National Individual Consultancy - For Value Chain and Market Study to Identify Viable Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Opportunities for Survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV)

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has been operating in Mozambique since 1987, supporting the Government in advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights, promoting gender equality, and strengthening population data systems to inform evidence-based policy and programming. UNFPA works in close partnership with government institutions, civil society, and development partners to address structural inequalities and improve the well-being of women, adolescents, and young people, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable populations. 

In the area of gender-based violence (GBV), UNFPA Mozambique plays a central role in supporting national efforts to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence through a comprehensive, survivor-centred approach. This includes strengthening multi-sectoral response mechanisms, expanding access to quality essential services, promoting prevention through social and behaviour change interventions, and addressing harmful gender norms.  

Through the Tolerância Zero! à Violência Baseada no Género programme, funded by the European Union and Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation, UNFPA aims to  protect women, men, girls, and boys in all their diversity from all forms of gender-based violence in both public and private spheres in Mozambique. The programme is structured around four main pillars:

1. Prevention of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).
2. Provision of available, accessible, and quality essential SGBV services.
3. Strengthening of women’s movements and CSOs to influence and advance progress on ending SGBV.
4. Enhanced institutional, technical, and coordination capacities for a multidisciplinary and integrated response to SGBV, grounded in quality data. 

Under Outcome 2 of the Tolerância Zero! Programme; access to quality essential services for survivors of SGBV, UNFPA aims to strengthen and promote Women’s Economic Empowerment opportunities as a critical component of recovery and resilience for survivors of SGBV. 

Women and girls who experience violence face heightened economic insecurity, limited access to livelihood opportunities, and structural barriers linked to gender inequality, poverty, disability, stigma, and harmful norms. As such, enabling economic autonomy is fundamental to breaking cycles of violence, supporting long-term recovery, and preventing further vulnerabilities.

In this context, the programme calls for a comprehensive Value Chain and Market Study across its four target provinces (Maputo City, Maputo Province, Gaza and Manica Provinces). The goal is to identify realistic, viable, and safely accessible economic opportunities specifically for survivors of GBV. The study must incorporate a climate resilience lens and account for the unique barriers faced by diverse groups, including adolescents, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQI+ individuals. 

The findings from this study will directly inform and determine the design and implementation of all subsequent WEE activities under the programme through partnerships with CSOs, CBOs, training centers, and institutions. 

1. Design survivor-centred WEE interventions appropriate for different demographic groups and suitable for local socioeconomic contexts.
2. Strengthen referral pathways between SGBV services and economic opportunities.
3. Identify technical training institutions and/or private sector enterprises with willingness to participate in capacity building activities for survivors of SGBV.
4. Inform avenues for establishing long-lasting partnerships with the above-identified institutions.
5. Improve the capacity of WEE service providers to deliver inclusive, risk-mitigating, and empowerment-oriented support. 

The consultancy will ultimately support the programme’s goal of expanding access to dignified livelihood options that contribute to survivors’ autonomy, wellbeing, and long-term recovery. 

Overall Objective: 

To map and analyse the local economic landscape and identify viable WEE pathways that survivors of GBV can effectively pursue across the four target provinces.

1. Conduct survivor-centered provincial-level value chain and market analyses with a climate resilience lens, and identify economic activities and value chains that are accessible to survivors of GBV, including adolescents, women with disabilities, and LGBTI+ survivors.
2. Assess risks and barriers (social, cultural, economic, safety, mobility, care burdens, stigma, etc.).
3. Identify required skills and link opportunities to existing technical/professional training pathways.
4. Assess the landscape of existing WEE actors, services, institutions, and private sector stakeholders.
5. Identify lessons learned and best practices on WEE - including actors, institutions, and private sector - in order to understand what truly works; rather than simply identifying who is doing what, the study will focus on who is doing what successfully and how.
6. Provide strategic recommendations for survivor-centred WEE programming and based on the lessons learned and best practices from Objective 5.
7. Develop a practical implementation framework outlining how opportunities can be integrated into GBV support and referral services. 

The consultant/firm will conduct the assignment in Maputo City, Maputo Province, Gaza Province, and Manica Province. 

The consultant will undertake the following tasks:

• Review national WEE frameworks, labour market reports, value chain studies, and climate resilience assessments.
• Review existing SGBV services, referral pathways, social services as part of the multisectoral mechanism, and socio-economic support mechanisms.
• Map current WEE implementing partners and institutions (NGOs, CSOs, CBOs, financial institutions, technical training centres, private sector actors). 

• Outline the methodology for conducting the study; the data collection tools, listing the key informants, geographic coverage and a work plan for undertaking the research and report development. 

• Conduct participatory assessments with survivors (ensuring ethical standards).
• Identify high-potential value chains and market entry points aligned with survivors’ capacities, mobility, safety, and socio-cultural contexts. 
• Analyse gendered and climate-related vulnerabilities affecting market participation.
• Evaluate urban, peri-urban, and rural differences. 

• Assess availability, capacity, and gaps in WEE service providers.
• Identify opportunities for partnerships for skill-building, entrepreneurship support, vocational training, and savings groups. 

The consultant is expected to propose a qualitative approach, combining desk review, qualitative data collection, and stakeholder consultations. The methodology should be survivor-centred, gender-responsive, and aligned with ethical standards for GBV-related research, including confidentiality, informed consent, and do-no-harm principles.

UNFPA encourages participatory approaches that engage key stakeholders and promote ownership of findings among partners.

1. Minimum of a bachelor's degree and 7 years of professional experience.
2. Proven experience in gender-responsive market assessments, value chain studies, WEE programming, or livelihoods.
3. Expertise in SGBV, gender equality, and survivor-sensitive research.
4. Experience working in Mozambique preferred  

Inputs / services to be provided by UNFPA or implementing partner (e.g support services, office space, equipment), if applicable:

UNFPA will provide:

• Travel to and within the Provinces will be arranged by UNFPA in collaboration with the organization’s provincial offices. 
• All consultancy costs  will be covered by UNFPA.
• Support services where required including travel and daily subsistence allowance during travel to the three provinces (airfare, DSA, terminals and land transport).
• The consultant must have his/her own computer, mobile phone, and IT equipment.
   

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts. 

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.