<p><strong>Background:</strong></p> <p>UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.</p> <p>UN Women’s Country Office, based in New Delhi, India, works to accelerate the advancement of gender equality and the empowerment of women through the strengthening of strategic partnerships, technical and policy advisory services and advocacy with governmental, inter-governmental and civil society partners. In addition, UN Women CO is also leading and coordinating the UN system’s work on gender equality, including through ensuring accountability for results.</p> <p>Achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment is an essential element of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – the roadmap to a more equal, just, peaceful, and sustainable world. The Women’s Economic Empowerment Portfolio in India focusses on strengthening women’s economic rights and agency while creating an enabling environment for decent and safe employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for women in all their diversity. UN Women is implementing an ‘EU’ funded Women Empower India project to advance women’s economic empowerment in India. By promoting decent and safe economic opportunities, policy advocacy, and collaborative efforts including towards addressing discriminatory social norms, the project aims to create positive change for women and girls in all their diversity. The project envisions following result areas:</p> <ol> <li>Increased access to safe and decent economic opportunities for women and girls in all their diversity.</li> <li>Enhanced gender transformative policies and decision- making processes to improve women’s access to safe and decent employment and entrepreneurship.</li> <li>Positive gender norms that enable and increase women’s participation in economic and social life promoted.</li> </ol> <p>Two critical area of work focus on:</p> <ul> <li>enhancing the capacity of private sector companies to implement the UN’ Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) by promoting decent work opportunities for women and integrating a gender perspective in the business environment and practices.</li> <li>Providing technical advisory support/capacity building on gender statistics collection and analysis to better inform policies and programmes pertaining to women’s economic empowerment. </li> </ul> <p>As part of the Women Empower India programme, UN Women India seeks to engage a consultant to provide strategic and technical support for the implementation of two key components—ARISE (Advancing Robust Inclusive Support Ecosystems for Women Entrepreneurs) and the India Corporate Gender Equality Initiative (ICGE). ARISE aims to strengthen and scale India’s women’s entrepreneurship ecosystem by building evidence, improving gender responsiveness within incubators, accelerators, and investors, and fostering city-level coalitions that expand women’s access to finance and enterprise support. ICGE, a data-driven diagnostic and benchmarking framework, seeks to accelerate gender equality within India’s corporate ecosystem by measuring, comparing, and advancing organizational performance on women’s leadership, workplace equality, and inclusive governance. The consultant will work closely with programme teams and partners to operationalize activities under these components—strengthening partnerships with corporates, incubators, accelerators, investors, and government stakeholders; facilitating capacity-building and knowledge-sharing platforms; and supporting data analysis, documentation, and reporting. The consultant will also contribute to programme monitoring, performance tracking, and evidence-based learning to inform implementation and donor reporting.</p> <p>Under the direct guidance of Country Programme Manager, WEE, the consultant will undertake following activities:</p> <p><strong>A. Gender Lens Integrated (GLI) Entrepreneurship Development Ecosystem</strong></p> <ul> <li>Lead the development of the <strong>India Gender Lens Integrated Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Landscape Report</strong>, consolidating insights on gender inclusion across entrepreneurship, incubation, and investment ecosystems.</li> <li>Design and maintain an <strong>Ecosystem Directory of Incubators and Accelerators</strong>, capturing gender-responsive programming, outreach, and mentorship models.</li> <li>Support the creation of a <strong>Gender Lens Maturity Index (GLMI)</strong> to assess ecosystem institutions’ integration of gender perspectives.</li> <li>Frame indicators for a <strong>Longitudinal Tracking Study</strong> to monitor ecosystem evolution and women’s entrepreneurship outcomes.</li> <li>Develop the <strong>GLI Champion City Indicator Framework (Preliminary Draft)</strong> to guide selection, tracking, and impact measurement across cities.</li> </ul> <p><strong>B. ARISE (Advancing Robust Inclusive Support Ecosystems for Women Entrepreneurs)</strong></p> <ul> <li>Contribute to the <strong>ARISE Vision Document</strong> and two-year workplan outlining strategic priorities, partnerships, and deliverables.</li> <li>Support UN Women in finalizing the <strong>ARISE coalition structure</strong>, governance model, and partner onboarding processes.</li> <li>Facilitate <strong>onboarding of at least two ARISE funding partners</strong> or secure funding commitments for the first two years of operations.</li> <li>Develop the <strong>ARISE Partner Onboarding Playbook</strong>, including operational procedures, engagement protocols, and partnership models.</li> <li>Provide inputs to the design and curation of the <strong>ARISE Launch Event</strong> and subsequent convenings.</li> </ul> <p><strong>C. GLI Champion Cities Initiative</strong></p> <ul> <li>Lead the <strong>selection and profiling of 6–8 GLI Champion Cities</strong>, conducting desk reviews and landscape analysis to identify ecosystem readiness.</li> <li>Develop <strong>city-level action plans and governance frameworks</strong> for at least 8–10 tier-2/3/4 cities focused on mobilizing capital for women entrepreneurs.</li> <li>Facilitate multi-stakeholder engagements with government departments, chambers of commerce, NBFCs, banks, and private sector partners to advance GLI City partnerships.</li> <li>Draft <strong>Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)</strong> for Women Entrepreneurs Support Cells under the GLI City model.</li> <li>Provide technical support for establishing at least <strong>one Women Entrepreneurs Support Cell per GLI City</strong>, leveraging existing networks (e.g., CII IWN, WEP, chambers, financial institutions).</li> </ul> <p><strong>D. Institutional Capacity Building and Technical Resources</strong></p> <ul> <li>Provide technical support for developing a <strong>Compendium of Training Materials, Tools, and Guidelines</strong> to strengthen institutional capacity of incubators, accelerators, investors, and financial institutions in integrating gender lenses.</li> <li>Facilitate at least <strong>two institutional commitments</strong> under the ARISE and GLI Cities workstreams.</li> </ul> <p><strong>E. ICGE (India Corporate Gender Equality Initiative)</strong></p> <ul> <li>Lead the development of the <strong>ICGE Toolkit</strong>, building on the Equalize Framework, WEPs, and gender equality scorecard methodology.</li> <li>Design the <strong>data collection and aggregation tools</strong> and accompanying guidance materials.</li> <li>Develop <strong>communication and guidance materials</strong> to support company participation and data submission.</li> <li>Coordinate <strong>data collection and analysis</strong> of corporate gender equality performance, synthesizing both primary and secondary sources.</li> <li>Organize <strong>quarterly socialization sessions</strong> (two per quarter) to familiarize companies with ICGE and support data integration.</li> <li>Lead preparation of <strong>annual ICGE Report</strong> (September 2026) summarizing insights and trends.</li> <li>Conduct <strong>consultations with at least three stock exchanges and index providers</strong>, leading multi-round dialogues to explore alignment of ICGE indicators with market-based indices.</li> </ul> <p><strong>F. Development Impact Bond (DIB) Feasibility and Design</strong></p> <ul> <li>Conduct <strong>stakeholder consultations and readiness assessments</strong> with 6–10 potential DIB partners (e.g., investors, philanthropic funds, and government agencies).</li> <li>Develop the <strong>results framework and payment metrics</strong> for a women’s entrepreneurship-focused Development Impact Bond.</li> <li>Support drafting of the <strong>financial model and investment structure</strong>, including validation meetings with prospective partners.</li> </ul> <p><strong>G. Cross-Cutting Coordination and Reporting</strong></p> <ul> <li>Strengthen engagement with ecosystem partners, government agencies, industry bodies, and financial institutions for alignment and collaboration across all workstreams.</li> <li>Maintain up-to-date stakeholder databases and workstream trackers.</li> <li>Support performance monitoring, reporting, and documentation of lessons learned across ARISE, ICGE, and GLI initiatives.</li> <li>Contribute to periodic donor and internal reports, ensuring visibility of progress and results.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Deliverables, Timelines, and Payment Schedule (15 November 2025 – 14 November 2026) (162 days)</strong></p> <ol> <li>Submission of inception report detailing the overall methodology and implementation approach for the consultancy; by 30 November 2025, 10% (10 days)</li> <li>Submission of an ecosystem directory of incubators and accelerators, the Entrepreneurship Support Ecosystem Gender Lens Maturity Index (GLMI) draft, and an initial framework for longitudinal tracking indicators; by 31 January 2026, 15% (31 days)</li> <li>Submission of the India Gender Lens Integrated Entrepreneurship Development Ecosystem Landscape Report; finalization of the ARISE Vision Document and two-year workplan; development of the Partner Onboarding Playbook; confirmation of funding commitments; and completion of the ARISE launch convening; by 31 March 2026, 15% (25 days)</li> <li>Completion of the selection and profiling of 6–8 GLI Champion Cities; preparation of city-level action plans and governance frameworks; provision of technical support for stakeholder meetings and action planning processes; development of SOPs for Women Entrepreneurs Support Cells; and submission of the ICGE Tool Design draft; 31 May 2026, 15% (25 days)</li> <li>Design and submission of ICGE data collection and aggregation tools; preparation of communication materials for company data submission; analysis of secondary datasets and company literature; facilitation of two private sector sessions on ICGE; technical support for data collection and analysis; and development of a training manual for ICGE data reporting; 31 July 2026, 15% (25 days)</li> <li>Deployment of the ICGE Toolkit and data tools; facilitation of quarterly engagement sessions with companies; consultations with stock exchanges; data collection and initial analysis; preparation of the first ICGE report; and design and feasibility assessment of the Development Impact Bond including stakeholder consultations; 30 September 2026, 15% (25 days)</li> <li>Submission of the final ICGE report; facilitation of two additional ICGE sessions with private sector partners; completion of stock exchange interactions and related reports; generation of insights from ICGE data; engagement of potential Development Impact Bond partners and submission of Letters of Intent; and finalization of additional ARISE partner MoUs (if any); 10 November 2026, 15% (21 days)</li> </ol> <p><strong>Competencies :</strong></p> <p><strong>Core Values:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Integrity;</li> <li>Professionalism;</li> <li>Respect for Diversity.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Core Competencies:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;</li> <li>Accountability;</li> <li>Creative Problem Solving;</li> <li>Effective Communication;</li> <li>Inclusive Collaboration;</li> <li>Stakeholder Engagement;</li> <li>Leading by Example.</li> </ul> <p>Please visit <a href="https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf" target="_blank">this link</a> for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework: </p> <p><strong>Functional Competencies:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude</li> <li>Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills</li> <li>Focuses on impact and result for the partners and responds positively to feedback</li> </ul> <p><strong>Education:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Master’s degree or equivalent in Gender and Development Studies, or any Social Sciences or a related field.</li> <li>A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree</li> </ul> <p><strong>Experience:</strong></p> <ul> <li>At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in  programme development and implementation including monitoring and evaluation Plan/Framework with strong technical expertise on women’s economic empowerment is required</li> <li>Sound knowledge and expertise on promoting women’s entrepreneurship at small and medium enterprises level focused on women’s access to finance and markets.</li> <li>Experience of working with private sector on gender mainstreaming is desirable </li> <li>Knowledge and experience around gender disaggregated data and analysis is desirable</li> <li>Good communication skills and the ability to explain technical terms in a non-technical language</li> <li>Experience of working in the similar assignments is preferable </li> <li>Experience of working with UN agencies, international organization is desirable.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Language Requirements:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Strong written skills in English and good command over Hindi.</li> </ul> <p style="margin-left:18.0pt;"><strong>Interested applicants should apply to this announcement through UN Women jobs site: </strong></p> <p style="margin-left:18.0pt;"><a href="https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment" target="_blank">Careers at UN Women | UN Women – Headquarters</a></p> <p style="margin-left:18.0pt;">UN Women will only be able to respond to those applications in which there is further interest.</p> <p style="margin-left:7.1pt;"><strong>Evaluation and Selection Criteria:</strong></p> <p style="margin-left:7.1pt;">Criteria for shortlisting of CVs will be based on the following assessment:</p> <ul> <li>Required Degree and Qualification (5 points).</li> <li>Minimum Experience relevant to the assignment (10 points)</li> <li>Relevant experience in promoting women’s employment and entrepreneurship (5 points).</li> </ul> <p style="margin-left:7.1pt;">The evaluation process for selection of the candidate will be based on the following assessment:</p> <ul> <li>Interview (80 points)</li> <li>Writing Samples (20 points)</li> </ul> <p style="margin-left:7.1pt;">Please Note:</p> <ul> <li>For an assignment requiring travel, consultants of 65 years or more require full medical examination and statement of fitness to work to engage in the consultancy.</li> <li>Due to large number of potential applicants, only competitively selected candidates will be contacted for remaining steps of the service procurement process.</li> <li>The consultant is expected to use their own computer equipment. The office will not provide any computer equipment for this assignment.</li> <li>Travel and DSA will be booked and settled as per SSA norms directly by UN Women on submission of F-10 form with original ticket stubs, vouchers, etc. as per actuals.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Statements :</strong></p> <p>In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.</p> <p><strong>Diversity and inclusion:</strong></p> <p>At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.</p> <p>If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.</p> <p>UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is 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 expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process</strong>.</p> <p><br> </p>