Gender Equality Consultant NGO Job UNICEF Nairobi, Kenya

• The purpose of the consultancy is to provide the technical, facilitation and knowledge-management support that enables ASWA and other UNICEF country programmes to increasingly integrate gender-intentional approaches in their WASH programmes, while consolidating, disseminating and advocating with the evidence and practice on gender-equitable WASH generated through ASWA implementation.
• The Accelerating Sanitation and Water for All (ASWA) programme supports 8 countries [Mali, Nigeria, Niger, Cote D’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Mozambique, Tanzania and Somalia] strengthen WASH systems and accelerate progress toward universal access. The absence of gender-sensitive policies in the WASH sector leaves unaddressed the disproportionate WASH-related workload that falls on women and girls: physical burden and time loss from water collection, heightened risk of violence and harassment when travelling away from home, care burdens linked to unsafe water and poor sanitation, and negative impacts on girls’ school performance and retention where gender-separated sanitation and menstrual hygiene facilities are lacking. As stewards of water, women and girls also confront the impacts of climate change daily yet frequently lack decision-making power over water security decisions and finance commitments.
• UNICEF addresses these structural barriers through gender-intentional WASH programming in line with its Gender Equality Action Plan 2026-2029, working with governments and partners to transform the power structures that underpin unequal gender relations and norms. Under ASWA, country teams have undertaken WASH Gender Landscape Analysis (GALA) Action Plans, generating a substantial body of experience, tools and evidence on gender-intentional WASH programming.
• This consultancy provides the technical, facilitation and knowledge-management capacity to do so across three reinforcing outputs: (i) thought leadership, knowledge and evidence generation; (ii) advocacy and influence; and (iii) capacity building and technical support to country offices. As the programme moves toward consolidation, country teams need dedicated support to operationalise their gender action plans, document and learn from their work, and embed gender equality more deliberately in ASWA programming. There is also a strategic opportunity to position ASWA’s gender evidence within UNICEF’s broader global agenda — including the WASH-GAP 2030 — and to ensure lessons are shared across sectors and with the wider WASH community.

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Masters’ degree in gender studies, social sciences, public health, water and sanitation, civil engineering, international development or a related field.

Work Experience:

• At least 15 years of progressively responsible experience in WASH programming, including in integrating gender-intentional approaches in WASH programmes.

Language requirement:

• Fluency in English required;
• working knowledge of French or another UN language an asset

Skills:

• Good understanding of the global WASH international development community architecture and stakeholders, with ability to identify appropriate gender advocacy entry points.
• Experience of knowledge management, evidence generation and production of high-quality reports and knowledge products, preferably in the WASH sector.
• Experience delivering capacity building and technical assistance to country teams across multiple regions and contexts.
• Excellent facilitation, communication and advocacy skills, including representation in global interagency forums and conferences.

Desirables:

• Familiarity with the ASWA programme and the GALA methodology is a strong asset.
• Prior work experience with UNICEF or other UN organizations is an asset.

Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal, TMS (Talent Management System):

• An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
• Cover letter
• A separate financial proposal 
• Technical proposal requirement:

The consultant shall demonstrate the technical capacity, methodology, and experience to deliver the following requirements:

Requirement 1. Thought Leadership, Knowledge and Evidence Generation

The technical proposal should describe how the bidder will:

• Provide technical leadership to strengthen gender equality within the ASWA Programme through evidence generation, knowledge management and cross-sectoral collaboration.
• Engage with UNICEF Communities of Practice and facilitate collaboration across WASH, Climate, Health and Nutrition to develop joint knowledge products.
• Produce high-quality technical briefs, presentations, learning products and other knowledge resources for dissemination through webinars, conferences and other global platforms.
• Document programme experiences, lessons learned, evidence and results, including the proposed methodology for preparing a comprehensive final ASWA Report.
• Ensure that all knowledge products are technically robust, evidence-based and aligned with UNICEF quality standards

Requirement 2. Advocacy, Partnerships and Strategic Influence

The technical proposal should describe how the bidder will:

• Support UNICEF’s advocacy objectives by representing and presenting ASWA gender approaches and results at global and regional events during the consultancy period.
• Develop and communicate evidence-based advocacy messages and knowledge products that promote ASWA achievements and influence sector dialogue.
• Engage with relevant global coordination mechanisms and interagency platforms, including SWA, GTFCC, UN-Water, Green Climate Fund communities of practice and WASH-GAP 2030 initiatives.
• Capture and document outcomes from advocacy engagements through event reports, recommendations and follow-up actions.
• Design and maintain an approach for monitoring visibility, knowledge dissemination, uptake and influence of ASWA gender products, including alignment with the WASH-GAP 2030 MERV architecture.

Requirement 3. Capacity Building and Technical Support

The technical proposal should describe how the bidder will:

• Provide ongoing technical assistance to UNICEF Country Offices to strengthen implementation of gender-equitable WASH programming.
• Support implementation and monitoring of GALA Action Plans and promote replication of the GALA methodology in additional Country Offices.
• Design and deliver technical guidance, coaching, training and peer-learning activities under the WASH-GAP 2030 Shift 4 agenda and WASH Academia.
• Describe the proposed approach for providing remote technical support, quality assurance and responsive advisory services throughout the assignment.
• Outline the proposed reporting and communication approach, including regular progress reporting, documentation of technical support provided, and mechanisms for tracking results and follow-up actions.

The technical proposal should be a maximum of 10 pages.
Deadline: 19 Aug 2026 E. Africa Standard Time

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