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 West and Central Africa, women, despite their crucial social and economic roles, remain among the most deprived populations, facing limited access to and control over essential resources due to social, cultural, and economic norms. UN Women collaborates with government partners and regional and national stakeholders to enhance women’s economic participation, focusing on: (i) access to the green economy; (ii) promotion and strengthening of women's entrepreneurship; and (iii) enhancement of women’s income security and social protection. UN Women provides guidance to governments and regional institutions on developing gender-responsive economic policies and supports capacity-building efforts among various actors to advocate for, formulate, and implement these policies.

UN Women's new Women’s Economic Empowerment Strategy, launched in 2024, articulates a vision for enabling women’s economic agency, autonomy, and well-being. Aligned with UN Women’s Strategic Plan 2022–2025 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the strategy aims to provide a framework that galvanizes internal and external stakeholders to collaborate at local, national, and global levels through transformative solutions, ensuring no one is left behind. It identifies three key priority areas, or Gender Equality Accelerators (GEAs), where UN Women can drive significant progress: (i) women and the world of work, (ii) gender-responsive climate action, and (iii) transforming care systems.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) signifies a major advancement in Africa's economic integration, with the objective of boosting intra-African trade by reducing tariffs, facilitating trade, and driving continental development. Recognizing that the AfCFTA's full potential hinges on addressing gender-specific barriers, particularly for women in cross-border trade, UN Women Liberia is seeking a National Consultant to conduct a gender review of the AfCFTA and supporting documents. The consultant will develop a gender-responsive strategy for AfCFTA implementation in Liberia.

To ensure that the implementation of the AfCFTA in Liberia promotes gender equality and empowers women in cross-border trade through the development of a targeted strategy and the enhancement of relevant project interventions. 

Conduct a comprehensive review of the AfCFTA Agreement and supporting documents to identify gender-responsive provisions and gaps relevant to Liberia's implementation.

Develop a detailed, gender-responsive strategy for AfCFTA implementation in Liberia, outlining concrete actions to integrate women into the trade agreement's opportunities.

Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work

The consultant will be expected to facilitate the following: 

• Review the AfCFTA gender protocols and supporting documents and develop a detailed, gender-responsive strategy for AfCFTA implementation in Liberia, outlining concrete actions to integrate women into the trade agreement and the National Trade Policy of Liberia. 
• Conduct a thorough analysis of the AfCFTA Protocols and related documents to comprehensively assess existing gender-related provisions.
• Based on the analysis, precisely identify gender gaps within the AfCFTA framework, with a specific focus on barriers to women's effective participation in trade.
• Review existing gender-focused policies and frameworks, both within Liberia and relevant African countries, to provide context for AfCFTA implementation.
• Assess the current role of women in cross-border trade under the AfCFTA framework, and identify key barriers they encounter, including legal, financial, infrastructural, and social challenges.
• Based on the comprehensive review, develop a gender-responsive strategy for implementing the AfCFTA in Liberia including specific measures to enhance women's increase participations in trade.
• Propose targeted interventions within the strategy that promote women's access to finance, capacity building, market information, and trade infrastructure.
• Recommend specific policies and actions for integrating gender equality into Liberia's national AfCFTA implementation framework, and ongoing National Trade Policy. 
• Design a monitoring and evaluation framework to assess the effectiveness and impact of the gender-responsive AfCFTA strategy.

Stakeholder Engagement and Consultation:

• Conduct stakeholder consultations with key government ministries, including the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, and other relevant actors, to analyze the cultural, social, and economic constraints hindering women's full participation in AfCFTA opportunities. 
• Facilitate targeted consultations with women traders and entrepreneurs to identify the specific skills and resource needs required for them to effectively benefit from the AfCFTA, with a focus on access to market information, capacity building, and financial resources.

Deliverables

The consultant is expected to provide the following deliverables:

• Inception Report – A detailed work plan outlining the consultancy methodology, key tasks, timeline, and stakeholder engagement approach.
• AfCFTA Gender Analysis Report with a component/session on gender-responsive strategy for the AfCFTA Implementation. This report and strategy will further inform the development of the new National Trade Policy of Liberia. This report analyzes the AfCFTA Agreement and supporting documents, identifying gender-specific provisions, gaps, and opportunities. This report should include a gender-responsive AfCFTA implementation Strategy – A comprehensive strategy for ensuring women's full participation in cross-border trade under the AfCFTA, including specific actions, indicators, and expected outcomes.
• Final Consultancy Report: A summary of the entire consultancy process, including key findings, the gender-responsive strategy, and recommendations for implementation.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based consultancy, and as part of the assignment, there will be no field trip outside Monrovia. 

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: 

Education and Certification:

• Master's degree in Feminist Economics, Macroeconomics, Development Economics, International Trade, Gender and Development Studies, Statistics, Social Sciences, or a closely related field.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of experience or a proven track record working on women's empowerment, macroeconomics, and international trade issues, demonstrated through qualitative and/or quantitative research and capacity building. 
• Minimum 5-7 years of proven experience in providing policy advice, technical assistance, and capacity building, in gender analysis and trade policy development, especially international and regional legal and policy issues and particularly on gender, trade, entrepreneurship and the AfCFTA . 
• Demonstrated expertise in conducting studies, research, assessments, and developing tools and instruments related to trade from a gender perspective, particularly in intra-regional trade and regional integration. Experience working directly with women's groups and a thorough understanding of the dynamics of cross-border trade, particularly in Liberia and within West Africa. 
• Proven experience collaborating with various levels of government and development partners. Prior experience working with the United Nations system, the AfCFTA Secretariat or the African Union is considered a significant asset.

Languages:

• Fluency in 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.