UN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide.

UN Women supports UN Member States as they set global standards for achieving gender equality, and works with governments and civil society to design laws, policies, programmes and services needed to ensure that the standards are effectively implemented and truly benefit women and girls worldwide. It works globally to make the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals a reality for women and girls and stands behind women’s equal participation in all aspects of life, focusing on four strategic priorities:

Women lead, participate in and benefit equally from governance systems
Women have income security, decent work and economic autonomy
All women and girls live a life free from all forms of violence
Women and girls contribute to and have greater influence in building sustainable peace and resilience, and benefit equally from the prevention of natural disasters and conflicts and humanitarian action
UN Women also coordinates and promotes the UN system’s work in advancing gender equality, and in all deliberations and agreements linked to the 2030 Agenda. The entity works to position gender equality as fundamental to the Sustainable Development Goals, and a more inclusive world.

UN Women Malawi works to advance gender equality by strengthening women’s economic empowerment, promoting gender-responsive financing, and partnering with the private sector to create inclusive and sustainable economic systems. As Malawi expands its sustainable finance initiatives and private-sector engagement, there is a growing need to embed gender equality into financial policies, investment frameworks, and corporate practices. UN Women supports commercial banks, financial regulators, and private companies, especially WEPs signatories, to adopt gender-responsive approaches, improve workplace equality, and expand women’s access to finance. This role will reinforce these efforts through technical support, capacity building, knowledge generation, and strategic partnerships, ensuring that gender equality is fully integrated into Malawi’s financial sector and private-sector development agenda.

Under the direct supervision of Coordination Specialist, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

Technical Support on Gender-Responsive and Sustainable Finance

Provide technical expertise to integrate gender equality into Malawi’s sustainable finance frameworks, including climate finance, green finance, the disaster risk reduction financing strategy, the domestic resource mobilization strategy and the economic development initiatives.

Support commercial banks, microfinance institutions, and private-sector actors to embed gender perspectives into their financial products, lending practices, and investment portfolios.

Advise partners, including the Reserve Bank of Malawi, Ministry of Finance, and private banks, on developing gender-responsive financial instruments and gender-related indicators within their sustainability and ESG strategies.

2. Advance WEPs Implementation and Private-Sector Engagement

Support companies and financial institutions to sign and implement the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs).

Assist WEPs signatories to develop and operationalize action plans aligned with all seven WEPs, including leadership, workplace equality, supply chains, and community engagement.

Provide tailored support to private banks that may not join WEPs but are committed to strengthening sexual harassment policies, PSEA systems, and inclusive workplace standards.

3. Capacity Building for Banks and the Private Sector

Deliver targeted training to banks and companies on gender-responsive finance, gender-inclusive workplace policies, PSEA, and gender-transformative business models.

Support institutions in conducting gender gap analyses and developing strategies to address identified gaps.

5. Strengthening Partnerships and Coordination

Facilitate partnerships with the Bankers Association of Malawi, commercial banks, chambers of commerce, and private investors to expand gender-responsive finance and WEPs commitments.

Collaborate closely with UNDP, UNCDF, and UNFPA to ensure UN coherence and build on existing gender and sustainable finance initiatives.

6. Programme Development and Resource Mobilization

Contribute to the development of new programmes and innovative financing initiatives targeting women entrepreneurs, inclusive financial markets, and gender-lens investing.

Support development of concept notes and proposals for donors, financial institutions, and private-sector partnerships.

Identify strategic funding opportunities related to sustainable finance, WEPs, ESG, and private-sector gender initiatives.