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Gender and Diversity Inclusion Analysis Consultant

Dushanbe

  • Organization: WFP - World Food Programme
  • Location: Dushanbe
  • Grade: Consultancy - International Consultant - Internationally recruited Contractors Agreement
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Human Resources
    • Poverty Reduction
    • Women's Empowerment and Gender Mainstreaming
  • Closing Date: Closed

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WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles.

Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance.

ABOUT WFP

 

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide.  The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes.  Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.

BACKGROUND

 

Despite positive economic growth and progress in poverty reduction, Tajikistan is still facing a challenging food security and nutrition situation. Recent economic challenges compounded by population growth have contributed to the reclassification of the country as low-income in 2018 and have increased household vulnerability. Malnutrition rates remain the highest in Central Asia, and the number of undernourished has remained stagnant. Tajikistan faces different environmental challenges, including environmental and soil degradation and poor natural resource management. Additionally, Tajikistan is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, which has further exacerbated food security and livelihoods of vulnerable communities. Given the above, the government has identified food security and access to quality nutrition as one of its development priorities.

 

WFP Tajikistan’s Country Strategic Plan (CSP) focuses on supporting national social protection and safety nets; nutrition; climate change adaptation, resilience-building and disaster risk reduction; and aligning WFP’s support to national priorities and in synergy with the action of other partners in an inclusive manner that leaves no one behind. In line with this response, WFP Tajikistan reached over 675,000 people in 2020 through various projects. The majority of these beneficiaries are within the school feeding programming; 640,000 schoolchildren, their families, and school support staff benefitted though provision of daily hot meals in schools, ad hoc take-home rations as COVID-19 response, and a mix of capacity strengthening activities.  The nutrition programme reached over 8,400 children under 5 years of age with specialized nutritious foods and also coordinated social behaviour change communication activities for primary healthcare staff, caregivers of beneficiaries, and local communities and schools.  Over 27,000 people were supported through cash transfers under the climate change adaptation and resilience-building (CCARB) activities. Responses for 2021 will be similar.

In achieving its mandate of ending hunger, WFP Tajikistan recognizes the importance of inclusivity, regardless of gender, age, ability, language, ethnicity, or any other identifying factor.  WFP integrates gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE) and diversity inclusion into all of its work and activities, to ensure that the different food security and nutrition needs of women, men, girls and boys are addressed. It advocates a transformative approach to GEWE and diversity inclusion to address unequal gender relations and promotes sharing of power, control of resources and decision making between women and men and among those with differing needs. To ensure doing no harm, environmental and social safeguards are also emphasised across all operations. In addition, given the increasing instability in Afghanistan, Tajikistan’s neighbour to the south, as well as protracted border crises with Kyrgyzstan to the north, cross-border peacebuilding initiatives are becoming more relevant as part of the overall leave no one behind effort. 

The Global Report on the Gender Gap, 2021 ranks Tajikistan 125th out of 156 countries assessed  (worst among Europe and CIS countries), and the country's position has been worsening over the years. There is a growing trend towards re-traditionalization; i.e., reinforcing traditional gender roles that are detrimental to GEWE. This creates new economic dependencies, exacerbates gender stereotypes, increases violence against women and excludes women from the political and socioeconomic sphere. Social norms and traditions contribute to women’s vulnerability. Although there are no official data, most experts  agree that despite government’s efforts early, unregistered, polygamous marriages (banned by law) in Tajikistan deprive women of legal protection and contribute to their exclusion from life opportunities, including education. There is also the increasing trend of Tajik labour migrants leaving their wives and thus increasing their vulnerability.

In Tajikistan, women and youth are at a higher risk of losing their jobs. A higher proportion (25 percent) of women are involved in the informal sector and unpaid jobs compared to men (13 percent).  Around 73 percent of household income is earned from informal economic activities. Women account for 58 percent of people producing goods for own-use.  Despite some progress in legislative reform, harmful social norms and practices continue to perpetuate gender inequality and diversity exclusion.

WFP activities directly support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) and indirectly supports SDG 1 (no poverty), SDG 4 (education), SDG 5 (gender equality), SDG 10 (reduced inequalities), and SDG 13 (climate action). The geographic scope of WFP Tajikistan operations encompasses the entirety of the country. In addition to the country office in Dushanbe, WFP has field offices located in Bokhtar, Gharm, Khorog, and Khujand to oversee operations in those specific regions.

Preparations are currently underway for the next CSP, for which an updated gender and diversity inclusion (GDI) analysis is required to ensure strategic and programmatic planning that leaves no one behind. The GDI analysis will be an important initiative that examines the opportunities to strengthen WFP’s efforts on transformative GDI and to ensure linkages with the humanitarian development peace nexus and environmental and social safeguards are made with overall food and nutrition security in the country.
 

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

 

The consultant will lead, develop, and complete the Gender and Diversity Inclusion analysis for WFP operations in Tajikistan. The GDI analysis will result in a report detailing what and how gender and diversity roles, relations and responsibilities as well as cross-border instability and various shocks (i.e., natural disasters, economic downturn, and COVID-19) in Tajikistan effects food security and nutrition, along with how these factors shape an individual’s and group’s experience of food security and nutrition. The report will articulate key areas and types of initiatives within the mandate of WFP needed to close the gender, diversity, and cross-border instability gaps, including, but not limited to livelihoods and resilience building, peacebuilding, shock-responsiveness, education, nutrition, and institutional/community capacity strengthening.

The exercise will benefit from a previous gender analysis conducted by WFP Tajikistan and the Situation Analysis on Gender Equality in Tajikistan commissioned by UNWOMEN, both in 2018. The analysis should draw on recommendations from the Synthesis Review: Peace Building Fund 2017-2019 Project and Portfolio Evaluation, the report for which was finalized in 2020, the WFP Evaluation of the Gender Policy (2015-2020), and the WFP Tajikistan Gender Transformation Programme report, 2020. It will also ensure adherence to the 2020 WFP Protection and Accountability Policy and the 2017 WFP Environmental Policy. Methodology should align to the WFP Gender Toolkit and the Environmental and Social Sustainability Framework. (These resources will be made available upon contract commencement.)

The consultant will be based within Tajikistan, preferably Dushanbe. He/she will be under the line management of the Head of Programme based in Dushanbe and will receive technical supervision from the Regional Gender Advisor and the Regional Humanitarian Advisor (Protection, Accountability to Affected Populations, and Inclusion), both of whom are based in the WFP Regional Bureau Bangkok.
 

OBJECTIVES OF THE GENDER AND DIVERSITY INCLUSION ANALYSIS

 

The objectives of the GDI analysis are to:
•    Determine how gender, diversity, cross-border conflict, and environmental and socioeconomic factors influences the food security and nutrition of different groups in the country;
•    Identify how various shocks, such as natural disasters, economic downturn, and COVID-19, have affected different population groups, including males and females of different ages and intersecting characteristics such as disability, ethnicity, language, region of origin, labour-status, or other diversities;
•    Identify priorities and opportunities for WFP to support GEWE, diversity inclusion, leaving-no-one behind, do no harm, and peacebuilding efforts as relevant to WFP’s focus in emergency preparedness and response, support to government to enhance capabilities to reduce vulnerability to shocks, and ensuring adequate and healthy diets to reduce malnutrition amongst communities experiencing the highest poverty;
•    Provide tangible and realistic recommendations on how WFP can best support the government, communities, and households to take a more gender and diversity responsive approach in adherence to shock-responsive national social protection programmes and development programmes that leaves no one behind and does no harm.
 

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (not all-inclusive)

 

Conduct and complete the Gender and Diversity Inclusion Analysis for WFP Tajikistan operations, which includes, but is not limited to:

•    A deliverable-based workplan, with completed GDI analysis report as the final product;
•    A research methodology, analytical framework, and report outline;
•    A mapping exercise to identify relevant stakeholders to inform the analysis and to guide possible partnerships related to programmes with a focus on gender and diversity inclusion, shock responsiveness, and peacebuilding efforts at the central and subnational levels and addressing institutional, community and individual approaches;
•    Secondary literature and data review to understand the:
        o    Socio-political situation and relevance of vulnerability groups therein;
        o    Overview of protection issues (e.g., forced displacement, movement restrictions, arbitrary arrest, child labour, denied access to services, conflict dynamics, human rights concerns, etc.) with special focus on whether a particular status (e.g., identity/lack of identity, ethnicity, language, region of origin, disability, gender, displacement, etc.) is a triggering factor;
        o    Risk of possible unintended consequences, including environmental and socioeconomic risks, on WFP’s beneficiaries and communities stemming through current programming or from potential exclusionary approaches;
•    Overview of the legal or policy framework related to GDI in Tajikistan;
•    Consultations with relevant WFP staff, including management, heads of units, and technical staff in Dushanbe, heads of field offices, and colleagues working on GDI, environmental and/or social safeguards, or peacebuilding at the country, regional and headquarters level;
•    Consultations with relevant humanitarian/development agencies (e.g., UNWOMEN, UNDP, UNHCR, IOM, UNICEF, nongovernmental organizations, etc.), Development Coordination Council groups, government ministries;
•    Focus group discussions and key informant interviews with affected populations (gender, age, and disability segregated) and observations at the community and/or household level relevant to the analysis;
•    Risk analysis overview and recommendations.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

 

Education & Experience: 

•    Advanced university degree in one of the following disciplines: gender, social sciences,  law, humanitarian assistance, conflict management, environmental management, or another field related to international relations, human rights, or political science;
•    At least 6 years of relevant work experience in the field of gender, accountability to affection populations, protection or legal research;
•    Working experience in conducting analyses related to GDI using mixed methodologies;
•    Strong communication, research, analytical, and writing skills;
•    Ability to conduct work remotely with little oversight at times; 
•    Team spirit and excellent interpersonal relations; 

 

Languages: 

•    Fluency (level C) in written and spoken English, Russian, and Tajik is required;
•    Working knowledge of other local languages (e.g., Uzbek, Yagnobi, Pamir languages, etc.) is an advantage.
 

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

 

•    Sound knowledge on conflict sensitivity;
•    Sound knowledge of environmental and social safeguards screening and mitigation;
•    Working experience with analyses related to the humanitarian development peace nexus and or cross-border peacebuilding efforts;
•    Working knowledge of the food and nutrition security situation in Tajikistan;
 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

 

Type of Contract: Special Services Agreement

Contract Duration: 50 Working Days

Duty Station: Flexible within Tajikistan, must be able to travel to Dushanbe

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

 

25 June 2021

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Female applicants and individuals with disabilities are especially encouraged to apply

WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.

This vacancy is now closed.
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