UN Women - International Consultant, Provide Technical Support on Women’s Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Assessment and Private Sector Skills Needs Mapping under the Women’s Economic Empowerment Project in Uzbekistan, Home-based

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.

In Uzbekistan, in line with its global Strategic Plan 2026–2029, UN Women works towards the overarching goal that “women and girls, including those at greatest risk of being left behind, fully exercise their human rights, enjoy a life free from violence and discrimination, and lead, influence, and benefit from sustainable and inclusive socioeconomic development towards the advancement of gender equality in Uzbekistan.” UN Women operates in four thematic areas: (i) governance and participation in public life; (ii) women’s economic empowerment; (iii) ending violence against women and girls; and (iv) women, peace and security, humanitarian action, and disaster risk reduction. In line with its coordination mandate, UN Women promotes coherence and coordination across the UN system to enhance accountability and results for gender equality and women’s empowerment, including through joint programming and advocacy, as well as standardized tools, guidance, and services to strengthen the capacities of the UN system.

Within the framework of the “Women’s Economic Empowerment in Uzbekistan” project, the intervention will contribute to the achievement of the goals set out in the New Uzbekistan Development Strategy 2022–2026, the “Uzbekistan–2030” Strategy, and the Strategy for Achieving Gender Equality in Uzbekistan 2020–2030, developed in alignment with the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Guarantees of Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women and Men” (LRU No. 562). The proposed Action contributes to several strategic objectives, including: (i) ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men in employment, the creation of decent jobs, the development of women’s entrepreneurship, and expanded access of women to credit from commercial banks; (ii) promoting improved health literacy in family planning and strengthened reproductive health, as well as healthy lifestyles; and (iii) strengthening families and shared responsibility among family members.

The overall objective (impact) of the Project is to create an inclusive economic environment in which women can participate equally in the economy and labour force of Uzbekistan, free from the constraints of gender stereotypes and harmful social norms. This entails addressing deep-rooted gender biases that limit women’s opportunities and potential. By promoting gender equality in the workplace, enhancing access to education and vocational training, supporting women’s entrepreneurship, and strengthening family planning and care-related services, the Project aims to enable women to secure decent work and grow their businesses, thereby increasing their economic independence and contributing to the country’s economic growth and social development.

The International Labour Organisation has been promoting women’s entrepreneurship development (WED) as a means to job creation, women’s economic empowerment and gender equality for over ten years. ILO’s women’s entrepreneurship development programme is unique within the UN family, working to strengthen the capacity of local, national and international partners to support women to start and improve their businesses by providing specific approaches for women entrepreneurs to achieve self-sufficiency and generate decent jobs while also taking action to identify and remove systemic barriers.  The ILO is the only UN organization with a dedicated WED Strategy, adopted by its tripartite Governing Body in 2008.  The Programme provides a comprehensive package of tools, advisory services and capacity building. Networks of local, national and international trainers and partners are accredited in ILO tools and approaches who in turn train trainers and/or entrepreneurs. 

In order to unleash the potential of women-owned enterprises, it is important to examine where failures exist, and to take actions to remedy them. For example, women’s lack of access to finance may be linked to weak property rights (since property is an important form of collateral). In some countries, women need their husband’s consent to start a business, which has the effect of substantially reducing the proportion of women-owned MSMEs relative to countries where such a requirement does not exist. Indeed, research finds a broad correlation globally between the extent of legal gender differentiation and the extent to which women work, own and run businesses. The gender-based structural barriers limiting the full participation of women in economic activity must be removed if women are to have equal opportunity to pursue entrepreneurial activity.

In its revised WED assessment methodology, the ILO promotes a set of women’s entrepreneurship development (WED) framework conditions that can be assessed nationally to develop relevant and locally adapted key policy recommendations for improving the environment for the promotion of women’s entrepreneurship. The WED framework conditions and assessment methodology provide a comprehensive tool to assist country-level assessors to gather and assess a consistent body of information about the status of WED as well as to identify targeted measures to improve the ecosystem for WED.

By assessing these conditions through a thorough methodology, the ILO aims to support national stakeholders (e.g. policy makers, decision-makers, implementing agencies, focal points, employers’ organisations, business/ sector associations, and women entrepreneurs’ associations and NGOs) to identify key, locally adapted and strategic recommendations to unleash the potential of women’s entrepreneurship and women-led businesses to generate “decent jobs” at the country level. These recommendations should emanate from a clear process that puts an emphasis on dialogue and validated by a multistakeholder group (including women entrepreneurs) to be used for the formulation of a national action plan or national strategy for WED.

The purpose of the consultancy is to provide technical expertise for the assessment of the women’s entrepreneurship ecosystem and the mapping of private-sector HR and skills needs, generating evidence and practical recommendations to inform gender-responsive programming, skills development and private-sector engagement under the Women’s Economic Empowerment Project.

Under the supervision of the UN Women Programme Analyst and in close cooperation with the National Consultant, the International Consultant will provide technical expertise, coordination, and quality assurance support for the implementation of Project Activity 1.1.1 – Assessment of women’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, including legal review; and Activity 1.1.2 – Mapping of human resources and skills needs of the private sector. The following tasks will be undertaken to provide a national assessment of women’s entrepreneurship and specific recommendations to improve the environment for WED in the specific country, implementing the methodology of the ILO: «Assessing the Framework Conditions for Women’s Entrepreneurship Development - Assessor’s guide».  The data collection, selection of interviewees will be done according to the process indicated in the Guide. 

1. →Lead the desk review of relevant research, policies, strategies, administrative data and other available evidence on women’s entrepreneurship and women-led businesses in Uzbekistan, identifying key knowledge and evidence gaps.
2. →

   Provide methodological guidance and quality assurance for primary data collection, with the National Consultant supporting national-level implementation, including:

    

   • →identifying key informants (in collaboration with ILO) and undertake 25-30 key informant interviews with service providers, 
   • →organising at least four (4) focus groups (including one rural based and another for young women entrepreneurs),
   • →

     and conducting and supervising the quality of a survey at least two hundred women entrepreneurs (200) from both urban and rural areas and from different sectors and sizes of enterprises, and including young women. 

     Ensure that assessment instruments are appropriately adapted to the Uzbek context and provide guidance on data collection, sampling, enumerator training and quality control in line with the ILO WED Assessment methodology.

      

3. →Lead integrated analysis of evidence from the desk review, interviews, focus groups and survey, assessing the seven ILO WED framework conditions and identifying gaps, good practices, priorities and evidence-based recommendations.
4. →Write up the report, following the guidance and format described in the ILO: « Assessing the Framework Conditions for Women’s Entrepreneurship Development - Assessor’s guide». The ILO expects the consultant to be the main writer of the report (and not delegate it to another person).   
5. →Submit the first full draft of the assessment report to UN Women for technical review and comments.
6. →Based on UN Women’s comments, revise the assessment report and prepare a PowerPoint presentation of no more than 15-20 slides for stakeholder validation. Present the key findings and recommendations and facilitate discussion with relevant national stakeholders, with the format and number of workshops agreed with UN Women.
7. →Based on feedback from the validation process, finalise and submit the assessment report, incorporating agreed stakeholder inputs and clearly documenting the evidence base and recommendations.
8. →Ensure final quality assurance of the report and supporting analytical materials and address any remaining comments from UN Women.

The International Consultant will carry out the tasks under the supervision of the UN Women Programme Analyst and in close cooperation with the National Consultant. Regular and proactive communication with the Programme Analyst and the National Consultant is expected to clarify questions, validate methodological approaches and seek interim review or clearance of relevant parts of the work, as appropriate.

The consultancy will be for a maximum of 40 working days within the period agreed in the contract. Payments will be made against satisfactory completion and acceptance of the agreed deliverables, in accordance with the schedule below.

• Upon submission of a draft of the literature review, adapted survey questionnaire and workplan by 30 September 2026 (10 days) 
• Upon submission of a first draft of the full report and a powerpoint presentation to be commented by ILO and key partners by 10 October 2026 (20 days) 
• Upon submission of the final report to the satisfaction of the responsible ILO official and submission of relevant raw data (i.e. interview notes, focus group notes and completed survey forms) by 30 October 2026 (10 days) 

• Provide substantive technical assistance to the National Consultant on the design, methodology and implementation of both activities, ensuring alignment with international standards and UN Women priorities.
• Ensure the application of the ILO Women’s Entrepreneurship Development (WED) Assessment methodology within Activity 1.1.1. 
• Advise on integrating gender-responsive and human rights-based approaches throughout all research and analytical processes. 
• Provide guidance on incorporating a legal review, including family-friendly policies, within the entrepreneurship ecosystem assessment. 

The International Consultant will work under the overall guidance of the UN Women Programme Analyst and in close cooperation with the National Consultant. The International Consultant will provide methodological leadership, analytical oversight and quality assurance, while the National Consultant will support national stakeholder engagement, data collection, contextual analysis and drafting.

The assignment covers Activity 1.1.1 – Assessment of women’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, including legal review, and provides technical leadership for the assessment methodology and synthesis. It also provides the analytical framework and quality assurance for Activity 1.1.2 – Mapping of human resources and skills needs of the private sector, while the National Consultant leads/supports national-level company engagement, data collection and contextual analysis.

• Work under the direct supervision of the UN Women Programme Analyst and in close collaboration with the National Consultant on all deliverables, including inception reports, data collection tools, draft reports and final outputs.
• Ensure that all outputs meet high-quality analytical standards, are evidence-based and are gender-responsive. 
• Verify the accuracy, relevance, and contextual appropriateness of findings and recommendations. 

• Contribute to the refinement of research questions, analytical frameworks and national-level data collection methodologies, in consultation with the National Consultant.
• Provide inputs to strengthen policy recommendations, ensuring they are practical, actionable and aligned with national priorities. 

• Support timely implementation of both activities in line with agreed timelines and milestones and promptly flag any implementation risks or delays to UN Women.
• Contribute to the validation of findings through participation in stakeholder consultations, workshops or validation meetings. 
• Support the finalization of: 
  • The comprehensive assessment of the women’s entrepreneurship ecosystem (Output 1.1.1); 
  • The mapping report on human resource and skills needs in the private sector (Output 1.1.2). 

• Regularly report to UN Women Programme Analyst on progress, challenges and risks related to the implementation of the activities. 
• Provide brief technical notes or summaries as requested by UN Women to inform project management and decision-making.

Payments will be made monthly, based on the provision of timesheets and supporting deliverables approved by the UN Women Programme Analyst, who shall confirm Consultant’s work is completed and eligible for payment. The total duration of the contract is a maximum of 40 working days until 30 October 2026.

This is a home-based assignment, with travel within Uzbekistan as required for stakeholder consultations and other assignment-related activities. UN Women Uzbekistan will organize and cover the costs of authorized travel in accordance with UN Women rules and regulations.\

The Consultant shall complete all the mandatory and other required UN training courses and modules on time. The certificates shall be submitted to the supervisor.

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

• 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: 

• Demonstrated knowledge of women’s economic empowerment, including women’s entrepreneurship, employability, labour market policies, private sector engagement and gender-responsive approaches, with familiarity with the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) considered an asset.
• Proven ability to support planning, coordination, and delivery of multi-stakeholder activities, including events, capacity-building programmes, and partnerships with government, private sector, civil society, and development partners.
• Ability to effectively engage and coordinate with a wide range of stakeholders, including line ministries, financial institutions, business associations, chambers of commerce, training providers, employers, and women’s organizations.
• Ability to collect, analyse, and synthesize quantitative and qualitative data, prepare high-quality analytical and narrative reports, and contribute to results-based management and donor reporting.
• Strong skills in drafting technical documents, guidance notes, and knowledge products, and in presenting complex information clearly for diverse audiences.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks, meet deadlines, and deliver high-quality outputs under minimal supervision.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, with knowledge of Russian as an asset, and demonstrated ability to facilitate meetings, workshops and consultations with diverse stakeholders.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in social sciences, entrepreneurial studies or an equivalent field, with a specialisation in gender. 

• At least 10 years of demonstrated experience in undertaking socio-economic studies on women’s economic empowerment, women’s entrepreneurship, employment, labour market analysis, skills development, or related areas. 
• Proven experience in conducting legal review, skills-needs assessments, labour market mapping, skills gap analyses, employability assessments and/or designing skills development interventions.
• Demonstrated experience in working with public institutions, private sector and CSOs on women’s economic empowerment.
• Demonstrated experience in conducting gender-responsive legal and policy reviews related to women’s economic empowerment, employment, entrepreneurship and/or family-friendly policies.
• Demonstrated experience applying gender-responsive and human rights-based approaches in the design and delivery of economic empowerment, employment, entrepreneurship or skills-development interventions.
• Experience with results-based management, reporting, and monitoring tools is an asset.
• Experience in organising and implementing focus groups and surveys. 
• Excellent communication skills in English, both written and spoken. Knowledge of Russian language is an asset.
• Capacity to interact with a diverse set of stakeholders.
• Comfortable with information technologies for recording and presenting data.

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Russian is an asset.

• Relevant education and academic background (20%)
• Proven technical expertise and work experience in economic empowerment (30%)
• Experience in stakeholder coordination, particularly with public and private sector institutions, civil society organizations and other relevant stakeholders (20%)
• Experience with results-based management, reporting and monitoring tools (5%)
• Demonstrated knowledge of gender equality principles and experience applying gender-responsive approaches to women’s economic empowerment, entrepreneurship, employment and/or skills development (15%)
• Fluency in English (10%)

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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