UN Women National Consultant - Private Sector Engagement, Women's Economic Empowerment - Homebased, India

Description

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.

The UN Women India Country Office in New Delhi advances this mandate by strengthening strategic partnerships, providing technical and policy advisory services, and advocating with government, private sector, civil society, and UN system partners. It also leads and coordinates the UN system’s work on gender equality and ensures accountability for results.

Achieving gender equality is central to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In India, the Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) portfolio focuses on strengthening women’s economic rights and agency while creating an enabling environment for decent, safe, and equitable employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for women in all their diversity.

As a global champion for women and girls, UN Women works to challenge stereotypes and engage diverse actors to advance gender equality. While UN Women does not endorse commercial products or services, it proudly convenes the Un-Stereotype Alliance, bringing together leading industry actors committed to transforming harmful gender norms in advertising and media.

The Un-Stereotype Alliance is a thought and action platform that uses the power of advertising to eradicate gender-based stereotypes. It promotes intersectional representation—addressing race, class, age, ability, ethnicity, sexuality, language, and other identities—while also encouraging progressive and positive portrayals of men. The Alliance unites major brands, media agencies, and creative industries behind a shared commitment to depict women and men as empowered, intelligent, and multidimensional.

The Alliance aligns closely with the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs)—a set of seven principles jointly developed by UN Women and the UN Global Compact. The WEPs provide companies with guidance on advancing gender equality across the workplace, marketplace, and community, and are promoted in India through the Women Empower India (WE India) Programme. Globally there are over 11,800 companies that are committed to WEPs. In India over 490 CEOs have signed Statement of Support towards WEPs.

Recognizing the power of partnerships, the Un-Stereotype Alliance offers a unique platform for companies to collaboratively address stereotypes, shift harmful narratives, and drive positive cultural change. Through this collective effort, the Alliance contributes to shaping more equitable gender norms and accelerating progress toward a gender-equal society.

The Un-Stereotype Alliance India Chapter, convened by UN Women, is an industry-led platform that brings together leading national and multinational companies, advertising and media agencies, industry bodies, and development partners committed to eliminating harmful gender stereotypes in media and advertising. In India, the Chapter is championed by members brands and strategic allies including the Advertising Council of India, Advertising Agencies Association of India, The Advertising Club, International Advertising Association, and UNICEF, which contribute sectoral expertise, industry networks, and knowledge leadership.

The India Chapter’s priorities are guided by the global Un-Stereotype Alliance strategic framework and focus on eliminating harmful stereotypes and fostering more inclusive and equitable representations across advertising and media. Key priorities include strengthening industry commitment to stereotype-free communication; advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion by promoting authentic, multidimensional, and intersectional portrayals of women and men; empowering public action through advocacy, awareness, and outreach to influence gender perceptions and depictions; and expanding membership and engagement across industries and geographies to scale impact. Through collective action and peer learning, the India Chapter seeks to contribute to positive norm change, workplace equality, and broader gender equality outcomes.

UN Women India seeks the services of a National Consultant to coordinate and manage partnerships, outreach, and engagement with a wide range of stakeholders—including private-sector companies, industry associations, chambers of commerce, advertising networks, government departments, and other relevant organizations—to facilitate the effective functioning of the Un-Stereotype Alliance India Chapter.

The Consultant will also support the advancement of key deliverables under the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs). This includes increasing the number of WEPs signatories, supporting capacity-building for private-sector partners, and facilitating due-diligence processes (a risk-management process used to assess potential partners’ alignment with UN values, specifically focusing on gender equality, women’s empowerment, and human rights).

The National Consultant will provide comprehensive coordination, and management support to ensure effective implementation of activities across both the Un-Stereotype Alliance and WEPs workstreams.

Under the direct supervision of the UN Women Programme Officer – Private Sector Partnerships and Employability – WEE,  and overall supervision of Country Programme Manager, UN Women the National Consultant will provide research, management and coordination support to implement the India Chapter of the Un-Stereotype Alliance and advance WEPs engagement.

The Consultant will undertake the following tasks:

1. Private Sector Engagement & Partnerships

• Lead structured outreach and engagement with private-sector companies, industry associations, advertising and creative networks to strengthen UA participation and expand WEPs signatories.
• Facilitate meetings and events, ensure follow-up with partners, and identify opportunities for joint initiatives and collaborations.

2. Programme Coordination & Implementation

• Support planning and delivery of UA and WEPs activities in coordination with relevant UN Women programme units.
• Liaise with global and regional UA networks to access best practices and monitor progress of India Chapter members.
• Identify synergies between UA members and WEPs signatories to promote aligned messaging, peer learning, and joint actions.

3. Content, Capacity Building & Due Diligence

• Prepare concise, research-based briefing notes, presentations, and documentation for internal and external use.
• Support WEPs and UA capacity-building initiatives (trainings, workshops, advisory support) and due-diligence processes in line with UN Women standards.

4. Operations, Monitoring & Reporting

• Maintain updated partner databases, track deliverables against workplans, and submit monthly progress reports as per UN Women SSA requirements.

Deliverable/s:

1. Un-Stereotype Alliance India Chapter Annual Workplan Developed

• One comprehensive annual workplan (May 2026–Dec 2026) developed and submitted, including priority actions, timelines, stakeholder mapping, and a pipeline of prospective member companies and partners.
  (Due: May 2026)

2. UA Member Engagement Activities Delivered and Documented

• At least one UA convening, member meeting, or knowledge session supported per month, with meeting agendas, participant lists, summaries, and follow-up action points documented and submitted.
  (Monthly)

3. Structured Stakeholder Engagements Facilitated

• Regular meetings facilitated with industry bodies, regulators, government counterparts, private-sector networks, UN agencies, and sectoral brands, with records of discussions and outcomes maintained.
  (Monthly)

4. UA Partnerships and Industry Linkages Strengthened

• Ongoing engagement with key industry associations (e.g. ASCI, IAA, AAAI, TAC) documented through meeting notes, collaboration opportunities identified, and actions tracked.
  (Ongoing / Monthly updates)

5. UA and WEPs Capacity-Building Sessions Supported

• Trainings/workshops for senior leadership, HR, procurement, and marketing/creative teams supported or co-facilitated, with session materials, attendance records, and brief post-event summaries submitted.
  (Quarterly / As required)

6. WEPs Outreach and Signatory Expansion Achieved

• Targeted outreach conducted and documented to increase the number of WEPs signatories, including a tracking sheet of companies engaged, status of engagement, and sign-on outcomes.
  (May 2026–Dec 2026; updated monthly)

7. UA and WEPs Due-Diligence Processes Completed

• Due-diligence processes for UA members and WEPs signatories supported and tracked, with completion status updated and shared with relevant UN Women teams.
  (Monthly)

8. UA and WEPs Databases Maintained and Updated

• Updated databases maintained for UA members and WEPs-engaged companies, including participation in meetings, trainings, signatory status, and due-diligence progress, and shared with the UA global secretariat as required.
  (Monthly)

9. Cross-Programme Linkages Supported and Documented

• Support provided to integrate UA and WEPs activities with other UN Women campaigns with brief documentation of linkages and contributions.
  (As required)

10. Monthly Progress Reports Submitted

• Monthly narrative and statistical progress reports submitted in line with UN Women SSA requirements, consolidating progress across UA and WEPs deliverables in line with the approved WorkPlan developed for this Consultancy .
  (Monthly)

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:

Knowledge Management and Learning:

• Shares knowledge and experience;
• Actively works towards continuing personal learning, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills.

Development and Operational Effectiveness:

• Ability to perform a variety of specialized tasks related to design, planning and implementation of programme, managing data, reporting;
• Ability to provide input to and use new IT based systems.

Leadership and Self-Management:

• Focuses on result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Remains calm, in control even under pressure;
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
• Good understanding of gender and development in South Asia;
• Demonstrable ability to work in a team;
• Ability to work under pressure;
• Good writing and communication skills;
• Excellent computer literacy and skills.

Education:

• Master’s degree in one or more of the following disciplines: marketing, media & communications, business administration, international relations or other related fields 
• Graduate degree in above mentioned fields with 7 years of relevant experience

Experience:

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in advertising, communications, and marketing industry (preferably in programme management and strategy).  Experience in digital communications is desired
• Knowledge of client management and partnerships
• Experience in current gender related issues, research, women’s empowerment, private sector will be desirable.
• Demonstrated experience in undertaking basic research, financial management, programme implementation including providing necessary operational, administrative, and programmatic support. 
• Experience of working in a computer environment using multiple office software packages.
• Ability to work independently and with minimal supervision.

Language:

• Strong written skills in English and good command over Hindi as medium of communication.

Interested applicants should apply to this announcement through UN Women jobs site: 

Careers at UN Women | UN Women – Headquarters

UN Women will only be able to respond to those applications in which there is further interest.

Evaluation and Selection Criteria

Criteria for shortlisting of CVs will be based on the following assessment:

• Required Degree and Qualification (5 points);
• Expertise and Experience relevant to the assignment (10 points);
• Demonstrated experience in advertising/marketing, basic research, financial management, programme implementation (5 points);

The evaluation process for selection of the candidate will be based on the following assessment:

• Interview (100 points)

Please Note:

• 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.
• Consultants are required to submit doctor's certificate to state fitness to work and travel for this assignment.
• Due to large number of potential applicants, only competitively selected candidates will be contacted for remaining steps of the service procurement process.
• The consultant is expected to use their own computer equipment. The office will not provide any computer equipment for this assignment.

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.