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.

Placing women’s rights at the centre of its efforts, UN Women is mandated to lead and coordinate United Nations’ system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming are translated into action. It is also mandated to provide strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

As the UN agency with the mandate to work on gender equality, UN Women is responsible for leading and coordinating United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world and at the country level. UN Women is also expected to provide strong and coherent leadership in support of countries’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society, the nodal government agency, private sector and other relevant actors.

The pandemic of COVID-19 has global implications, more so for women and girls. We are living through not just public health crisis but also socio-economic. Access to health and sanitation infrastructure and mobility constraints are existing challenges to response and prevention of COVID-19, coupled with its differential impact on women and girls. Learnings from previous epidemics such as the Ebola and Zika outbreaks have shown that it magnifies all existing inequalities, including the intersections with economic status, ability, age and gender. In current situation, isolation has deep rooted impact on gender equality. Anecdotal data and media reports on COVID-19 impact suggests high levels of violence against women, loss of jobs and income and increasing vulnerabilities for women and girls.

Emerging evidence on several ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic may impact women and girls uniquely and disproportionately:

COVID-19 has affected women, girls, boys, men and people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities (SOGI), belonging to various social groups differently. Due to pre-existing gender, age, class and caste discriminations, unequal access to and control of resources, and other socio-economic disadvantages, women and girls, SOGI, persons living with disabilities (PLWD), the elderly, female-headed households (FHHs), migrant workers, women farmers, as well as Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) populations are among groups which have been disproportionally affected by the crisis, and have different and uneven levels of resilience and capacities to recover.

Increase in Domestic Violence: Violence against women remains a major global public health and women’s health threat during emergencies. 1 in 3 women worldwide still experience physical or sexual violence mostly by an intimate partner. In India, the global data is complemented by the recently concluded (2015-2016) NFHS-4 data at the national level which shows that 28.8% of ever-married women have experienced spousal violence. The NFHS-4 data on ever-married women who have experienced violence during pregnancy showed 3.3% overall, the percentage being higher for rural areas (3.5%) as compared to urban areas (2.9%).  Anecdotal data indicates increased household tension and domestic violence due to forced coexistence, economic stress, and fears about the virus. The COVID-19 outbreak has also limited women’s access to support services for survivors, particularly in the health, police and justice sector. They have also highlighted limited access to vital sexual and reproductive health services, including for women subjected to violence, and scaling down of services, such as hotlines, crisis centers, shelters, legal aid, and protection services, thereby reducing access to the few sources of help that women in abusive relationships might have.

Public space and workplace violence: With certain ambiguity around COVID-19, its implication and preventions, the stress amongst people places a threat of violence and discrimination against those tested positive, migrant population, particular ethnicity, frontline workers and healthcare workers and law protection officers. In India, there have been reports of physical and verbal attacks against frontline healthcare workers. Healthcare workers from identified hotspots in the country have raised concerns about attacks against doctors, nurses and ASHA workers as COVID-19 overwhelms health resources and patients’ families become increasingly anxious. Healthcare workers have also been harassed in public spaces. Media reports highlighted safety threat for internal migrant population with use of force to stop their movement and spray disinfectant before crossing borders. Anecdotal reports of targeted attacks against women of different ethnic origin has also surfaced. In Delhi and Bengaluru, for example, female students from northeast India were verbally harassed, had objects thrown at their private parts and their attackers shouted ‘Aye, coronavirus!’ While there is lack of data on the gendered nature of violence, learning from previous epidemic and media reports indicate that most violence is targeted at women.

Violence in online spaces:  Multiple biased behaviours surface during crisis, using popular mediums to penetrate hate messages. Vulnerabilities rise with use of internet. In India, according to a recent study by Child Rights and You, over 9.2% of 630 adolescents surveyed in Delhi-National Capital Region had experienced cyberbullying. Violent trolling against (possible) COVID-positive persons, attacks on media personnel, essential service providers and online food delivery providers, and abuse of select ethnicity in India has been documented.  

Increasing economic insecurity and employment crisis: Experience from previous quarantines shows that quarantines significantly reduce economic and livelihood activities. This translates into reduced employment, increase in poverty rates, and exacerbating food security issues. In India 93% of women are engaged in the informal sector and unskilled jobs with low wages, that contributes to almost 50% to the economy. Women in the unorganised sector are often the most marginalised—working as daily labour or with contracts that provide no security. They are women of colour, migrants, single, agricultural labourers and construction workers, domestic workers and home-based workers belong to lower castes and minorities. Evidence already points to them as first ones to lose their livelihoods, both in the immediate period, and then for as long as it takes for the economy to return to normalcy. This coupled with gender pay gap and traditional care responsibility, women remain first to lose jobs and last to return back. 

Increasing Risks to Health: As reported by UNFPA, the COVID-19 pandemic could have serious consequences for women’s health. Guiding social norms and cultural practices put women and girls at greater health risks, since they are the last to receive medical assistance or timely care in any crisis situation. With the C-Virus testing the resilience of health-care system and women dominated first-hand healthcare structures, frontline healthcare workers are at increased risk of getting infected. Further, women’s traditional role as caregivers makes them vulnerable as they become responsible for disease-prevention at house-hold level. It is further recognised that the pandemic has severely disrupted access to life-saving sexual and reproductive health services.

The Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Socio Economic Impact study is an endeavour of the UN Women to contribute to the larger UN in India Study and Response plan from a gender perspective. The findings of the study proposed by UN Women will inform response actions and recommendations to build back better India, in alignment with the to the Government of India’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study will also facilitate strong linkages among international organizations, governmental authorities, CSOs and other stakeholders.

With this context, UN Women seeks to recruit a Consultant to lead the Socio-Economic Impact Study and provide concurrent and analytical support for the research. The objective of this consultancy is to carry out a gender responsive socio-economic analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on women and girls, identify emerging needs and opportunities to strengthen response and support for recovery. Further, it also aims at supporting the government efforts to minimise social impact through risk communication and community engagement.

Objective and Methodology

The study is focused on the social and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women and girls, especially from the most vulnerable groups. For the purpose of this study the focus will mainly be on women in the informal sector, measuring impact on their livelihood/employment, food and nutrition security and social dimensions such as unpaid and care work, gender-based violence, health care, sanitation etc. Through the proposed research on implications of COVID-19 on women, the study is expected to propose policy and programmatic action-based recommendations for gender sensitive response to COVID-19, in line with the Government of India’s recovery and rehabilitation strategy.

The socio-economic impact study will adopt mixed methods approach and collect qualitative and quantitative data that complement each other. The study will look at secondary resources available through research and surveys conducted by the Government of India, UN Agencies, Civil Society Organisations and women’s groups. Primary data collection would be carried out for this study through online surveys and focused group discussions with stakeholders from different sectors/ social groups. Anecdotal approach will also be used, to allow women and girls and their families to voice their life experiences with COVID-19, by collecting and documenting their stories as part of this study.

Under the overall UN Framework for the Socio-Economic Response to COVID-19, the scope of work of the study is as follows: 

• Examine the gender dimension of the outbreak, particularly the extent to which women and girls are affected, and the impact on their socio-economic conditions
• Measure the socio-economic impact of the pandemic, including loss of employment and disruptions of livelihoods, access to safety nets, health and wellbeing and effects on gender based violence and unpaid work.
• Make necessary policy recommendations to address the established gaps and losses. ?  

Duties and Responsibilities

UN Women seeks the services of a gender expert who will provide technical advisory and support to UN Women India Office in conducting socio-economic impact study of the COVID-19 outbreak. In close coordination with the Intergovernmental Process and Women, Peace & Security Analyst, the Expert will work to mainstream gender in planned assessment, provide technical inputs to methodology for the study, undertake review of secondary resources and develop the study report. The specific activities that they will need to perform include but are not limited to:

• Contribute technical in the development of methodology and structure for the study, including inputs to the primary data collection tools.
• Provide remote webinars/trainings to survey teams to ensure gender perspective is integrated;
• Hold consultative meetings and group discussions with relevant stakeholders;
• Support in leveraging expertise and liaison with existing networks and women’s groups to ensure the full participation of the stakeholders – Civil Society Organisations, Government, Women’s Groups, Academia, Media etc. and LNOB groups (Leave No One Behind Groups – Marginalised communities and most vulnerable population groups) in all discussions to identify and articulate their needs and priorities through participatory process;
• Undertake a desk review of existing policy documents and data and knowledge resources and correlate with primary data collected to build evidence on gendered impact of COVID-19;
• Prepare a strategy note with recommendations for strengthening gender sensitive response to COVID-19;
• Document good practices and case studies of gendered impact of COVID-19 as part of the review process;
• Develop study report from impact assessments, including recommendations for different types of interventions, accommodating urgent needs for affected women in the short, medium and long-term;
• Lead the coordination and development of the assessment and report.

Deliverables:

In consultation with and under the guidance of the UN Women India Office, the Expert will produce the following deliverables:

• Develop a work plan and methodology for undertaking the Study.
• Consultative meetings with relevant stakeholders.  
• Strategy note with recommendations for strengthening gender sensitive response to COVID-19.
• Gender-responsive socioeconomic impact study and findings, recommendations;
• Report on data collection, surveys/ interviews done during the development of the report.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates commitment to UN Women’s mission, vision and values;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional Competencies:

Knowledge Management and Learning:

• Shares knowledge and experience;
• Actively works towards continuing personal learning, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills.

Development and Operational Effectiveness:

• Ability to perform a variety of specialized tasks related to design, planning and implementation of programme, managing data, reporting;
• Ability to provide input to and use new IT based systems.

Leadership and Self-Management:

• Focuses on result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Remains calm, in control even under pressure;
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
• Good understanding of gender and development in South Asia;
• Demonstrable ability to work in a team;
• Ability to work under pressure;
• Good writing and communication skills;
• Excellent computer literacy and skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Social Science, Political Sciences, Public Administration, International Relations, Journalism, Gender Studies, or related field.

Experience:

• Minimum 8 years of relevant experience on gender and development.
• Sustained experience on engendering policies and programmes related to ending violence against women, economic rights and justice and women’s health.
• Analytical ability to articulate research findings with concrete recommendations.
• Ability to work independently and with minimal supervision
• Familiarity with national gender policies and programmes – CEDAW; Beijing Platform for Action; gender equality initiatives; human rights frameworks;
• Previous work experience with UN agencies are considered an advantage.

Language:

• Fluency in English.
• Strong written skills in English and good command over Hindi.

Application:

Interested applicants should apply to this announcement through UNDP jobs site: jobs.undp.org

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications in one single PDF document:

• All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded http://asiapacific.unwomen.org/en/about-us/jobs ;
• Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment, please combine all your documents into one (1) single PDF document. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment;
• Applications received after the close date will not be accepted;
• Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Evaluation and Selection Criteria

Criteria for shortlisting of CVs will be based on the following assessment:

• Required Degree and Qualification (5 points);
• Expertise and Experience relevant to the assignment (10 points);
• Demonstrable experience on gender policy advocacy & programme (5 points);

The evaluation process for selection of the candidate will be based on the following assessment:

• Writing Samples (30 points)
• Interview (70 points)

Please Note:

• For an assignment requiring travel, consultants of 65 years or more require full medical examination and statement of fitness to work to engage in the consultancy.
• Due to large number of potential applicants, only competitively selected candidates will be contacted for remaining steps of the service procurement process.

Note:

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.