Background:

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.

In Iraq, advancing equality for women requires that women's affairs are systematically integrated into the policies, plans, and programmes of all government sectors — at both the national and sub-national levels. Despite progress in recent years, sectoral and local plans frequently have limited explicit provisions addressing women's affairs, due in part to the absence of a standardized, institutionalized framework guiding ministries and local authorities on how to mainstream women's affairs into their planning processes.

In response to this gap, and as requested by the National Directorate for Iraqi Women (NDIW) and the Ministry of Planning (MoP), UN Women Iraq Country Office is supporting the development of a National Guideline on Mainstreaming Women's Affairs in Sectoral and Local Policies and Plans. This guideline is intended to serve as a practical, government-endorsed tool, developed jointly with the Ministry of Planning and the National Directorate for Iraqi Women, to support line ministries and local planning bodies in systematically integrating women's needs and priorities into national, sectoral, and local policies and plans. The Ministry of Planning will serve as the technical lead on planning frameworks and integration within national and local planning processes, while the National Directorate for Iraqi Women will provide guidance on women's priorities and policy considerations. UN Women will provide technical assistance, coordination, and quality assurance throughout the development and validation of the guideline.

This assignment forms part of a joint initiative of UN Women and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), developed and agreed with the Ministry of Planning and the National Directorate for Iraqi Women, comprising three interlinked components: (i) a national workshop to establish a shared understanding among stakeholders of existing challenges, capacities and coordination requirements; (ii) the development of the National Guideline; and (iii) a national capacity development programme and institutional follow-up mechanism. Under this joint initiative, and as agreed between UN Women, ESCWA, the Ministry of Planning and the National Directorate for Iraqi Women, ESCWA will engage an international consultant to lead the conceptual and methodological framing of the Guideline and to support the capacity development component, while UN Women will engage the national consultant covered by these Terms of Reference to lead the Iraq-specific evidence base and the national content of the Guideline and to anchor stakeholder engagement and day-to-day coordination with national counterparts. The two consultants will work as a technical team, on the basis of an outline agreed jointly between UN Women, ESCWA and the Ministry of Planning, and in line with the priorities set by the National Directorate for Iraqi Women. 

To carry this work forward, UN Women seeks to engage a qualified national technical expert who will work in close collaboration with NDIW, MoP, relevant line ministries, and UN Women to co-develop, validate and finalize the Guideline, in close technical collaboration with the international consultant engaged by ESCWA. 

Under the overall supervision and guidance of the UN Women ICO Officer in Charge, the consultant will be reporting to the Coordination and Partnership Specialist and will be supported by the Executive Associate, who will be the point of contact on the contract and payment issues. 

Objective

The overall objective of this consultancy is to contribute to the development of a National Guideline on Mainstreaming Women's Affairs in Sectoral and Local Policies and Plans that:

  • Provides clear, actionable guidance for line ministries and local planning bodies on integrating women's affairs into their policies and plans;
  • Is grounded in Iraq's national legal and policy frameworks, as well as relevant international standards. 
  • Is co-developed with the MoP, NDIW and relevant government stakeholders, and endorsed by the Government of Iraq.
  • Is practical, context-sensitive, and adaptable across different sectors and levels of governance;
  • Is aligned with UN Women Iraq Country Office programming priorities. 

Description of Responsibilities and Scope of Work

The consultant will undertake the following tasks:

1. Inception and Preparatory Analysis

  • Review and analyze existing national legal and policy frameworks relevant to mainstreaming women's affairs, including the Iraqi Constitution, National Development Plan, sectoral strategies, sub-national planning frameworks and existing MoP planning and budgeting procedures.
  • Review regional and international guidelines and tools on mainstreaming women's affairs in public policy. 
  • Identify gaps, entry points, and good practices applicable to the Iraqi context.
  • Prepare an inception note outlining the proposed methodology, workplan, and preliminary findings.
  • Map existing national, sectoral and local strategies, policies and plans, and assess the extent to which women’s needs and priorities are currently reflected in them, including their stage of implementation, the institutional arrangements in place, and the availability of sex-, age- and location-disaggregated data.
  • Coordinate the inception note and workplan with the international consultant engaged by ESCWA so that the two assignments follow a single, sequenced workplan with clearly allocated tasks and no duplication of effort.

2. Contribution to the development of the National Guideline

  • Contribute to the drafting of the National Guideline on Mainstreaming Women's Affairs in Sectoral and Local Policies and Plans. 
  • Ensure the guideline is practical, user-friendly, and written in clear language accessible to government planners and decision-makers.
  • Ensure full alignment with NDIW's mandate, Iraq's national priorities, and UN Women's programming frameworks.
  • Lead the drafting of the Iraq-specific components of the Guideline, including the national legal and policy basis, the mapping of national and sub-national planning and budgeting processes, sector-specific application, institutional arrangements and roles, and worked examples drawn from Iraqi practice.
  • Review and provide substantive written inputs on the remaining sections drafted by the international consultant engaged by ESCWA, ensuring contextual accuracy, consistency of terminology in Arabic, and applicability to Iraqi institutions.

3. Stakeholder Engagement and Validation

  • Support the organization of and actively participate in one or two technical meetings with NDIW, MoP and  relevant line ministries, to present and validate the draft guideline.
  • Support the preparation of, and actively participate in, the national workshop (indicatively late September / October 2026). This includes identifying and mobilizing the relevant ministries and institutions and the appropriate representatives within them, preparing background and briefing material drawing on the desk review, supporting facilitation, and documenting outcomes so that they feed directly into the Guideline.
  • Serve as the day-to-day focal point in Baghdad for coordination between the Ministry of Planning, NDIW, UN Women and ESCWA on the implementation of the joint initiative.
  • Incorporate feedback from workshops and bilateral consultations into the revised draft.
  • Coordinate closely with the Ministry of Planning, NDIW, and relevant government counterparts throughout the process to ensure ownership, alignment, and buy-in.
  • Prepare meeting notes, consultation summaries, and follow-up action points.

4. Finalization and Dissemination Support

  • Contribute to the finalization of the National Guideline, consolidating and incorporating feedback received from national counterparts and ensuring that it is accurately reflected in the final text.
  • Develop a brief implementation roadmap outlining recommended next steps for adoption, dissemination, and use of the guideline across line ministries and local authorities.
  • Prepare a stakeholder engagement report documenting the consultation process, key findings, and areas of consensus and divergence.
  • Provide inputs to the design of the national capacity development programme and the institutional follow-up mechanism foreseen under the joint initiative, including on the institutions to be prioritized and the entry points for implementation within Iraqi planning cycles.
  • Support the organization of and actively participate in a dissemination workshop or seminar to present the finalized National Guideline to relevant government stakeholders, line ministries, and partners. This includes preparing presentation materials, facilitating discussions, and documenting key outcomes and recommendations for follow-up.

Deliverables

Deliverables Expected completion time (due day)  Payment Schedule
Inception Note: proposed methodology, workplan, and initial desk review of relevant national frameworks, coordinated with the international consultant engaged by ESCWA 27 September 2026  20%
Desk Review Report: analysis of national, regional, and international frameworks and tools for mainstreaming women's affairs, with identified gaps and entry points for Iraq, including a mapping of existing sectoral and local strategies and their stage of implementation. This report constitutes the substantive evidence base for the national workshop and for the Iraq-specific sections of the Guideline. 7 October 2026 20%
Substantive contribution to the Draft National Guideline: Iraq-specific sections drafted in full, together with written inputs and consolidated review comments on the remaining sections 30 November 2026 20%
Contribution to the Final National Guideline (national stakeholder feedback consolidated and incorporated), accompanied by a stakeholder engagement report and an implementation roadmap 15 December 2026 20%
Dissemination Workshop Report: documentation of the dissemination workshop/seminar proceedings, including attendance, key discussions, outcomes, and recommended follow-up actions 31 December 2026  20%

The National Guideline will be produced in Arabic as the working language of the joint initiative. The consultant’s own deliverables shall be submitted in Arabic, accompanied by an English summary, unless otherwise agreed with UN Women. Deliverables will be reviewed and endorsed by UN Women, NDIW and the Ministry of Planning. Endorsement of deliverables and authorization of payment rest with UN Women.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel:

This is a home-based consultancy with primary engagement at the MoP and the NDIW. There is no requirement for travel outside of Baghdad. 

If requested the consultant will work from the MoP or NDIW a few days a week. The consultant will be expected to attend technical meetings and consultations at MoP and/or other relevant government premises as required. 

Competencies :

Core Values:

  • Integrity;
  • Professionalism;
  • Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

  • Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
  • Accountability;
  • Creative Problem Solving;
  • Effective Communication;
  • Inclusive Collaboration;
  • Stakeholder Engagement;
  • Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework: 

Functional Competencies:

  • Excellent analytical, policy, and research skills; 
  • Strong understanding of women's affairs and empowerment, and their policy implications, particularly in the Iraqi context; 
  • Demonstrated ability to develop practical, government-facing guidance tools and policy documents; 
  • Experience facilitating multi-stakeholder consultations and technical workshops; 
  • Excellent writing and organizational skills in both Arabic and English; 
  • Strong knowledge of MS Office tools and digital communication platforms; 
  • Ability to work collaboratively with government counterparts, UN agencies, and civil society.
  • Demonstrated ability to work as part of a joint technical team, including with international experts and across UN entities.

Required Qualifications

Education and Certification:

  • Master's degree in women's affairs, public policy, development studies, law, economics, or a related field 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.

Experience:

  • At least 5 years of relevant experience in policy analysis, mainstreaming women's affairs, policy design, or development programming is required. 
  • Experience in developing policy guidelines, toolkits, or similar government-facing documents is required. 
  • Experience working with or for government institutions in Iraq, particularly on women's affairs and empowerment, is required. 
  • Experience in applying economic analysis to women's issues, policy design, or development programming, is desirable. 
  • Experience working with NDIW, line ministries, or national planning bodies in Iraq is desirable.
  • Experience in national planning processes, women's empowerment policy frameworks, and regional guidance on mainstreaming women's priorities in public policy is required. 
  • Experience in drafting policy, guidance or training documents in Arabic is required.
  • Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) is required.

Languages:

Fluency in Arabic and English is required.

Statements :

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.

Diversity and inclusion:

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.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

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.)

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.


 

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