Women’s Economic Empowerment and Coordination Officer

Volunteering Finance & Economy

Overview

Support women's economic empowerment and coordinate programs in Uganda.

You have:

• Demonstrated experience or strong interest in Women’s Economic Empowerment, livelihoods development, HDP nexus approach, education, gender equality, or related thematic areas.
• Ability to use computers and common office software packages (e.g. MS Word, Excel) and willingness to learn web-based management or reporting systems.
• Experience or interest in working and coordinating with multiple stakeholders, including government institutions, development partners, donors, or civil society organizations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to work effectively in a team-based and multicultural environment.
• Fluency in English is required; Working knowledge of official UN language is an asset.

Contract

This is a UNV contract. More about UNV contracts.

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 and the empowerment of women across development, humanitarian, peace, and security contexts. This assignment contributes directly to UN Women Uganda’s Strategic Note (2026–2030), Outcome 3, aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework Outcome 2, which aims to ensure that by 2030 people in Uganda, particularly those at risk of being left behind, benefit from gender-responsive decent employment, resilient livelihoods, and increased household incomes. This outcome focuses on addressing structural and systemic gender inequalities in Uganda’s economy, including barriers to employment, access to land and productive assets, participation in value chains, and access to finance, technology, and skills, with a particular emphasis on marginalized groups such as women with disabilities, refugees and host communities, adolescent girls and young women, and rural women. UN Women Uganda’s programming under this outcome adopts an integrated and transformative approach that combines the TransformCARE agenda, Women and the World of Work, Second Chance Education and climate-responsive and green economy programming to advance inclusive and sustainable economic opportunities.

The UN Volunteer will support the implementation and coordination of key priority programmes, including the Advancing Economic Empowerment and Livelihood Support for Refugee and Host Community Women and Girls in Adjumani initiative funded by the UNFCU Foundation, the Women-Led Aquaculture and Climate Resilience Project in Uganda, and the African Girls Can Code Initiative (AGCCI), which builds on the results, lessons learned, and partnerships established during its previous two phases, thereby ensuring continuity, scale, and sustainability of interventions in digital inclusion and women’s economic empowerment. These programmes collectively promote the transition from skills development to productive assets, enterprise creation, and income generation, while strengthening women’s participation in climate-resilient and higher-value economic sectors and expanding digital inclusion pathways linked to entrepreneurship and emerging markets.

The UN Volunteer will support coordination and implementation of priority areas under the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF), focusing on women’s economic empowerment, self-reliance, resilience, and education for refugees and host communities. The role also strengthens collaboration with government and partners, supports UN Women’s coordination within CRRF, and promotes integration of gender-responsive priorities into national refugee response planning and the shift toward development-oriented approaches.

The UN Volunteer will report to the Humanitarian Specialist/Women’s Economic Empowerment Focal Point under the guidance of the Head of Programmes, working closely with UN Women teams, government, private sector partners, and civil society. The role focuses on supporting coordinated programme delivery to strengthen women’s economic empowerment, resilience, and access to opportunities, while promoting inclusive and gender-responsive economic systems in Uganda.

Under the direct supervision of the Humanitarian Specialist and Women’s Economic Empowerment Focal Point and overall guidance of the Head of Programmes, the UNV will undertake the following tasks:

1. Contribute to Programme Design and Strategic Planning in Women’s Economic Empowerment

• Support the design and formulation of integrated programme strategies aligned with UN Women Uganda Strategic Note (2026–2030), particularly Outcome 3 on gender-responsive decent employment and resilient livelihoods. • Provide technical inputs to programme proposals, concept notes, and policy briefs, ensuring integration of gender-responsive, climate-resilient, and inclusive economic approaches. • Contribute to the development of strategic documents and knowledge products that strengthen women’s access to employment, productive assets, and value chains.

2. Support the Implementation and Coordination of Integrated Programme Portfolio

• Support implementation of key programmes, including the Advancing Economic Empowerment and Livelihood Support for Refugee and Host Community Women and Girls in Adjumani initiative (UNFCU-funded), the Women-Led Aquaculture and Climate Resilience Project in Uganda, and the African Girls Can Code Initiative (AGCCI). • Assist in drafting annual workplans and budgets and support their effective implementation. • Ensure coordination across programme components to strengthen linkages between skills development, access to productive assets, enterprise development, and income generation. • Coordinate implementing partner reporting and provide guidance on Results-Based Management tools and performance indicators.

3. Provide Technical Assistance and Capacity Development to Partners

• Provide technical support to partners on women’s economic empowerment, climate-resilient livelihoods, and inclusive enterprise development. • Support delivery of capacity-building initiatives, including vocational, digital, and entrepreneurship-related interventions aligned with emerging economic sectors. • Coordinate engagement with government, private sector, and civil society partners to strengthen programme delivery and expansion. • Identify capacity gaps among partners and support the design and implementation of targeted training, mentoring, and technical assistance.

4. Support Monitoring, Reporting, and Results Tracking

• Contribute to monitoring programme implementation using results-based management tools aligned with Strategic Note Outcome 3 indicators. • Participate in field missions, including monitoring visits to programme sites. • Draft quarterly, donor, and internal reports, ensuring a strong focus on results, outcomes, and impact. • Support documentation of progress in improving women’s access to livelihoods, income generation, and resilience.

5. Support Partnerships and Resource Mobilization

• Contribute to the development and strengthening of partnerships with government institutions, financial institutions, private sector actors, and women-led organizations. • Support resource mobilization efforts by preparing briefs, donor mappings, and background documents on funding opportunities. • Assist in identifying opportunities for collaboration that expand women’s access to finance, markets, and economic opportunities.

6. Contribute to Inter-Agency and Stakeholder Coordination

• Support follow up and coordination of the UN Common Pledge by liaising with contributing agencies on commitments, progress tracking, and reporting, with a focus on self-reliance, resilience and education. • Support the CRRF Secretariat’s coordination mechanisms by facilitating multi stakeholder engagement and contributing to the planning and delivery of coordination meetings involving government counterparts, UN agencies, development partners, and civil society actors, to strengthen HDP aligned programming and gender integration. • Develop background notes, briefs, talking points and presentations, including on WEE, self reliance, resilience and education, within the CRRF framework to support evidence based decision making. • Provide technical support to coordination efforts across UN agencies, government counterparts, and development partners working on livelihoods, gender equality, and climate resilience. • Participate in coordination meetings, working groups, and relevant platforms to ensure alignment of UN Women programmes with national and UN priorities. • Support harmonization of programme approaches across humanitarian and development actors.

7. Support Advocacy, Knowledge Building, and Communication

• Develop background documents, briefs, and presentations on women’s economic empowerment, climate resilience, and digital inclusion. • Support UN Women’s participation in policy dialogues and stakeholder engagements. • Identify and document best practices and lessons learned to inform programme improvement and strategic planning. • Contribute to knowledge management and communication products that highlight programme results and impact.

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

• Demonstrated experience or strong interest in Women’s Economic Empowerment, livelihoods development, HDP nexus approach, education, gender equality, or related thematic areas. • Ability to use computers and common office software packages (e.g. MS Word, Excel) and willingness to learn web-based management or reporting systems. • Experience or interest in working and coordinating with multiple stakeholders, including government institutions, development partners, donors, or civil society organizations. • Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to work effectively in a team-based and multicultural environment. • Fluency in English is required; Working knowledge of official UN language is an asset.

Desired Skills:

• Experience or interest in working respectfully with diverse communities and stakeholders, demonstrating sensitivity to cultural, social, and gender dynamics. • Experience or interest in women’s economic empowerment, gender equality, education or inclusive HDP-nexus programming. • Experience or interest in accountability, ethical conduct, and responsible handling of programme activities and information. • Experience or interest in creative problem-solving and adaptive approaches when working in evolving or resource-constrained environments. • Experience or interest in effective communication, including drafting simple reports, briefs, or presentations and engaging with partners and community members. • Experience or interest in inclusive collaboration and stakeholder engagement, including participation in coordination meetings or joint activities. • Willingness to lead by example, demonstrate professionalism, take initiative, and learn from colleagues and community partners.

Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, is a relatively secure and vibrant duty station that serves as the country’s political, economic and cultural center. The city hosts several United Nations agencies, international organizations, and diplomatic missions, providing a supportive environment for international and national personnel.

Accommodation is widely available in Kampala, ranging from apartments to shared housing and gated residential compounds. Access to essential services such as electricity, internet, and water is generally reliable in most areas, although occasional interruptions may occur. Mobile networks and internet services are widely available, and banking facilities, including ATMs and mobile money services, are accessible throughout the city.

Kampala has a tropical climate with warm temperatures year-round and two rainy seasons (typically March–May and September–November). The city offers access to supermarkets, local markets, and a variety of restaurants. Health services are available through public and private hospitals and clinics, including facilities used by the international community.

Road transportation is the primary mode of travel within the city. Traffic congestion is common during peak hours, so planning travel time accordingly is recommended. Entebbe International Airport, located about 40 km from Kampala, provides international air connections.

Uganda is known for its cultural diversity and hospitality. Volunteers are encouraged to respect local customs and cultural norms. Kampala provides a dynamic environment with opportunities to engage with a wide range of national and international partners working on development, humanitarian action, and gender equality.

Kampala offers a rewarding professional and cultural experience. However, flexibility, cultural sensitivity, and adaptability are important for living and working effectively in this context.

You can check full entitlements at the duty station at https://app.unv.org/calculator.

The complete UN Volunteer Conditions of Service is available at https://explore.unv.org/cos.”

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Potential interview questions

Added 1 month ago - Updated 1 month ago - Source: unv.org