National Gender Equality and Women Peace and Security Consultant

Background:

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; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

Mozambique is a country in Southeastern Africa, covering an area of 799,380 km² with a population of 35.2 million, 51.52% of whom (17 million) are women. The country ranks 134th out of 177 on the 2024 Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Index1, reflecting how protracted crises, climate-induced disasters, armed conflicts and political instability have disproportionately impacted women and girls. Mozambique faces overlapping humanitarian crises, including conflict, severe climate shocks, and displacement that disproportionately impact women and girls. The country is among the world’s most disaster-prone and climate-vulnerable countries, frequently hit by droughts, floods, and cyclones. In 2025, three successive cyclones made landfall and affected 1.4 million people. These challenges are further compounded by escalating conflict in the north, which has significantly heightened protection risks for women and girls, particularly those who have been repeatedly displaced. The humanitarian and security situation in the Cabo Delgado province has further deteriorated since May 2025, with the sharpest rise in violence since June 2022, affecting over 134,000 people2. Armed attacks by non-state armed groups (NSAGs) and associated displacements, successive cyclones (Chido, Dikeledi, Jude in 2024-2025), floods, and drought have severely eroded civilian protection and resilience. According to the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP), of the 1.6 million people projected to require humanitarian assistance in 2026, 52% are women and girls and 48% are men and boys. In total, 80% of those displaced by the conflict are women and children. Likewise, the NSAG attacks in Nampula Province in mid-November 2025, and the fear of continued violence triggered one of the largest recent displacements in northern Mozambique. As of early December 2025, at least 22,202 households representing 107,784 people were displaced from Nampula. According to the latest IOM movement alert (30 November 2025), 82,691 people) have moved from Memba to Erati, with some moving to other locations in Nampula and across to Cabo Delgado provinces. The displaced population is predominantly composed of children, who represent 65 per cent of all arrivals. Women account for 20 per cent, and men 15 per cent of the population. Out of the total 107,000 people displaced by violence in the last weeks, at least 12,580 people have returned to their areas of origin following government-facilitated movements and assurances of security and assistance.

Despite these challenges, women’s organizations, movements, and networks have established themselves as powerful agents of change. Numerous women-led initiatives at both national and international levels provide multifaceted support to communities, particularly to women and girls affected by conflict. This includes promoting awareness of human rights, Gender Equality, Violence against women and girls, and the WPS agenda, leading peacebuilding efforts at the community level, implementing economic empowerment programs, and other measures aimed at trauma recovery and relief through feminist and community-based psychosocial support, all while amplifying women’s voices. In March 2025, in response to the crisis, the newly formed government and political parties reached an agreement on a Political Commitment for an Inclusive National Dialogue. This commitment was subsequently enacted into law by the Mozambican parliament. The National Inclusive Dialogue seeks to foster national reconciliation and peace, particularly after the post-election unrest. It is designed to consult citizens across all provinces and within the diaspora, gathering their perspectives on critical national issues. The dialogue aims to facilitate discussions on potential constitutional revisions, including the structure of the presidency and broader governance reforms. It will also explore reforms related to the electoral and justice systems, decentralisation, and measures to strengthen democratic institutions. In parallel, the country is working towards the approval/operationalization of the second generation of the NAP 2025-2029, supported by UN Women. Based on the above, UN Women and the Japan International Cooperation Agency have recently partnered to implement a Women, Peace and Security project entitled: “Women Lead Peace: “Strengthening Community Resilience to Polycrisis through Gender-Responsive Peacebuilding in Northern Mozambique (206-2027)”, aiming at enhance the role and influence of women and girls in promoting sustainable peace and resilience, ensuring they benefit equally from conflict and disaster prevention efforts in Mozambique. As part of the project’s implementation, a qualitative study on gender norms and intersectional vulnerabilities affecting girls and women will be conducted across the provinces of Cabo Delgado, Nampula, and Niassa (Component 1 of the project). In addition, a comprehensive gender-sensitive survey will assess community mechanisms and livelihood opportunities in two targeted districts, Chiure (Cabo Delgado) and Marrupa (Niassa). This research aims to provide an evidence-based assessment that informs clear and actionable strategies to strengthen women’s leadership and meaningful participation in peace, resilience, and recovery processes, generating locally grounded and context-specific data to guide more effective and targeted interventions (Component 2 of the project). Based on the context above, UN Women seeks to hire a National Consultant with strong socio-economic expertise to conduct a Stakeholder Mapping and Gender Analysis to Strengthen Women’s Leadership in Peace and Resilience in Cabo Delgado and Niassa Provinces. This assignment will directly contribute to Project Output 1.1: Quality gender-responsive analytical reports produced to inform evidence-based decision-making and programmatic interventions that enhance women’s leadership and participation in peacebuilding and resilience efforts in crisis-affected contexts.

Purpose of the consultancy 

The primary purpose of this consultancy is to:
– Generate evidence to inform programming by conducting a rigorous, gender-responsive, and locally grounded analysis on the stakeholder landscape, community structures, socio-economic dynamics, and gender norms that shape women’s leadership, participation, and protection in Cabo Delgado and Niassa provinces.
– Identify actionable pathways to strengthen women’s leadership and resilience through identifying strategic entry points, opportunities, and practical recommendations to enhance women’s leadership, participation, and economic empowerment in peacebuilding, recovery, and community resilience processes in Cabo Delgado and Niassa. 

Duties and Responsibilities 

Under the supervision of the Women, Peace and Security Programme Officer, the National Consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

Task A:
1. Conduct mapping of key stakeholders and actors, including government bodies, INGOs, UN agencies, private sector entities, and civil society organizations working on gender issues, including women’s leadership, GBV, economic empowerment, and WPS in Chiure and Marrupa districts.
2. Explore and analyze stakeholders’ roles, influence, coordination dynamics, and capacities in promoting peacebuilding, women’s economic empowerment, resilience, social cohesion and women’s leadership in Chiure and Marrupa districts.
3. Assess existing community-level structures (e.g., disaster risk reduction committees, peace councils, agriculture/fisheries/land associations, women’s groups, humanitarian coordination mechanisms, village groups or councils, etc.) to examine their functionality, inclusivity, gender responsiveness, and potential for strengthening women’s participation and leadership.
4. Conduct local socio-economic and livelihoods analysis in the two target districts of Chiure and Marrupa to identify barriers to women’s resilience and potential opportunities and pathways to enhance women’s economic empowerment and community resilience.
5. Develop evidence-based recommendations and practical strategies, including pilot intervention options to;
a) enhance women’s economic empowerment and community resilience in Chiure, focusing on income generation and employment
b) strengthen women’s and young women’s leadership and participation in conflict prevention and crisis and disaster risk reduction and response community mechanisms, in line with the WPS and DRR agendas in both Chiure and Marrupa districts

 Task B:
1. Conduct qualitative research on gender norms and intersectional vulnerabilities affecting girls and women in the three provinces of Cabo Delgado, Nampula, and Niassa to understand barriers and enablers of their participation, leadership, agency, and protection within peace, recovery, and resilience processes.
2. Identify strategic entry points to advance women’s leadership and participation in local governance, peace mechanisms, recovery initiatives, and community-based resilience initiatives and structures.
3. Develop evidence-based practical strategies and recommendations grounded in local realities to strengthen women’s participation and leadership within peacebuilding, resilience systems, and socio-economic decision-making spaces. 

Task C:
1. Produce a comprehensive analytical report and summary consolidating findings from the stakeholder mapping, community structures assessment, and gender norms analysis, including:
2. Clear, actionable recommendations grounded in local realities to strengthen women’s participation and leadership within peacebuilding, resilience systems, and leadership and decision-making spaces tailored to each province.
3. Redefined and prioritized actions for piloting interventions that enhance women’s leadership, socioeconomic empowerment, and participation in peace and resilience mechanisms.
4. A practical action plan outlining short, medium, and long-term steps, responsible actors, and feasibility considerations.

Duties and Responsibilities 

Under the supervision of the Women, Peace and Security Programme Officer, the National Consultant will be responsible for the following: 

Phase 1 — Inception and Desk Review 

• Review existing literature, reports, and data relevant to the WPS agenda, humanitarian response, and gender dynamics in Cabo Delgado and Niassa.
• Develop and submit an inception report detailing the proposed methodology, data collection tools, workplan, and timeline, for UN Women review and approval. 
• Note that the survey is expected to also generate quantitative and qualitative information about the socio-economic context of the country or the target provinces, profiles of internally displaced women and girls, and provide information on socio-cultural norms and practices that affect GEWE in conflict and humanitarian settings. Refine tools and approach based on feedback before fieldwork. Phase 2 — Fieldwork and Primary Data Collection Conduct key informant interviews (KIIs) with government officials, UN agencies, NGOs, civil society organizations, and community leaders in the target districts. 
• Facilitate focus group discussions (FGDs) with women and girls, including internally displaced persons, women with disabilities, and women from marginalized communities, to capture lived experiences and intersectional perspectives. 
• Map and assess the functionality, inclusivity, and gender responsiveness of existing community structures. Conduct a socio-economic assessment of livelihood opportunities and barriers facing women in the two districts. Phase 3 — Analysis, Reporting, and Recommendations 
• Analyze all primary and secondary data using a gender and intersectional lens. 
• Produce all required outputs as detailed in Section 5, including the final comprehensive report and executive summary. 
• Present findings to UN Women and key stakeholders for validation and feedback. 
• Incorporate feedback and submit final, approved versions of all deliverables. Cross-cutting responsibilities 
• Ensure all research activities are conducted in accordance with ethical standards, including informed consent, confidentiality and do-no-harm principles. 
• Apply a survivor-centred and trauma-informed approach throughout data collection, particularly in conflict-affected and displacement settings. 
• Maintain regular communication with UN Women throughout the assignment and flag any challenges or risks on time.

Deliverables

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel 

This is a home-based consultancy. As part of this assignment, there will be a maximum of 2 trips to Pemba, Cabo Delgado, and Niassa Provinces.

Intended Users 

The findings and recommendations produced under this consultancy are intended for the following audiences:
– UN Women WLP project management team and Country Office senior management
– UN Women Regional Office
– The donor of the project (JICA)
– National and provincial government partners
– Implementing partners and civil society organizations engaged in WPS programming in Mozambique
– Other development partners and stakeholders active in the humanitarian and peacebuilding response in northern Mozambique

Competencies :

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

• 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: 

Functional Competencies:

* Familiarity with gender and peacebuilding
* Strong knowledge of Gender Equality and Women Empowerment
*A good and powerful speaker
* Strong social and emotional intelligence
* Strong analytical skills
* Ability to identify and analyze trends and opportunities

Required Qualifications

Education and Certification:
Post-Graduate degree (Master’s) in development studies, statistics, gender studies, economics, social science, peace and security studies, rural development, or other related fields
 

Experience:
1.Minimum of 7 years of relevant professional experience in gender analysis, socio-economic research, stakeholder mapping, or peacebuilding in humanitarian or development contexts.
2.Demonstrated experience conducting qualitative and mixed-methods research, including KIIs and FGDs, in complex and conflict-affected settings.
3.Strong knowledge of the Women, Peace, and Security agenda, gender-responsive programming, and intersectionality frameworks.
4.Prior experience working in northern Mozambique, particularly in Cabo Delgado or Niassa, is a significant asset.
5.Familiarity with UN systems, development partner coordination mechanisms, and civil society ecosystems in Mozambique.

Other skills
– Sound understanding of the social and cultural reality of Mozambique and the region, in particular, traditional norms affecting gender equality.
– Sound understanding of the functioning of government structures in Mozambique.
– Knowledge of the national gender machinery, women’s organizations, policies, and legislation on GEWE.
– Experience with remote research and in emergency contexts is a strong asset.

Languages:
– Fluency in Portuguese and English.
– Knowledge of the local Language is an asset

Statements :

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.

Diversity and inclusion:

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.