What are the responsibilities and job description for the Gender and Assistive Technology Consultant position at UNDP Careers?
Background
JOB DESCRIPTION
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.
Assistive Technology (AT) is a critical enabler of inclusivity and empowerment for individuals with disabilities, facilitating access to education, employment, and social participation. AT enhances the quality of life by promoting independence, dignity, and productivity, making it an essential tool in achieving gender equality and social inclusion.
However, despite the transformative potential of AT, access remains highly unequal, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where fewer than 10% of individuals have access to the AT they need. Women and girls with disabilities are disproportionately affected by this gap. Data indicates that 64% of women with disabilities lack access to necessary AT. Gender-based biases, cultural norms, and economic disparities further exacerbate these inequalities, limiting women's and girls’ opportunities for education, employment, and social participation.
Existing policies and programs often fail to incorporate gender-responsive approaches to AT provision. The absence of targeted interventions perpetuates systemic barriers that hinder women and girls from fully benefiting from AT. The development of a Policy Brief on Assistive Technology for Women and Girls is intended to address these challenges by providing evidence-based recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders. This contributes to both Gender Equality and Disability Inclusion agenda in sync with Beijing Declaration (BDFfA).
Objective: The assignment's specific objective is to generate best practice knowledge and key lessons on assistive technology for women and girls, as well as identifying policies and strategies to improve access to and the effectiveness of assistive technology for women and girls with disabilities in a range of settings.
Description Of Responsibilities /Scope Of Work
The consultant will undertake the following tasks to develop a comprehensive and high-quality policy brief:
Task 1: Literature Review & Situational Analysis
CONSULTANT MILESTONES AND TIMELINE
Milestone Description Timeline
Inceptions Literature Review Report
(Milestone payment 10%) Conduct a desk review of existing research, policies, and frameworks on assistive technology (AT) and gender. Identify key barriers, trends, and opportunities. 15-20 March 2025
Stakeholder Consultation
(Milestone payment 20%) Engage with experts, policymakers, OPDs, AT industry representatives, and women with disabilities. Conduct interviews, focus groups, and expert roundtables. Compile key findings in a consultation report 3-4 pages. 15 April 2025
Draft Policy Brief
(Milestone payment 30%) Develop the first draft of the policy brief incorporating findings from the literature review and stakeholder consultations. Ensure gender-responsive and evidence-based policy recommendations. Submit for review and feedback. 23 April 2025
Piloting of Policy Brief in Regions/Countries
(Milestone payment 20%) Identify interested Regional and Country Offices to pilot the policy brief. Conduct testing, stakeholder consultations, and validation workshops to assess feasibility and refine recommendations. Prepare a summary report on piloting outcomes. 15 May 2025
Revised Policy Brief & Policy Flyer
(Milestone payment 10%) Integrate feedback from peer review, piloting, and expert consultations to finalize the policy brief. Develop an advocacy-focused policy flyer and power point summarizing key findings and recommendations. Ensure materials are accessible and user-friendly. 1-30 June 2025
Final Presentation to UN Women & Stakeholders
(Milestone payment 10%) Present final findings, policy recommendations, and implementation strategies to UN Women and key stakeholders. Support dissemination efforts and launch activities at the Conference of States Parties (CoSP) in June 2025. 1 June -30 August 2025 (CoSP Launch)
Competencies
Core Values:
Functional Competencies
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.)
JOB DESCRIPTION
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.
Assistive Technology (AT) is a critical enabler of inclusivity and empowerment for individuals with disabilities, facilitating access to education, employment, and social participation. AT enhances the quality of life by promoting independence, dignity, and productivity, making it an essential tool in achieving gender equality and social inclusion.
However, despite the transformative potential of AT, access remains highly unequal, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where fewer than 10% of individuals have access to the AT they need. Women and girls with disabilities are disproportionately affected by this gap. Data indicates that 64% of women with disabilities lack access to necessary AT. Gender-based biases, cultural norms, and economic disparities further exacerbate these inequalities, limiting women's and girls’ opportunities for education, employment, and social participation.
Existing policies and programs often fail to incorporate gender-responsive approaches to AT provision. The absence of targeted interventions perpetuates systemic barriers that hinder women and girls from fully benefiting from AT. The development of a Policy Brief on Assistive Technology for Women and Girls is intended to address these challenges by providing evidence-based recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders. This contributes to both Gender Equality and Disability Inclusion agenda in sync with Beijing Declaration (BDFfA).
Objective: The assignment's specific objective is to generate best practice knowledge and key lessons on assistive technology for women and girls, as well as identifying policies and strategies to improve access to and the effectiveness of assistive technology for women and girls with disabilities in a range of settings.
- Identifying Key Challenges – Documenting gender-specific barriers faced by women and girls in accessing, developing, and commercializing AT. This will look at assistive technology in a range of settings and contexts, including schools, workplaces and homes.
- Assess Policy Gaps – Reviewing existing policies and identifying gaps in gender-responsive AT provision.
- Compiling Case Studies and Best Practices – Analyzing empirical evidence and successful models that enhance AT access for women and girls.
- Identifying Research Needs – Highlighting areas requiring further study to support future policy development.
- Developing Policy Recommendations – Providing actionable, evidence-based strategies to improve AT accessibility for women and girls in education, employment, and social participation.
Description Of Responsibilities /Scope Of Work
The consultant will undertake the following tasks to develop a comprehensive and high-quality policy brief:
Task 1: Literature Review & Situational Analysis
- Conduct a desk review of existing national and international policies on AT, with a focus on gender considerations.
- Analyse statistical data and research studies on AT access disparities between men and women and put together tables
- Identify barriers to AT access, including economic, cultural, and structural factors that impact women and girls.
- Develop an initial literature review for the first part of the policy report.
- Engage with key stakeholders, including government agencies, AT manufacturers, advocacy groups, and organizations of people with disabilities (OPDs) including network of women and gilrs with disabilities.
- Consult within different contexts including educational settings, workplaces, disability service providers and in health settings. The research and consultations also need to include groups of women and girls with diverse disabilities, including – psycho-social, physical disability intellectual disabilities, sensory disabilities and neurodevelopment disabilities.
- Conduct interviews or focus group discussions with women and girls with disabilities to document lived experiences and challenges.
- Upon completion, organize expert roundtables to discuss policy interventions and promising practices.
- Examine the best global practices and successful models for enhancing gender-responsive AT policies.
- Identify case studies from various regions and socioeconomic contexts where AT access for women and girls has been effectively improved, including AT in a range of settings. Capture interviews and images that can be used in knowledge products.
- Draft a concise, evidence-based policy brief with key findings, case studies, and policy recommendations. The product should be 20-30 pages.
- Ensure the brief is aligned with international frameworks on gender equality and disability inclusion, including the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Present draft findings to UN Women and stakeholders for feedback and refinement. This may require several rounds of edits.
- Prepare one shortened version – tip sheet/flyer that summarizes best practices 3-5 pages.
- Identify interested Regional and Country Offices to participate in piloting, based on an Expression of Interest (EoI) process.
- Work with national and regional counterparts to test and validate policy recommendations in 1-2 different country contexts.
- Facilitate stakeholder consultations and workshops in selected pilot countries to assess the feasibility and applicability of the recommendations.
- Gather feedback and lessons learned to refine the policy brief and enhance its practical usability for policymakers and practitioners.
- Document best practices, case studies, and policy adjustments identified during the piloting phase.
- Prepare a summary report on piloting outcomes to inform final revisions of the policy brief.
- Integrate feedback from stakeholder consultations, pilot initiatives, and expert reviews into the final policy brief.
- Prepare a final, publication-ready policy brief, an accompanying policy flyer, and a PowerPoint presentation for advocacy and programming.
- Support dissemination efforts, including contributing to launch activities, policy dialogue etc. at the Conference of States Parties (CoSP) in June 2025 and any other opportune event(s).
CONSULTANT MILESTONES AND TIMELINE
Milestone Description Timeline
Inceptions Literature Review Report
(Milestone payment 10%) Conduct a desk review of existing research, policies, and frameworks on assistive technology (AT) and gender. Identify key barriers, trends, and opportunities. 15-20 March 2025
Stakeholder Consultation
(Milestone payment 20%) Engage with experts, policymakers, OPDs, AT industry representatives, and women with disabilities. Conduct interviews, focus groups, and expert roundtables. Compile key findings in a consultation report 3-4 pages. 15 April 2025
Draft Policy Brief
(Milestone payment 30%) Develop the first draft of the policy brief incorporating findings from the literature review and stakeholder consultations. Ensure gender-responsive and evidence-based policy recommendations. Submit for review and feedback. 23 April 2025
Piloting of Policy Brief in Regions/Countries
(Milestone payment 20%) Identify interested Regional and Country Offices to pilot the policy brief. Conduct testing, stakeholder consultations, and validation workshops to assess feasibility and refine recommendations. Prepare a summary report on piloting outcomes. 15 May 2025
Revised Policy Brief & Policy Flyer
(Milestone payment 10%) Integrate feedback from peer review, piloting, and expert consultations to finalize the policy brief. Develop an advocacy-focused policy flyer and power point summarizing key findings and recommendations. Ensure materials are accessible and user-friendly. 1-30 June 2025
Final Presentation to UN Women & Stakeholders
(Milestone payment 10%) Present final findings, policy recommendations, and implementation strategies to UN Women and key stakeholders. Support dissemination efforts and launch activities at the Conference of States Parties (CoSP) in June 2025. 1 June -30 August 2025 (CoSP Launch)
Competencies
Core Values:
- Integrity;
- Professionalism;
- Respect for Diversity.
- Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
- Accountability;
- Creative Problem Solving;
- Effective Communication;
- Inclusive Collaboration;
- Stakeholder Engagement;
- Leading by Example.
Functional Competencies
- Substantive understanding of disability Inclusion and Gender Equality.
- Strong knowledge of international disability frameworks (e.g., CRPD, SDGs).
- Exposure to working with OPDs and CSOs.
- Familiarity with assistive technology markets, funding mechanisms, and policy landscapes.
- Previous engagement in gender-focused research on disability and AT.
- Master’s degree or higher in public policy, disability studies, gender studies, social sciences, or a related field.
- A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
- A minimum 7 years of experience in policy analysis, disability rights, gender equality, or assistive technology is required.
- Experience conducting stakeholder consultations and qualitative research is required.
- Experience in developing policy briefs, research papers, or advocacy materials is required.
- Experience working with UN agencies, INGOs, or government entities is required.
- Experience of working on Assistive technology related initiative(s) is desirable.
- Fluency in English is required.
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.)
