National consultant to conduct a mapping of women’s economic empowerment activities in Jordan

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

Result of Service

The ultimate result of service is the submission of an executive summary, and submission of references.

Work Location

Remotely

Expected duration

3 months

Duties and Responsibilities

Background: In February 2024, the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW) in partnership with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) published the findings of its first report on “Estimating the Economic Cost of Domestic Violence against Women in Jordan.” The report examined the out-of-pocket economic cost as well as the cost of services that are incurred to address incidents of violence in Jordan. According to the report, the “total yearly costs of domestic violence experienced by women and girls aged 15 and above in Jordan comes to a grand total of 130,124,787 Jordanian dinar.” Many protection services for survivors of violence are provided by governmental entities in Jordan, with NGOs and INGOs also providing much needed services. Nearly 11 million Jordanian dinar cover the costs of diverse services including: hotlines, counselling services, access to support group, case management, psychotherapy and training and empowerment services, as well as access to medical, legal, shelter, and basic needs (i.e., financial, food and transportation aid), in addition to community awareness raising. To consolidate and ensure the sustainability of these services, while at the same time ensuring more strategic actions are adopted to minimize the prevalence of violence in Jordan, the aforementioned report suggests several recommendations in relation to prevention, protection, data and documentation, and investment and funding. One of these recommendations highlight the value of women’s economic empowerment, which will allow women to better control their lives. Globally, the aim of economic empowerment projects for women survivors of violence is to provide women with financial independence, minimize their reliance on a violent husband, and improve their overall well-being. Such interventions offered by service providers may include skills training and job placement programs and services, which may enable women to access the job market or participated in microfinance projects, and financial literacy and management training, among others. In fact, women economic empowerment and it contribution to the elimination of violence against women and girls is one of the main challenges and priority areas adopted by the Arab Member States in the Beijing +25 review. However, little is known about economic empowerment projects and initiatives that are available for women survivors of violence in Jordan. In order to proceed with implementing the report recommendations, JNCW has requested that ESCWA support them in better understanding the services provided under these programs in Jordan. To this extent, ESCWA seeks to recruit a national consultant to conduct a mapping of women’s economic empowerment activities in Jordan in order to better understand the opportunities for intervention and means to ensure women’s financial autonomy. Duties and Responsibilities •Conduct interviews with key stakeholders, including government officials, civil society organizations, and experts on projects and programs in Jordan concerning economic empowerment projects for women survivors of violence; •Conduct a mapping of government and civil society interventions concerning economic empowerment projects provided for women survivors of violence; •Conduct a review of global and regional literature on successful economic empowerment programs and services provided to women survivors of domestic violence, highlighting positive interventions and responses; and •Propose recommendations for decision-makers that encompass a broad range of activities and interventions to enhance the delivery of economic empowerment activities for women survivors of domestic violence. The national consultant will be working under the general guidance and direct supervision of the Chief of ESCWA Centre for Women who will provide all necessary assistance and clarification with regards to the preparation of the brief on time.

Qualifications/special skills

An advanced degree in Development Studies, Social Sciences, Economics, Human Rights or Women’s/Gender Studies or related area is required. All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. A minimum of five years of experience in research and data collection, including qualitative interviewing and analysis, and report writing is required. Knowledge of the situation of women and girls in Jordan, particularly in areas related to violence against women and economic empowerment projects is required. Knowledge of agencies or organizations that provide support to survivors of violence required.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat; and Arabic is a working language of ESCWA. For this position, fluency in English is required. Fluency in Arabic is required. Note: “Fluency” equals a rating of ‘fluent’ in all four areas (speak, read, write, and understand) and “Knowledge of” equals a rating of ‘confident’ in two of the four areas.

Additional Information

Not available.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.