National Consultant to develop a Gender-Responsive Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Framework and strengthen Institutional Capacity in Kigoma Region

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. Placing women’s rights at the center of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality are translated into action worldwide. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts while building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.  

Building on this mandate, UN Women in Tanzania has played a leading role in advancing gender-responsive planning, climate action, and women’s empowerment. It has strengthened partnerships with national and local government institutions, including Kigoma Regional Authorities, to promote gender-responsive and climate-resilient development approaches. These efforts are aligned with the National Gender Policy (2023), which recognizes the critical intersection between gender equality, climate change, disaster risk reduction and peace, and security.

In parallel, Tanzania’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (2025–2029) provides a strategic framework to enhance women’s participation, protection, and leadership in peacebuilding, disaster risk management, and recovery processes. UN Women supports the operationalization of this framework and other national frameworks by working with government counterparts to translate policy commitments into practical tools, institutional mechanisms, and localized action.

Kigoma Region is characterized by significant structural and socio-economic vulnerabilities that reinforce its exposure to climate and disaster risks. According to the 2022 Population and Housing Census, the region has a population of approximately 2.47 million people, of whom 75.4 percent reside in rural areas, with livelihoods largely dependent on agriculture and natural resources. While labour force participation is high (91.5 percent), much of this engagement is within low-productivity and informal activities, limiting income security and resilience to shocks.

Gender disparities further deepen vulnerability in Kigoma. Evidence from the socio-economic profile shows that women have lower access to productive resources, including land ownership (29.9 percent for women compared to 36.8 percent for men), and lower literacy rates (77.7 percent for women versus 85.5 percent for men). In addition, a significant proportion of households rely on unpaid and labor-intensive activities such as firewood collection (used by 71.2 percent of households), which disproportionately burdens women and limits their economic participation.

While national frameworks provide a strong foundation, gaps remain in the systematic operationalization and institutionalization of gender and WPS priorities within regional DRR systems, planning processes, and climate response frameworks.

This highlights the need for strengthened institutional capacity, improved coordination, and the development of practical, gender-responsive tools that link national policies with local implementation. 
In this context, this assignment therefore aims to bridge the gap between national policy commitments and subnational implementation by developing a practical, action-oriented framework that integrates gender equality, climate resilience, DRR, Women’s Peace and Security priorities   while strengthening institutional capacity for sustained implementation. This includes strengthening women’s participation in climate-related sectors and decision-making processes and ensuring that DRR systems effectively address risks related to gender inequality and GBV. 

• Timely and quality report design and inputs
• Relations with partners and stakeholders
• Regular communication with key partners and staff
• Adherence to UN Women standards and rules

• Integrity: Demonstrate consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct. 
• Professionalism: Demonstrate professional competence and expert knowledge of the pertinent substantive areas of work. 
• Cultural sensitivity and valuing diversity: Demonstrate an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Demonstrate an international outlook, appreciating differences in values and learning from cultural diversity. 

• Ethics and Values: Demonstrate and safeguard ethics and integrity.
• Organizational Awareness: Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment. 
• Work in teams: Demonstrate ability to work in a multicultural, multiethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds. 
• Communicating and Information Sharing: Facilitate and encourage open communication and strive for effective communication.
• Self-management and Emotional Intelligence: Stay composed and positive even in difficult moments, handle tense situations with diplomacy and tact, and have consistent behavior towards others. 

• Demonstrated expertise in gender-responsive DRR, climate change, and resilience programming
• Strong experience in conducting gender and institutional analyses
• Proven ability to integrate Women, Peace and Security (WPS) frameworks into programmes
• Experience linking gender equality with women’s economic empowerment in climate-sensitive sectors
• Strong knowledge of Tanzania’s policy and institutional frameworks
• Experience in developing policy frameworks, strategies, and practical tools
• Strong facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills
• Training design and adult learning facilitation skills

 

 

 

Education:

The assignment requires the service of a reputable Consultant with the following qualifications and experience.

• At least a master's degree in social science, Development or Gender Studies, Legal Studies or related fields.

 

Experience:

• Experience in conducting assessments, related studies and strategies  
• Ability to work with a team and meet deadlines. 
• Ability to access, analyze and integrate a wide range of opinions and a variety of information. 
• Ability and experience to interact with communities. 
• Knowledge and experience in developing gender-related strategic plans and policy documents in Tanzania.  
• Knowledge and capacity to provide high-quality reports. 
• Strong analytical skills. 
• Experience in working on Disaster Risk Reduction and climate change programmes evaluation, development and strategies.
• The individual consultant should have experience working with other UN agencies with similar assignments, specifically in Policy development/review, briefs, plans and strategies. 

Language Requirements:

•  Written and oral proficiency in English and Swahili is required

 

Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:    

1. Profile and experience of the individual in relation to the subject of the present mission.
2. The methodology proposed for the conduct of the mission.
3. The financial offer.