International Consultant - Care Economy and Migration

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.

UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) migration and women’s economic empowerment programme works to protect and promote the rights of women in the region’s economies and labour markets, including through safe migration, decent work and sustainable development for all women workers, including women migrant workers.

Domestic and care work is essential to people’s life. It is a cornerstone of economic growth considering it is the work that is done before any other work can be done. Domestic and care work includes both paid and unpaid labour involving cleaning, cooking, washing and ironing, taking care of family members, including children, the elderly, those who are ill or have disabilities, as well as household pets, gardening, guarding the house and driving for the family.With increasing aging populations, the care work sector is expected grow. Domestic and care work disproportionately falls on women, especially migrant workers for cheap wages and heavy workload. However, despite their essential contribution to drive the society, domestic and care workers are undervalued and underregulated. This results in limited or zero protection for them. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the high dependence of many economies on domestic and care workers. The pandemic has brought a new sense of urgency to ensure provision of social protection, employment benefits and other support for workers in this economic sector. This also requires specific policies, programming and legislation and importantly coordinated efforts among stakeholders.

The supply and demand gap in the domestic and care work market is opening spaces for new players to step in to provide solutions. Work done by UN-Women as part of the WeEmpowerAsia programme and UN Women Care Accelerator programme to address the burden of unpaid care work has found that market-based solutions through care entrepreneurship are emerging to address the lack of accessible, affordable, and quality domestic and care services in the region. This requires partnerships with different entities to increase knowledge, capacity and resource to address the issues domestic and care workers face in order to transform the care economy towards gender equality and inclusive and sustainable development and the Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) & Migration unit is looking to expand leadership in this area.

In UN Women’s drafted Strategic Note for Asia and the Pacific (2023 -2026) transforming the Care Economy has been identified as a key priority and multiple partnerships, programmes and future opportunities have been established to advance this work. This includes:

UN Women’s participation in the Global Action Research Programme: Transforming the Care Economy through Impact businesses and Investment (TCEII), which aims to help transform the care economy through impact investing. The programme is co-funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the Soros Economic Development Fund. As part of TCEII’s implementation in Asia, UN Women and Value for Women are conducting research to for example understand the challenges and opportunities of digital labor platforms in the care economy.
New programming to scale up the UN Women Care Accelerator: A programme which aims to Women Care Accelerator aims to identify and promote women-led and/or women impacting enterprises to build innovative solutions aiming to turn the unequal care burden put on women into opportunities that benefit women, families, and communities. The program supports entrepreneurs who try to transform caregiving challenges into employment and business opportunities, provide products, services, or tech solutions that can make care more accessible and affordable, and improve the overall quality of care services on and offline.
Vitalizing the Global Alliance of Care (GAC) in Asia and the Pacific. The GAC is convened by the Government of Mexico through the National Institute of Women (INMUJERES) and UN Women, GAC is one of the collective commitments emanating from the Generation Equality Forum that seeks to mobilize global action towards the Care Economy Action Area of the Action Coalition on Economic Justice and Rights. The Alliance was announced in March 2021 at the Generation Equality Forum in Mexico City and launched in Paris in July 2021. It is a space where stakeholders from different sectors such as national and subnational governments; private and philanthropic sector; international organizations; civil society–including grassroots women's organizations, care workers organizations, trade unions and youth organizations –collectively commit to take concrete, ambitious and immediate action between 2021-2026 to promote the recognition, reduction and redistribution of care work among co-responsible actors and the representation and remuneration of care workers.

Through collective action and multi-stakeholder engagement, the Alliance aims to contribute decisively towards achieving women's economic empowerment, fostering the creation of comprehensive systems of care, promoting the transformation of gender roles and accelerating economic recovery from the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic by advancing towards equality.

To date the GAC has limited members from the Asia and the Pacific Region. As part of the implementation of GAC the consultant will work on advocacy strategies for political change on the care economy including linkages with labor migration and women’s economic empowerment

In addition, the WEE & Migration team has prioritized to strengthen its work on the intersection of care & migration and seeking to advance and mobilize resources to implement a more comprehensive approach to labour migration, including governance, WEE and protection.

UN-Women is therefore seeking an International Consultant - Care Economy and Migration to work under the WEE - Migration team reporting to the WEE and Migration Programme Lead to providing policy and trend analysis and briefings to advance UN Women’s agenda in creating equitable and just policies on the areas relevant to care economy, social protection, decent work, and labour migration. This is to enhance UN Women in Asia and the Pacific to build strong and effective coalitions with stakeholders, namely government, development partners, the private and civil society organizations particularly in South and Southeast Asia, for transformative change in the care economy. The International Consultant ensures effective programme development and management in line with UN Women rules and regulations and in coordination with its partners. She/he works in close collaboration with the ROAP programme and operations team, UN Women country offices (COs) and programme presences, government officials, multi and bi-lateral donors, civil society and the private sector.

CONTRACT PERIOD AND WORK LOCATION

The period of this consultancy is for 12 months; the consultant is home based with mission travel as required. The assignment will also require to coordinate with different stakeholders based outside of Asia and the Pacific, including UN Women HQ (New York) and the GAC Secretariat (based in Mexico).

Duties and Responsibilities

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Producing policy intelligence and advocacy work for areas relevant to inclusive economic development focusing on the care economy and the intersection with labour migration

Conduct a rapid regional mapping, assessment of care related policies, programmes and opportunities for UN Women engagement in Asia and the Pacific (in selected countries)
Analyze and monitor relevant legislation, policies, measures, projects and studies relevant to the care economy and labor migration (in Asian and the Pacific as well as looking into best practices and approaches from other advanced regions, especially GAC committed countries)
Lead on the development and implementation of ROAP advocacy strategies for political change on the care economy with its linkages with labor migration in relation to migrant workers employed in domestic and care work.
Lead, manage, and supervise research to generate new and valuable inputs for improving policies and programming in the relevant thematic areas

B. Support the implementation of the Global Alliance for Care (GAC) in Asia Pacific

Lead, manage the roll-out of the Global Alliance for Care (GAC) to selected countries in APAC and provide technical assistance to country offices to strengthen their care policy and programming under the umbrella of the GAC.
Coordinate with the GAC global secretariat and develop an Asia-Pacific outreach, engagement, and action plan to bring the GAC alive in APAC, implement, organize together with other stakeholders’ events and activities to drive engagement, knowledge exchange to catalyze action in the Care Economy
Develop capacity building materials/presentations for governments and policy makers on how to develop and implement holistic care economy measures and provide technical trainings to the UN Women country focal points to advance GAC commitments

C. Building strategic partnerships, coordination, and communication efforts

Attend external meetings, collecting intelligence, establish rapport and build relationships with relevant to the different policy areas related to the care economy and migration
Lead development communications/advocacy plan for care economy (strongly aligned with GAC)
Support UN Women in meetings/events, speaking engagements to disseminate UN Women’s policy positions in different settings, as required.
Draft position papers/articles/op-eds/letters/reports to strengthen ROAP’s WEE and migration advocacy efforts, ensuring they are built around solid policy analysis (linked to the above GAC/Care Economy & Migration)
Support the exchange of information and capacity building internally and externally to strengthen awareness and knowledge on the Care Economy & Migration

D. Developing programme, resource mobilization strategies in the areas of care economy and labor migration under the scope of women’s economic empowerment

Support, manage inception, conceptualization of new care programming and research
Design and formulate programme/project proposals and initiatives, including with a view to project expansion, in consultation with relevant internal and external stakeholders
Draft inputs to strategy documents, briefs, policy dialogue, knowledge products and other documents related to the targeted thematic areas

EXPECTED DELIVERABLES

The consultant will work under the direct supervision of Regional WEE Program Lead, UN Women ROAP, to achieve the following deliverables clustered and aligned to the 4 Key Areas pointed out above (A-D):

Payment phase

Deliverables

Target date

1

Workplan Approach for following Deliverables:

(A) Regional Care Ecosystem Mapping (Opportunity and
Needs Assessment) with min. 5 countries Deep dives

(B) Implementation Approach Global Care Alliance Roll-Out in Asia-Pacific Country-Interest and opportunity mapping including desk-research approach to map best care economy tools and practices for governments
C) Draft of a 12-month Communications/ Advocacy Plan
(D) Development Resource-Mobilization (RM) approach (min. 3 proposals over 12-month) and Programme support plan for (C&M)

15 February 2023

2

(A) Draft 1: Care Ecosystem Analysis (min. 5 Countries)
(B) Draft 1: GAC Implementation and Workplan
Implementation approach GAC including agenda, best practice mapping set-up, presentation for UNW Country Offices Consultation
Draft position paper/outline of ROAP advocacy strategies for political change on the care economy with its linkages with labor migration and women’s economic empowerment
Final Concept-Note/Agenda for GAC Malaysia June Care Conference including Stakeholders / Invitations
(D) Update Report Care & Migration Programming: including Technical Review of IDRC Digital Labor Platform Report and Inputs provided in new Care-Programme Development RM Strategy and Finalize a Care Programme Proposal (Proposa#1) informed by existing draft

15 March 2023

3

(A) Final Report (Internal) – Care Ecosystem Analysis including the Report on Care Ecosystem Country Consultation Workshop with informed recommendations for the GAC Action Areas
(B) Global Alliance on Care (GAC) Progress Deliverable: informed by Ecosystem Analysis including
Care Conference Scripted Agenda and Session Details
Draft Capacity Building Curriculum Outline for Governments
(C) Learning Presentation Care Ecosystem Analysis / GAC for exchange
and capacity building for UN Women Regional Retreat
(D) – Update Report Care & Migration Programming:

A presentation on migrant women and domestic and care work for the regional forum on women migrant workers
Draft Proposal (#2) promoting skills development and decent employment policies for migrant domestic workers and Draft Proposal (#3) theme tbc
Draft Inception Report new Care Accelerator Programming

30 April 2023

4

(B) Finalized Capacity Development Materials for Governments in alignment with key countries and organize a ToT Session with UN Women Country Offices on the Care Economy
(C) Report from WEE Regional Retreat and Recommendations to advance Care Programming for UN Women

30 May 2023

5

(B) Global Alliance on Care (GAC) Progress Deliverable Finalized TPs/Briefings Conducted for Malaysia Care Conference
(C) Update Report on Communications and Advocacy Plan
(D) Update Report Care & Migration Programming:
Final Technical Review of IDRC Digital Labor Platform Research Report
Updated RM proposal (#2) on promoting skills development and decent employment policies for migrant domestic workers
Progress Report new Care Accelerator Programming

15 July 2023

6

(B) Global Alliance on Care (GAC) Progress Deliverable:
Implementation Report on Care Capacity Building Materials through ToT with Country Offices
Draft Report from Care Conference in Malaysia
Draft CN for GAC Q4 Asia-Pacific Learning Event
(C) Update Report on Communications and Advocacy Plan
A policy brief/position paper in commemoration of International Domestic Workers Day – 16 June
An op-ed on women migrant domestic workers in the occasion of the World Day against Trafficking in Persons – 30 July

(D) Update Report Care & Migration Programming:
Draft Prodocs for Proposal #1 and Proposal#2: Documented inputs for integrating the proposal/project on promoting skills development and decent employment policies for migrant domestic workers aligned with Women ROAP’s Strategic Note/Biannual Work Plan

15 September 2023

7

(B) Draft External Global Care Alliance Asia-Pacific Report including
good practices from the Region
(C) Finalized Agenda Q4 APAC GAC Learning Event
(D) Update Report Care & Migration Programming:
IDRC Research Final Technical Review Comments Documented
Care Accelerator Technical Review on Capacity Development Materials Documented

15 October 2023

8

(B) Draft 2 External Global Care Alliance Asia-Pacific Report including
good practices from the Region
(C) Final Report on Capacity-Building Trainings Conducted
(D) Proposal ProDoc Development Proposal #3

15 November 2023

9

(B) Global Alliance on Care (GAC) Progress Deliverable
FINAL Global Care Alliance Asia-Pacific Progress Report
(External Publications)
Report on Q4 GAC APAC Learning & Exchange Event
(D) Update Report Care & Migration Programming:
Finalized Draft of 3 ProdDocs developed over the 12-month contract period

15 December 2023

10

(B+C) 2024 Integrated Care Economy (GAC) and Migration Workplan including Advocacy and Communication

31 December 2023

Competencies

COMPETENCIES

Core Values

Respect for Diversity;
Integrity;
Professionalism.

Core Competencies

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

Functional Competencies

Strong overall knowledge of on women’s economic empowerment
Strong knowledge on care economy, social protection policies and programming
Good knowledge on gender-responsive migration
Strong ability to conduct capacity building and engage with government officials and other stakeholders including for example private sector
Strong programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills
Strong knowledge of Results Based Management
Ability to synthesize program performance data and produce analytical reports to inform management and strategic decision-making
Strong analytical skills
Ability to identify and analyze trends, opportunities and threats to fundraising and develop strategies

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf

Required Skills and Experience

REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS

Education and certification:

Master’s degree or equivalent in law, public policy and governance, gender/women's studies, international development, 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;
A project/programme management certification would be an added advantage.

Experience:

Must have worked minimum 5 years in South or South-East Asia in the space of women’s economic empowerment including areas of paid and unpaid care policies
At least 5 years of progressively responsible work experience at the national or international level in design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects and/or policies
Experience in conducting analysis of social, economic, and public policy trends is a must
Experience working in the space of migration is a strong asset
Specific experience on entrepreneurship and/or private sector engagement is an asset
Experience coordinating and liaising with government agencies and/or donors is an asset
Experience working in the UN System is an asset.

Language Requirements:

Excellent command of written in English
Fluency in English required
Fluency in another ASEAN spoken language is an asset