UN Women Hiring: Gender-Responsive Finance Expert | Home-Based International Consultancy

📍Location: Home-Based
🕓 Duration: April – August 2025 (40 working days)
💼 Job Type: International Consultancy
📅 Deadline to Apply: April 21, 2025 (05:59 AM GMT)
🔗 Job ID: 25717
💰 Travel: Up to two country missions (Antigua & Barbuda, Saint Lucia – covered by UN Women)

Are you passionate about sustainable development, gender equality, and financial inclusion in the Caribbean? UN Women is seeking an experienced Gender-Responsive Finance Expert to support strategic and inclusive financial solutions for women-led MSMEs across the region. This consultancy is an opportunity to drive change by building the capacity of financial institutions and empowering women entrepreneurs with the tools they need to thrive.

✨ About UN Women and the MCO-Caribbean

UN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. Through its Multi-Country Office (MCO) for the Caribbean, it covers 22 English and Dutch-speaking countries and territories, tackling deep-rooted inequalities exacerbated by socio-economic and environmental challenges.

Although the Caribbean has seen progress in women’s education and employment, access to finance remains a barrier for women, particularly in the MSME sector. UN Women aims to change that by developing innovative financing pathways and building resilience among women-owned businesses.

🔍 Consultancy Overview: What You’ll Do

As the Gender-Responsive Finance Expert, you will:

• Develop and implement a strategy for promoting gender-lens investing in the Caribbean.

• Strengthen the capacity of financial institutions (FIs) in Antigua & Barbuda and Saint Lucia to design and offer gender-responsive financial products.

• Provide practical training and guidance to women-owned MSMEs to access and utilize digital financial solutions.

• Conduct public forums and workshops that support inclusive finance systems.

📌 Key Responsibilities & Deliverables

Your work will be structured across nine key deliverables from May to July 2025, including:

1. Inception Report & Strategy – Outline your approach and draft an engagement plan to advance gender-lens investing.

2. Capacity Building with Financial Institutions – Conduct workshops, adapt training materials, and facilitate public forums in both target countries.

3. Support to Women MSMEs – Deliver skills-based training on digital payments and financial solutions to at least 120 MSME owners.

4. Follow-Up Support – Offer tailored technical assistance to FIs and MSMEs post-training.

5. Final Report – Summarize impact, outcomes, and lessons learned.

📅 Start Date: May 1, 2025
📅 End Date: July 18, 2025
✈️ Travel: Two missions (expenses covered by UN Women)
📄 Final payment disbursed upon satisfactory completion of deliverables.

✅ Who Should Apply? | Required Qualifications

🔹 Education:

• Advanced degree in Finance, Sustainable Development, Gender Studies, or related fields.

🔹 Experience:

• Minimum 10 years in sustainable financing for MSMEs.

• At least 5 years working with gender-responsive finance.

• At least 2 years delivering capacity-building initiatives.

• Experience with Caribbean stakeholders or Small Island Developing States is an asset.

• Prior work with UN agencies or international organizations is a plus.

🔹 Skills:

• Strong networks with financial actors in the Caribbean.

• Strategic thinker with excellent communication and reporting skills.

• Culturally sensitive and committed to UN values.

🔹 Languages:

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.

🌱 Why This Role Matters

Women in the Caribbean are entrepreneurial yet underrepresented in access to finance. This role directly contributes to:

• Creating equitable access to finance.

• Supporting inclusive economic recovery post-COVID-19.

• Strengthening resilience and sustainability of MSMEs led by women and youth.

• Promoting digital transformation for grassroots businesses.

This consultancy is ideal for someone who believes in inclusive economies, enjoys stakeholder engagement, and wants to make a tangible impact in a vibrant and diverse region.

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👉 Applications must be submitted through UN Women’s job portal: UN Careers Portal
🗓 Deadline: April 21, 2025, 05:59 AM (GMT)
💡 Pro tip: Don’t wait till the last minute—UN platforms often receive heavy traffic near deadlines!

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⚠️ Important Notes

• Consultancy is home-based with expected availability via email and internet-based communication.

• UN Women strongly encourages subcontracting part of the work to national experts in Antigua & Barbuda or Saint Lucia (up to 50% of tasks, with prior approval).

• UN Women practices zero-tolerance for sexual exploitation, abuse, and discrimination.

Final Thoughts

This opportunity offers more than just a consulting contract—it’s a chance to contribute to inclusive economic development, elevate Caribbean women entrepreneurs, and build stronger financial ecosystems.

🌟 If you’re ready to use your financial and gender expertise to uplift communities and create systemic change—apply now!

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