Consultant – Innovative Gender Financing

Background

In Pakistan, the lack of capital for women-owned businesses and inadequate access to financial products remain key barriers to women’s economic empowerment. In this regard, enhancing women’s access to finance - including through the provision of innovative financial instruments and pursuing financial inclusion targets – is a key focus area for UN Women PCO. In the past, UN Women has worked towards building capacities of parliamentarians and key stakeholders on gender-responsive budgeting practices, and increasing knowledge of financing gaps through rapid assessments and analyses.

Keeping in view the lack of innovative financial products in Pakistan - including those for women - caused in part due to a nascent capital market structure and regulatory framework, there has been a significant push towards sustainable finance in the country in the past two years. This momentum largely owes to the issuance of Sukuk Bonds and Green Bonds by the Government of Pakistan, formulation of Gender Bond Guidelines by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, and the introduction of a Banking on Equality Policy by the State Bank of Pakistan. The financial ecosystem in Pakistan is now well-suited for advancing women’s financial inclusion, including women-centric product development and the issuance of the country’s first-ever gender bond.

Duties and Responsibilities

UN Women Pakistan is looking to hire a Consultant – Innovative Gender Financing, reporting to the Senior Planning, Monitoring and Reporting Officer. The Consultant will work in close collaboration with the Women’s Economic Empowerment and Operations teams at PCO, partners and stakeholders from the financial ecosystem of the country, and donors to support successful implementation of planned initiatives.

Working under the overall guidance of the Country Representative UN Women Pakistan, and under direct supervision of the Senior Planning, Monitoring and Reporting Officer, the Consultant is expected to conduct the following:

• Support UN Women Pakistan in coordinating and implementing planned activities and initiatives under the innovative gender financing area, including those with the State Bank of Pakistan, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, the Ministry of Finance, the Pakistan Stock Exchange, and other partners;
• Coordinate internally with project teams, operations sub-units – including procurement, security, finance and internal controls – to support implementation of planned initiatives related to gender finance;
• Identify and develop partnerships within the financial ecosystem of Pakistan, especially with financial institutions, microfinance organizations, government institutions, bilateral and multilateral donors, and other UN Agencies, based on strategic goals of UN Women, country needs, particularly in relation to women economic empowerment priorities;
• Conduct research as needed, including development of concept notes, briefs and miscellaneous documentation for donor and consultative meetings related to the objective of these ToRs/assignment;
• Contribute advice on project design for UN Women PCO’s work in the area of innovative gender financing;
• Keeps abreast of national, regional and global economic trends and issues and analyze their implications for the realization of the women’s economic empowerment in Pakistan.

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

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in international development, business administration, social sciences, human rights, gender/women's studies, or a related field is required.

Skills and Competencies:

• Minimum 15 years of progressively responsible experience at the national or international level in international development, coordination, development finance or planning;
• Experience in partnership building, especially in the context of international development
• Experience coordinating and liaising with government agencies and/or donors is an asset;
• Experience working in the UN System or Japanese international organizations is an asset;
• Experience in leading/managing a team is an asset.

Language Requirement:

• Fluency in English is required
• Knowledge of the other UN official working language is an asset;

Application: 

All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2022-07/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form-en.doc. 

Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment. HEC Attested degrees are a prerequisite for employment at UN. During the recruitment process candidates may be required to present HEC attested degrees. Foreign Qualified Candidates: Foreign degree holders shall be required to (i) Present a verification/certification letter from the university verifying the degree & student enrollment, or (ii) Foreign degree Equivalence Letter from HEC.

 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.

Accessibility:

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.) If you are experiencing difficulties with online job applications, please contact the eRecruit Helpdesk.