UN Women: Development and Finalization of 11 Gender and Development (GAD) Learning Modules of the Bangsamoro Women Commission, Home-based, Cotabato City, National Consultant

The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) is mandated to support UN Member States in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women in alignment with international standards. In the Philippines, this includes strengthening institutional capacities to implement the Magna Carta of Women and gender and development (GAD) mandates across national and local levels. Central to this effort is supporting partners in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), where addressing gender inequalities is a key part of sustaining peace, development, and inclusive governance.

The Bangsamoro Women Commission (BWC), as the lead agency on gender and development (GAD) in BARMM, has initiated the development of GAD modules to institutionalize gender-sensitive education and training across the region. UN Women has supported the initial phases of this project, which produced draft modules incorporating technical and substantive inputs from consultants and BWC personnel. 

Building on this foundational work, the national consultant will support the finalization and standardization of the modules through a collaborative process with BWC and UN Women, ensuring that the format, language, and references are aligned with national GAD and WPS frameworks, BARMM policies, institutional mandates of the BWC, and the standardized training requirements for BWC staff and its GAD resource pool.

This initiative will be supported by UN Women through the Joint Programme ‘Empowering Women for Sustainable Peace in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’, funded by Global Affairs Canada and jointly implemented with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). As part of its technical assistance role, UN Women will engage a national consultant to support the BWC in the finalization of modular GAD learning materials tailored to the Bangsamoro context. This consultancy aims to advance institutional capacities and promote a more coherent and localized understanding of gender equality and women’s empowerment across the region.

 The consultant will be reporting to the WPS Programme Analyst, and will be supported by the WPS Programme Associate, who will be the point of contact on the contract and payment issues.

In view of the foregoing context, UN Women is looking to hire a National Consultant on the finalization of GAD Modules with the BWC. 

The consultant will be responsible for designing, structuring, and finalizing comprehensive learning modules that will serve as a guide to GAD practitioners for the consistent delivery of GAD training across all BARMM ministries and LGUs, on the following subjects:

1. →Gender Sensitivity Training 
2. →Gender in Islam 
   1. →Family in Islam
      1. →Rights of Women
      2. →Polygyny
      3. →Gender Approach in Islam
      4. →Divorce
         1. →Basic Concepts of Gender
      5. →Sex and Gender
      6. →Sex Roles and Gender Roles
      7. →Manifestations of Gender Biases
      8. →Process of Sensitivity and Socialization
      9. →Agents of Socialization
      10. →Gender and Development
3. →GAD Legal Imperatives and Other GAD-Related Laws
   1. →Magna Carta of Women
      1. →Safe Space Act
         1. →Anti VAWC Law
            1. →Anti CEFM Law
4. →Gender - Fair Language and Communication
5. →Bangsamoro Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security (Initial Draft already done)
   1. →Bangsamoro Historical Timeline
      1. →Pillar 1: Protection and Prevention
         1. →Pillar 2: Empowerment and Participation
            1. →Pillar 3: Promotion and Mainstreaming
            2. →Pillar 4: Monitoring and Evaluation
6. →Orientation on the GAD Focal Point System (GFPS) 
7. →Orientation on the GFPS Assessment Tool
8. →Gender Mainstreaming and Gender Mainstreaming Evaluation Framework
9. →Gender Analysis and Its Tools
   1. →24 Hour Activity Profile
      1. →Gender and Development Assessment Matrix
         1. →GMEF
            1. →HGDG
            2. →GERL Tool
            3. →Sex-Disaggregated Data
            4. →CSPPMEAL Tool– Conflict Sensitivity and Peace Promoting Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning Tool
10. →Harmonized Gender and Development Guidelines
11. →GAD Agenda
12. →GAD Planning and Budgeting

The modules should align with Bangsamoro government policies, including, but not limited to, BARMM's enhanced 12-point priority agenda, Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security (RAP-WPS), and the Bangsamoro Development Plan for 2023 to 2028. Further, there should also be an alignment with national government GAD – related policies, including, but not limited to, Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Plan 2019 – 2025, Philippine Plan for Gender – Responsive Development 1995 – 2025 and Philippine Development Plan 2023 – 2028.

Further, modules should incorporate gender-sensitive, culturally appropriate, and conflict-sensitive approaches with all sources properly cited and adhering to ethical academic standards.

Outline of the deliverables relating to the tasks indicated above is as follows:

The National Consultant is expected to be based in Cotabato City. Any travel undertaken in the course of the assignment will be arranged by UN Women in accordance with its rules and regulations. This is a home-based consultancy. 

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

• 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: 

• Excellent analytical skills
• Strong knowledge of UN Women processes and systems
• Strong networking skills
• Strong inter-personal skills, communicate effectively with staff at all levels of the organization;
• Ability to work in a highly pressured environment
• Excellent facilitation skills

• Master’s degree in Political or Social Science, Gender Studies, Economics, Public Management, International Relations, Peace and Conflict Studies, or other related fields is required. 
• A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. 

• At least one (1) year work experience related to Gender and Development and/or peacebuilding is required;
• Experience in leading and facilitating GAD and WPS sessions is required;
• Expertise on Gender and Development and Women, Peace and Security is preferred
• Previous working experience with UN agencies, government agencies, and/or civil society organizations is required;

Familiarity with the BARMM context is highly desirable

• Fluency in English and Filipino is required . 
• Proficiency in local dialects spoken in BARMM is preferred

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.

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.