Gender in Humanitarian Action and WPHF Programme Analyst, Home-Based with travel to Afghanistan, International Consultant.

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.

UN Women has been working in Afghanistan since 2002 (as UNIFEM until 2010). Afghanistan has emerged as one of the world’s most complex emergencies. The crisis dynamics in the country are multi-layered, and Afghanistan’s people are facing the devastating effects of successive decades of conflict, increasing poverty, economic decline and natural disasters, all of which are amplified by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As per the Humanitarian Response Plan 2022, 24.4 million Afghans – more than half of the country’s estimated population of 42 million – are projected to be in need of humanitarian assistance in 2022, with a staggering 55 per cent of the population expected to face crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity. In this context, Afghan women and girls face unique vulnerabilities as gender inequality is interwoven with conflict dynamics and humanitarian needs. Women’s fundamental rights have been continually threatened since the Taliban takeover and the limited gains made over the past twenty years are now at risk of being erased – and at worst regressed. The contest around gender norms remains at the center of the political, peace and security landscape in Afghanistan, putting women and girls at the frontlines of this crisis. Responding to this crisis, the UN Women Afghanistan Country Office is consolidating its programming under the humanitarian-peace-development nexus, anchored in the Country Office Strategic Note (2018-2022), and continues to deliver on its triple mandate across four thematic areas: 1) Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action; 2) Ending Violence Against Women; 3) Women Economic Empowerment; and 4) Women’s Leadership and Participation. UN Women Afghanistan thereby capitalizes on its five Sub-Offices located in the provinces Balkh, Bamyan, Herat, Kandahar and Nangarhar respectively, and is part of inter-agency Joint UN initiatives, such as the Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (STFA). 

The Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) is a global partnership that mobilizes resources to support local women’s organizations in fostering peace and responding to humanitarian crises. WPHF works to amplify the voices of women in conflict-affected regions, ensuring their active participation in peacebuilding and humanitarian efforts. In Afghanistan, WPHF plays a crucial role in empowering women-led organizations and strengthening gender-responsive humanitarian action.

To enhance operational efficiency and ensure smooth implementation of WPHF activities, UN Women seeks a full-time consultant to provide technical, coordination and administrative support to the WPHF portfolio. Reporting to the GIHA Programme Manager and in close coordination with the WPHF Secretariat, grantees, and key partners, the consultant will be home-based but will have regular missions to Kabul to facilitate in-person coordination with stakeholders, and other related tasks outlined in the TOR.

Description of Responsibilities /Scope of Work

Support the development and planning of WPHF initiatives 

• Contribute to the design and planning of WPHF-funded programme activities, ensuring alignment with UN Women’s humanitarian strategy and WPHF operational modalities. 
• Assist in identifying needs and opportunities to strengthen women-led organizations’ leadership in humanitarian action. 
• Draft background notes, briefs, and concept notes to inform programme planning and donor engagement. 
• Support the development of tools and templates to guide partners in proposal design, implementation, and monitoring. 

 Assist in the implementation and coordination of WPHF-funded programmes 

• Support the preparation and tracking of annual workplans and budgets. 
• Assist in coordinating day-to-day programme implementation and partner support. 
• Contribute to the preparation of donor reports and internal documentation by compiling and analyzing programme results, outputs, and challenges. 
• Liaise with the operations team to support timely implementation and procurement processes related to WPHF. 

 Provide technical and coordination support to women-led organizations 

• Maintain regular contact with WPHF grantees to provide technical assistance and address operational challenges. 
• Support capacity-building efforts for implementing partners, including organizing training sessions and knowledge-sharing opportunities. 
• Assist pa