Fluency in English and Arabic is required for this position. Knowledge of any other UN official language, such as French, is considered an asset and may enhance the candidate's qualifications.

Additional Notes:
This consultancy is home-based, with potential travel required to Assiut, Beni Suef, Sohag, and Minya for field research. The duration of the consultancy is expected to be approximately 11 months, with a total of 92 working days. The consultant will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures, including a zero-tolerance policy on conduct incompatible with the aims of the United Nations.