Background:

As the lead UN entity on gender equality and secretariat of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, we shift laws, institutions, social behaviours and services to close the gender gap and build an equal world for all women and girls. Our partnerships with governments, women’s movements and the private sector coupled with our coordination of the broader United Nations translate progress into lasting changes. We make strides forward for women and girls in four areas: leadership, economic empowerment, freedom from violence, and women, peace and security as well as humanitarian action. UN Women keeps the rights of women and girls at the centre of global progress – always, everywhere. Because gender equality is not just what we do. It is who we are.

Care is a fundamental component of economic and social systems and is essential to the well-being of individuals, societies, economies, and ecosystems. It encompasses both paid and unpaid activities that sustain people and the planet across the life course, ranging from caring for oneself and others to protecting the environment. Everyone requires care at different stages of life, making strong, inclusive, and accessible care systems critical for equal participation in society and the realization of dignity and well-being. Care involves “caring about, taking care of, caregiving, and care receiving,” and includes the support necessary for individuals to live autonomously and fully in society. Yet social norms and gender stereotypes continue to place responsibility for care disproportionately on women, reinforcing a gendered division of labour and contributing to the persistent undervaluation of this essential work in economic planning and public policy.

Care is a public good and a core element of social and economic infrastructure, as essential to economic functioning as transport, energy, and digital systems. Responsibility for care must be shared across the care diamond, the State, the private sector, communities and households, rather than falling predominantly on households, particularly women and girls. When care systems are weak, underfunded, or inaccessible, the costs are disproportionately borne by women and girls in the form of time poverty, reduced employment opportunities, and heightened vulnerability. By contrast, strong care infrastructure, comprising care services (such as healthcare, early childhood development centres, services for older persons, and support for persons with disabilities) and basic physical infrastructure (including piped water, electricity, sanitation, and public transport), creates and maintains environments that support both care recipients and caregivers. Investing in this infrastructure is critical to delivering quality care, redistributing unpaid direct care work more equitably between households, the State and the market, and between women and men, girls and boys, and reducing labour‑intensive indirect care (such as collecting water, cooking, washing, and cleaning). Reframing care as infrastructure moves it from being viewed as social expenditure to a strategic investment with measurable economic and social returns.

Global evidence[1] shows that investments in care infrastructure generate significant economic and social returns. According to the International Labour Organization, investment in gender-equal leave policies and universal childcare and long-term care services could create up to 299 million jobs worldwide by 2035, reflecting the large employment potential of strengthened care systems. Moreover, estimates suggest that every dollar invested in closing the childcare policy gap could yield an average of USD 3.76 in global GDP returns by 2035, highlighting the strong macroeconomic benefits of care investment[2].  In Armenia, women spend nearly five times more hours than men on unpaid care and domestic work, a disparity that significantly constrains women’s participation in the labour market, limits their income and pension prospects, and reduces their opportunities for leadership and decision-making. Unequal care responsibilities thus represent a major structural barrier to gender equality, women’s economic empowerment, and inclusive growth.

UN Women promotes a gender-transformative approach to care grounded in the “5R” framework: Recognize, Reduce, Redistribute, Reward, and Represent. This approach calls for recognizing care as work and integrating it into data collection and policy frameworks; reducing the intensity and time burden of unpaid care through improved infrastructure and services; redistributing care responsibilities more equitably between the State, private sector, community and households, as well as within households between women and men; rewarding paid care work through decent wages, skills development, and social protection; and ensuring that care workers and care recipients are meaningfully represented in decision-making processes. Together, these principles provide a comprehensive foundation for building inclusive, sustainable, and rights-based care systems.

Climate change further amplifies the urgency of addressing care inequalities. Environmental degradation, water scarcity, and climate-related shocks disproportionately increase unpaid care and domestic work, particularly for women in rural and vulnerable communities. Without resilient and accessible care services, climate adaptation efforts risk exacerbating existing gender inequalities. Integrating care considerations into climate policies and investments—by ensuring continuity of care services during crises, reducing domestic burdens through climate-resilient infrastructure, and supporting women as agents of adaptation—strengthens both social and environmental resilience.

In this context, UN Women in cooperation of Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and with the engagement of relevant national and local stakeholders seeks to engage a consultant to develop a national situation (landscape) analysis of the care economy in Armenia. A national situation (landscape) analysis of the care economy directly derives from the RA Gender Policy Implementation Strategy for 2025–2028, addresses Action 2 under Priority 2 of the Strategy, and places particular focus on the issue of compensation for unpaid work in families with a high care burden.

The analysis will provide a comprehensive overview of key data and statistics of the care landscape in the country at both rural and urban levels, existing care policies, services, infrastructure, and institutional arrangements, as well as the distribution of care responsibilities across the care diamond. It will generate evidence to identify gaps, needs, and opportunities for strengthening Armenia’s care system and inform the development of targeted, gender-responsive policy and programmatic interventions. 

This work is part of “Women’s Economic Empowerment in the South Caucasus” WEESC project which is implemented with the support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC). The overarching goal of the project is to ensure that women, particularly the poor and socially excluded, in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia are economically empowered and participate in relevant decision-making. To reach this goal, WEESC applies a holistic approach, enabling linked interventions at three levels: grassroots, policies and legislation, and institutions. 

The consultant will be reporting to the WEESC Project Analyst of UN Women in Armenia and will be supported by the WEE Programme Specialist, as well as UN Women’s operational staff. 

Objectives of the Assignment

The analysis aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of paid and unpaid care work in Armenia, including existing policy and legal frameworks, service provision, financing arrangements, and institutional responsibilities related to care. Guided by the purple economy approach—which places care, both paid and unpaid, at the centre of economic thinking—the study recognizes care as essential to sustaining societies, economies, and the well-being and autonomy of women.

Particular attention will be given to vulnerable groups supported by Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MLSA) programs, including single-parent households, persons with disabilities, and older persons. The analysis will assess their care needs, access to care services and social protection mechanisms, and examine how unpaid care responsibilities—especially those borne by women—affect labor market participation and economic outcomes.

In line with Figure 1 of the UN System Policy Paper on Transforming Care Systems, the analysis will examine the policy architecture required to strengthen care systems, including care services, basic physical infrastructure, social protection, labour and employment policies, financing, governance, data and measurement, and the broader enabling environment. The care diamond will serve as the overarching analytical lens, assessing the roles and responsibilities of households, the State, the private sector, and communities, and highlighting the need to treat care as a public good whose provision and financing are shared across these actors, rather than falling predominantly on households, particularly women and girls.

The overall purpose of the analysis is to identify key gaps in data, laws, policies, and implementation related to care; to assess how unpaid care and domestic work contribute to women’s time poverty and economic inequality; and to establish an evidence-based baseline to inform the development of future programmes, policies, and investments to strengthen care systems in Armenia. In accordance with the UN System-wide policy, both the landscape analysis and the resulting recommendations will be structured around the 5R+ framework, ensuring that unpaid care is recognized, reduced, and redistributed; paid care work is rewarded and represented; and cross-cutting dimensions of resilience, financing, and governance are systematically addressed.

Specific Objectives

UN Women is seeking a Consultant to map and analyse national laws, policies, and strategies related to care within the framework of the purple economy. This will include, but not be limited to, care-specific policies; macroeconomic and fiscal policies; social protection schemes; labour market regulations and work–life balance measures; equality and non-discrimination policies; childcare, eldercare, and disability care services; early childhood development policies; migration policies affecting care workers and care provision; and environmental and climate-related policies. The analysis will assess how these legal and policy frameworks address paid and unpaid care and domestic work, and how unpaid care responsibilities affect access to, adequacy of, and coverage under social protection and other public systems. The consultant will focus on achieving the following objectives:

1. Conduct a national landscape analysis of the care economy in Armenia, covering paid and unpaid care work and domestic work across the life cycle. The analysis will include quantitative data on the distribution of unpaid and paid care work between women and men, labour market participation, time use, and relevant demographic trends, as well as qualitative analysis of gender norms and social expectations shaping care responsibilities and women’s participation in the labour force.
2. Assess differences in care needs and care provision across population groups and settings, including children, older persons, persons with disabilities, and working-age adults, with attention to disparities between urban and rural areas and among vulnerable or marginalized groups. The analysis will also assess implementation aspects of relevant laws, policies, and programs, including the extent of coverage, accessibility, and adequacy of care services and benefits, as well as practical challenges affecting implementation—particularly for women and vulnerable groups.
3. Identify gaps, good practices, and entry points for policy and programme interventions to strengthen care systems in Armenia, reduce women’s unpaid care responsibilities, promote more equitable distribution of care responsibilities, and support women’s economic empowerment.

This assessment will serve as an evidence base for future programming and policy engagement on the care economy in Armenia and will contribute to national efforts to advance SDG target 5.4, which calls for the recognition and valuing of unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure, and social protection, and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family. The assessment will also support progress towards related Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).The findings will further support UN Women’s work to strengthen national capacities to design and implement laws, policies, and services that address unpaid care work and promote inclusive, sustainable, and gender-responsive development.

Scope of Work

In undertaking this assignment, the consultant will conduct a comprehensive national landscape analysis of the care economy in Armenia. The work will combine a desk review of existing literature, data, and policy documents with consultations with relevant national stakeholders, including government institutions, civil society organizations, women’s organizations, trade unions, private sector entities, and public and non-public care service providers involved in childcare, eldercare, disability care, and domestic work.

Duties and Responsibilities

A. Inception Phase

• Prepare and submit an Inception Report outlining the proposed methodology, analytical framework, workplan, timeline, and deliverables for the assignment.
• The inception report will include:
  • A detailed description of the proposed research methodology, including quantitative and qualitative approaches;
  • A proposed table of contents for the final report;
  • An indicative list of key documents to be reviewed, including national laws, policies, strategies, regulations, statistical sources, and relevant studies addressing paid and unpaid care and domestic work in Armenia.

B. Desk Review and Stakeholder Consultations

• Conduct a comprehensive desk review of existing national and international data, research, and publications related to the care economy in Armenia, including relevant UN Women tools and studies.
• Compile an annotated bibliography of reviewed sources.
• Integrate insights from consultations into the landscape analysis.

C. Mapping of Policies, Legal Frameworks, and Gaps

• Map existing national laws, policies, strategies, and programmes that directly or indirectly relate to paid and unpaid care and domestic work, including labour market regulations, work–life balance measures, childcare and eldercare services, disability care, early childhood development, and social protection schemes.
• Analyse the extent to which existing policies contribute to reducing, redistributing, or recognizing unpaid care and domestic work.
• Identify policy, legal, and implementation gaps that contribute to women’s disproportionate burden of unpaid care work.
• Identify good practices and promising policy approaches relevant to the Armenian context that promote decent work in the care sector and gender equality.

D. National Landscape Analysis of the Care Economy in Armenia

• Collect and analyse available quantitative data on unpaid and paid care and domestic work in Armenia, including time-use data, labour market statistics, employment in care sectors, and social protection coverage.
• Analyse qualitative factors influencing care responsibilities, such as gender norms, social expectations, workplace culture, and access to services.
• Assess differences in care needs and care provision across the life cycle and between urban and rural areas, with attention to vulnerable and marginalized groups.
• Map key stakeholders involved in care, including government institutions, care service providers, workers’ organizations, civil society organizations, and community-based actors.

E. Reporting and Validation

• Prepare a comprehensive national care economy landscape analysis report presenting findings, key challenges, gaps, and opportunities.
• Develop clear, evidence-based policy and programmatic recommendations to strengthen care systems in Armenia, grounded in the purple economy framework.
• Support validation of findings through a stakeholder consultation or review process, incorporating feedback into the final report.

Deliverables

All provided deliverables should be in Armenian and English Languages.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based consultancy to be provided in Yerevan, Armenia. No travel is required.

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:

• Strong knowledge and in-depth understanding of gender equality and women’s empowerment issues, challenges and motivations in the private sector. 
• Ability to organise and complete multiple tasks by establishing priorities. 
• Experience establishing, building and sustaining effective relationships with the private sector partners
• Strong networking skills.
• Knowledge and expertise in gender research and policy analysis;
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills;
• Excellent negotiation skills;

Required Qualifications:

Education 

• Master’s degree or equivalent in economics is required.
• A first-level university degree in economics in combination with two additional years of qualifying professional experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree

Experience:

• At least 7 years of relevant professional experience with a bachelor’s degree or 5 years with a master’s degree iin conducting research and studies, in socio-economic areas, gender equality, women’s rights and empowerment, and sustainable development. 
• Proven experience in conducting policy analysis in the region on gender equality and women’s empowerment. 
• Experience in working with government institutions. 
• Experience in developing, managing, monitoring and/or evaluating programmes in care work and women’s empowerment is an asset

Languages:

• Fluency in English and Armenian is required.

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.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.