Background:
The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) is mandated to support UN Member States in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women in alignment with international standards. In the Philippines, this includes strengthening institutional capacities to implement the Magna Carta of Women and gender and development (GAD) mandates across national and local levels. Central to this effort is supporting partners in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), where addressing gender inequalities is a key part of sustaining peace, development, and inclusive governance.
The Bangsamoro Women Commission (BWC), as the lead agency on gender and development (GAD) in BARMM, has initiated the development of GAD modules to institutionalize gender-sensitive education and training across the region. UN Women has supported the initial phases of this project, which produced draft modules incorporating technical and substantive inputs from consultants and BWC personnel.
Building on this foundational work, the national consultant will support the finalization and standardization of the modules through a collaborative process with BWC and UN Women, ensuring that the format, language, and references are aligned with national GAD and WPS frameworks, BARMM policies, institutional mandates of the BWC, and the standardized training requirements for BWC staff and its GAD resource pool.
This initiative will be supported by UN Women through the Joint Programme ‘Empowering Women for Sustainable Peace in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’, funded by Global Affairs Canada and jointly implemented with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). As part of its technical assistance role, UN Women will engage a national consultant to support the BWC in the finalization of modular GAD learning materials tailored to the Bangsamoro context. This consultancy aims to advance institutional capacities and promote a more coherent and localized understanding of gender equality and women’s empowerment across the region.
The consultant will be reporting to the WPS Programme Analyst, and will be supported by the WPS Programme Associate, who will be the point of contact on the contract and payment issues.
Description of Responsibilities /Scope of Work
In view of the foregoing context, UN Women is looking to hire a National Consultant on the finalization of GAD Modules with the BWC.
The consultant will be responsible for designing, structuring, and finalizing comprehensive learning modules that will serve as a guide to GAD practitioners for the consistent delivery of GAD training across all BARMM ministries and LGUs, on the following subjects:
Gender Sensitivity Training
Gender in Islam
Family in Islam
Rights of Women
Polygyny
Gender Approach in Islam
Divorce
Basic Concepts of Gender
Sex and Gender
Sex Roles and Gender Roles
Manifestations of Gender Biases
Process of Sensitivity and Socialization
Agents of Socialization
Gender and Development
GAD Legal Imperatives and Other GAD-Related Laws
Magna Carta of Women
Safe Space Act
Anti VAWC Law
Anti CEFM Law
Gender - Fair Language and Communication
Bangsamoro Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security (Initial Draft already done)
Bangsamoro Historical Timeline
Pillar 1: Protection and Prevention
Pillar 2: Empowerment and Participation
Pillar 3: Promotion and Mainstreaming
Pillar 4: Monitoring and Evaluation
Orientation on the GAD Focal Point System (GFPS)
Orientation on the GFPS Assessment Tool
Gender Mainstreaming and Gender Mainstreaming Evaluation Framework
Gender Analysis and Its Tools
24 Hour Activity Profile
Gender and Development Assessment Matrix
GMEF
HGDG
GERL Tool
Sex-Disaggregated Data
CSPPMEAL Tool– Conflict Sensitivity and Peace Promoting Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning Tool
Harmonized Gender and Development Guidelines
GAD Agenda
GAD Planning and Budgeting
The modules should align with Bangsamoro government policies, including, but not limited to, BARMM's enhanced 12-point priority agenda, Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security (RAP-WPS), and the Bangsamoro Development Plan for 2023 to 2028. Further, there should also be an alignment with national government GAD – related policies, including, but not limited to, Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Plan 2019 – 2025, Philippine Plan for Gender – Responsive Development 1995 – 2025 and Philippine Development Plan 2023 – 2028.
Further, modules should incorporate gender-sensitive, culturally appropriate, and conflict-sensitive approaches with all sources properly cited and adhering to ethical academic standards.
Outline of the deliverables relating to the tasks indicated above is as follows:
Major Deliverables
Description
Timeline
Conduct of one (1) validation and refinement workshop with the Bangsamoro Women Commission (BWC) to review, contextualize, and finalize eleven (11) draft GAD modules.
Copy of Activity Design
Activity Report indicating recommendations and analysis
The consultant will design and facilitate one (1) validation and refinement workshop with the Bangsamoro Women Commission (BWC) to systematically review eleven (11) draft GAD modules. The workshop will provide a platform for technical discussion on content accuracy, contextual relevance to the BARMM setting, and alignment with BWC’s mandate and existing GAD and WPS frameworks. Inputs and recommendations generated during the workshop will inform the finalization of the modules.
15 June 2026
Refinement and finalization of the eleven (11) draft GAD modules incorporating recommendations, corrections, and agreed revisions from the validation workshop, and ensuring alignment of format, language, and references.
Copy of refined modules ready to be endorsed to the BWC for review and approval
The consultant will refine and finalize eleven (11) draft GAD modules by systematically incorporating agreed recommendations, corrections, and revisions. The consultant will ensure consistency and standardization across all modules, including alignment of format, language, and references with national GAD and WPS frameworks, BARMM policies, and BWC institutional standards, in close coordination with BWC and UN Women.
30 July 2026
Submission of the final eleven (11) GAD modules, duly reviewed and approved by the Bangsamoro Women Commission (BWC).
Copy of final 11 modules approved by the BWC
The consultant will submit the final eleven (11) GAD modules that have been reviewed, finalized, and formally approved by the Bangsamoro Women Commission (BWC). The submission will reflect full incorporation of agreed revisions and compliance with BWC standards, and the modules will be ready for institutional adoption and use in capacity development and training activities.
30 September 2026
Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel
The National Consultant is expected to be based in Cotabato City. Any travel undertaken in the course of the assignment will be arranged by UN Women in accordance with its rules and regulations. This is a home-based consultancy.
Competencies :
Core Values:
Integrity;
Professionalism;
Respect for Diversity.
Core Competencies:
Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
Accountability;
Creative Problem Solving;
Effective Communication;
Inclusive Collaboration;
Stakeholder Engagement;
Leading by Example.
Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework:
Functional Competencies:
Excellent analytical skills
Strong knowledge of UN Women processes and systems
Strong networking skills
Strong inter-personal skills, communicate effectively with staff at all levels of the organization;
Ability to work in a highly pressured environment
Excellent facilitation skills
Education and Certification:
Master’s degree in Political or Social Science, Gender Studies, Economics, Public Management, International Relations, Peace and Conflict Studies, or other related fields is required.
A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience:
At least one (1) year work experience related to Gender and Development and/or peacebuilding is required;
Experience in leading and facilitating GAD and WPS sessions is required;
Expertise on Gender and Development and Women, Peace and Security is preferred
Previous working experience with UN agencies, government agencies, and/or civil society organizations is required;
Familiarity with the BARMM context is highly desirable
Languages:
Fluency in English and Filipino is required .
Proficiency in local dialects spoken in BARMM is preferred
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.
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