Consultant for Gender-Sensitive Local Governance

Job Posting Organization:
ONU Femmes, established in July 2010, is the United Nations Entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. It operates under the vision of equality outlined in the UN Charter and aims to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and girls. ONU Femmes works to empower women and achieve gender equality as partners and beneficiaries of sustainable development. In Morocco, ONU Femmes supports the acceleration of gender equality progress in political, economic, and territorial spheres by assisting national and local institutions and civil society actors to sustainably improve women's living conditions and enhance their role as drivers of socio-economic development. The organization is involved in promoting gender equality within an evolving institutional environment characterized by advanced regionalization dynamics and the adoption of legal frameworks that favor citizen participation and the integration of gender in local public action. It aims to operationalize gender integration in planning, budgeting, and implementation processes within local authorities, amidst varying levels of institutional capacities and increasing women's participation in local decision-making bodies. Furthermore, the organization emphasizes the importance of integrating gender equality into local economic strategies, focusing on women's access to economic opportunities, productive resources, value chains, and support mechanisms as a structural issue for their economic empowerment and promoting more inclusive territorial development.

Job Overview:
The consultant will provide support for the implementation of the Gender-Sensitive Local Governance Program (BSG) in Morocco, particularly in the context of the upcoming electoral deadlines in 202

• The institutionalization of gender-sensitive local governance is seen as a strategic lever to promote equitable, transparent, and inclusive governance. This approach aims to address the differentiated needs of women and men while creating a favorable territorial environment for women's economic empowerment, enhancing synergies between local governance, women's participation, and inclusive economic development. The selected consultant will work under the supervision of the Programme Management Specialist at the ONU Femmes Morocco office and will be responsible for two complementary areas of intervention: technical support for the implementation of the program and facilitating women's economic inclusion in targeted territories through strategic, institutional, and operational interventions.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The consultant will be responsible for two main components: 1) Technical support for the implementation of the program 'Inclusive Territorial Governance: Strengthening Women's Equality and Leadership': This includes organizing and facilitating training for local authorities on integrating gender into territorial programs, co-preparing educational content, developing evaluation tools, coordinating with participating local authorities, and documenting and disseminating best practices in gender-sensitive local governance. The consultant will also contribute to qualitative program monitoring and support the organization of training sessions for trainers from the DGCT on local gender-sensitive governance. 2) Supporting the economic inclusion of women: This involves conducting field diagnostics and mapping of women's cooperatives in the fishing sector, planning and monitoring project activities, facilitating access to financial services and digital tools, and enhancing the organizational and governance capacities of women's cooperative federations. Additionally, the consultant will support initiatives aimed at strengthening the economic and environmental resilience of women in rural areas affected by climate change, including conducting participatory diagnostics, implementing sustainable resource management solutions, and organizing capacity-building actions for rural women.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a university degree (Bac+5) in social sciences, economics, environmental sciences, or related fields. A first-level university degree combined with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree. A minimum of 5 years of experience in gender-sensitive local governance and gender-sensitive budgeting, as well as experience in supporting local authorities in conducting gender-sensitive organizational diagnostics and capacity needs assessments, is required. Experience in supporting women in the social and solidarity economy and collaboration with local authorities, civil society, women's cooperatives, and institutional partners is also necessary. Experience in economic support for women and the development of women's entrepreneurship at the local level is an asset, as is experience in organizational diagnostics and training needs analysis.

Educational Background:
A university degree (Bac+5) in relevant fields such as social sciences, economics, or environmental sciences is required. Alternatively, a first-level university degree combined with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:
A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in gender-sensitive local governance, gender-sensitive budgeting, and the social and solidarity economy is required. Candidates should have experience in supporting local authorities and women's cooperatives, as well as experience in economic empowerment initiatives for women.

Languages:
Proficiency in Arabic and French is required for this position. Knowledge of additional languages may be considered an asset.

Additional Notes:
The contract duration is 12 months, with the consultant working from the ONU Femmes office in Rabat and expected to undertake a maximum of 14 official trips, which will be identified and confirmed with partners at the program's start. ONU Femmes will cover all travel expenses. The position emphasizes fundamental values such as respect for diversity, integrity, and professionalism, and candidates are expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures.