National Consultant for Care Economy Assessment

Job Posting Organization:
UN Women (UNW) was established in July 2010 as part of the UN reform agenda, merging resources and mandates from four distinct parts of the UN system focused on gender equality and women's empowerment. The organization operates globally, with a mission to eliminate discrimination against women and girls, empower women, and achieve gender equality. UN Women leads and coordinates efforts within the UN system to ensure that commitments to gender equality translate into action worldwide. It has a unique capacity to support Member States in strengthening global norms for gender equality, promote coherence across the UN system, and undertake operational activities to translate global standards into local legislation and policies. UN Women has been active in the State of Palestine since 1997, focusing on women's economic empowerment and gender-responsive governance, among other priorities, and is currently aligned with the Palestine United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework outcomes for 2023-2025.

Job Overview:
The National Consultant for Care Economy Assessment will play a critical role in supporting UN Women Palestine in conducting a focused, evidence-based assessment of the care economy in Gaza. This position involves working closely with an international consultant to gather contextual analysis, primary data, and engage with local stakeholders, including women-led organizations and community structures. The consultant will document how care systems and roles have shifted due to conflict and crisis, and how care-responsive interventions can support recovery and women's economic participation. The role emphasizes the importance of understanding the care economy's dynamics in Gaza, particularly in light of the increased unpaid care responsibilities faced by women and girls. The consultant will contribute to evidence-based mapping and analysis of the care economy, ensuring that findings reflect local realities and inform actionable programming.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support the preparation of the Inception report, contributing to methodology, data sources, and evidence generation approach for the care economy assessment in Gaza.
• Conduct contextual data collection, mapping, and analysis on the care economy, including stakeholder mapping, qualitative and quantitative evidence collection on care work, and documenting care needs among different population groups.
• Validate findings through field-level consultations and stakeholder engagement, ensuring recommendations are grounded in local realities.
• Contribute to evidence integration and programming support, providing inputs to program concepts and translating assessment findings into practical programming considerations.
• Document and disseminate evidence related to the care economy, contributing to knowledge products and internal learning outputs.
• Perform other duties as necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in economics, gender, international development, or other social science fields is required. A first-level university degree with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.
• Minimum 2 years of progressively responsible professional experience in gender equality, care economy, social protection, or women’s economic empowerment, preferably in humanitarian contexts.
• Proven experience in primary data collection and field-based research, including stakeholder interviews and community consultations.
• Experience analyzing the impact of conflict on social services or care systems and translating findings into programmatic recommendations is required.
• Familiarity with humanitarian programming and early recovery frameworks is essential.

Educational Background:
A Master’s degree or equivalent in relevant fields such as economics, gender studies, international development, or social sciences is required. A first-level university degree combined with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree. A project/programme management certification would be an added advantage.

Experience:
A minimum of 2 years of progressively responsible professional experience in areas related to gender equality, care economy, social protection, or women’s economic empowerment is required. Experience in humanitarian, fragile, or crisis-affected contexts is preferred. Proven experience in primary data collection and field-based research is essential, along with familiarity with humanitarian programming and early recovery frameworks.

Languages:
Fluency in English and Arabic is required for this position. Proficiency in additional languages may be considered an asset but is not mandatory.

Additional Notes:
This is a home-based consultancy based in Gaza, with possible field trips within Gaza. The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the UN Women Palestine Deputy Country Representative and in close collaboration with the international consultant. The expected deliverables include a joint inception report, draft mapping and analysis, and knowledge products, with specific completion dates outlined in the assignment details.