International Consultant to Develop the Background Paper and Common Africa Position for the 71st Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 71)

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.

Objectives of the Consultancy

• Develop a comprehensive background report on accelerating gender equality and women's empowerment in the context of the 2030 Agenda in Africa, grounded in African legal and policy frameworks and practices.
• Ensure the background report and Common Africa Position are explicitly aligned with Africa's broader policy frameworks, and Agenda 2063, thereby situating the accelerated achievement of gender equality and the 2030 Agenda within the continent's long-term development priorities.
• Support the drafting of agendas for expert and ministerial consultations.
• Contribute to and support the drafting of the Common Africa Position Paper for CSW 71, with action-oriented recommendations.

Description of Responsibilities / Scope of Work

• Conduct a comprehensive literature review and desk research on the CSW 71 priority theme (accelerating gender equality in the context of the 2030 Agenda) and review theme (gender equality and climate change/disaster risk reduction).
• Identify and map relevant organizations, institutions, and experts with expertise on the theme who could engage in and contribute to the process.
• Prepare the background document for Africa's pre-CSW 71 consultations, covering key thematic areas including: progress and gaps in SDG implementation in Africa with gender-disaggregated analysis; women's economic empowerment, poverty reduction, and financial inclusion; women's political participation and decision-making; gender dimensions of climate change, environmental policy, and disaster risk reduction; women in humanitarian emergencies; the care economy and unpaid care work; data, statistics, and accountability for gender equality under the SDGs; financing for gender equality; and linkages to Agenda 2063.
• Ensure that all outputs (background document, agendas, and the draft Common Africa Position) are explicitly aligned with continental frameworks such as the Maputo Protocol and Agenda 2063, and reflect synergies with global commitments including CEDAW and the SDGs, and that inputs and comments are incorporated.
• Support the development of the agenda for both the Expert and Ministerial level consultations.
• Prepare the draft Africa Position Document for pre-CSW 71.
• Facilitate the incorporation of Member State and civil society perspectives into the process to ensure the Common Africa Position reflects broad ownership and actionable priorities.
• Prepare a report capturing key points from both the Experts Group Meeting and Ministerial consultations.