This consultancy role is crucial for accelerating the implementation and impact of the Women in Leadership (WIL) component of the National Policy on Women Economic Empowerment (NPWEE) in Kenya. The consultant will be responsible for programme management, capacity building, strategic policy advocacy, research, and resource mobilization.
Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work
1. Programme Implementation, Monitoring, and Reporting
- Re-align and update the NPWEE project costed workplan to enable accelerated implementation and delivery of planned outputs.
- Support monitoring and reporting on the progress of NPWEE implementation across counties and stakeholder groups, consolidating data for quarterly, donor, and UNINFO reporting.
- Support donor visibility and reporting efforts by documenting outcomes from high-level dialogues, trainings, and county engagements to demonstrate return on investment and partnership impact.
- Support and manage initiatives that promote women's political participation, with a focus on gender-responsive electoral support and women's leadership in public and private governance.
2. Capacity Building and Technical Support
- Support the sensitization of 16 County Gender Sector Working Groups on Women Economic Empowerment Policy – WIL component.
- Train women leaders in the private sector to advocate for implementation of the NPWEE.
- Support dialogues on mentorship, training, and participation of women in leadership and decision-making, especially in the economics and business, law, and health sectors.
- Conduct workshops/trainings to increase the capacity of women leaders in the economic sector on the provisions of the NPWEE and to monitor and track the implementation of the NPWEE.
- Conduct workshops/training to increase the capacity of women leadership in the national and county assembly and county executive level to support the implementation of the NPWEE.
- Coordinate the development and implementation of a strategy on capacity development for different target groups engaged in elections and women’s political participation.
- Representation in meetings with elections stakeholders as needed.
3. Policy Advocacy and Strategic Influence
- Facilitate high-level dialogues with Permanent Secretaries, Cabinet Secretaries, and relevant Parliamentary committees, Council of Governors, and G7 to discuss and drive awareness for the implementation of the policy document and promote inter-ministerial coordination.
- Hold a breakfast meeting with the Parliamentary Committee on Social Protection and members of KEWOPA to rally support for the implementation of the Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Policy and seek support for developing the sessional paper.
- Hold a breakfast meeting with the Council of Governors Gender Committee and the G7 on the NPWEE to support domestication at the county level.
- Support strategic advocacy and media engagements with counties and national actors to ensure NPWEE is mainstreamed into local development and budgeting processes.
- Provide strategic advisory services and technical support to UN Women and its partners on women’s political participation and UN electoral assistance programming, monitoring, and reporting.
- Coordinate technical assistance and targeted advocacy to national electoral stakeholders to promote women’s equal representation in decision making.
4. Research, Knowledge Management, and Communication
- Develop a multiyear programme strategy on Women’s Political Participation (WPP) including key areas on gender-responsive electoral support and women’s political participation beyond elections.
- Mapping of women in leadership positions in the economic sector-related MDAs at the national level to guide WEE-related interventions.
- Conduct media engagements to create awareness and support local support for NPWEE with local radio stations in 16 counties.
- Document and disseminate lessons learned and best practices from the county sensitizations, training, and advocacy initiatives.
5. Resource Mobilization and Partnership Development
- Identify and engage partners to support NPWEE–WIL implementation through co-financing, joint advocacy, or technical assistance.
- Develop investment briefs and concept notes demonstrating the value of supporting NPWEE implementation, women’s leadership, and gender-responsive governance.
Qualifications and Experience
Education:
- Master’s degree or equivalent in Gender Studies, Public Policy, Political Science, Development Studies, Economics, or a related field is required.
- A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience:
- At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in the areas of women’s leadership, gender equality, governance, or women’s economic empowerment.
- Experience in designing and implementing programmes that advance women’s participation in governance or decision-making at national and county levels.
- Proven experience in policy analysis, advocacy, and institutional capacity development, preferably in collaboration with government institutions or intergovernmental mechanisms.
- Demonstrated track record in facilitating multi-stakeholder coordination and partnerships, including with government, private sector, and civil society.
- Experience with UN agencies or international organizations will be considered an asset.
