Background

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 for women as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.  Placing women’s rights at the centre of all its efforts, the UN Women will lead and coordinate United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It will provide strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors. 

Based on UN legislative mandates and the UNW Strategic Plan, the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) is tasked with providing strategic programme development, policy/ technical advisory services and quality assurance support to Multi-Country Offices (MCOs) and Country Offices (COs). It undertakes or coordinates regional research and data analysis; advises on norms, policies and strategies for achieving the internationally and regionally agreed goals related to gender equality and women’s empowerment issues. It acts as a knowledge hub at the regional level, collecting evidence on progress and emerging issues and sharing knowledge on innovative approaches and lessons learned in implementation. 

Through the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP), UN Women implements the EmPower: Women for Climate-Resilient Societies programme, a joint initiative with UNEP that strengthens gender-responsive climate action, resilience, and just transitions across Asia and the Pacific.

As climate shocks intensify, labour markets transform, and digital and AI-enabled systems increasingly shape access to livelihoods and services, EmPower prioritises green skills, AI governance, and youth leadership as critical entry points to ensure that transitions are inclusive, resilient, and aligned with the Leave No One Behind (LNOB) principle.

UN Women seeks an International Consultant to lead regional work on AI, green skills, and youth pathways, ensuring that youth-led innovation, skills development, and AI applications contribute to gender-responsive climate resilience, inclusive labour markets, and economic participation, particularly for persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples, LGBTQIA+ persons, and other marginalised groups. 

Description of Responsibilities /Scope of Work

Under the supervision of the Programme Coordinator, Climate Change, and in close collaboration with EmPower regional and country teams, the Consultant will contribute to the design, implementation, and consolidation of EmPower’s regional work on AI, green skills, and youth engagement.         

1.Youth Leadership and Engagement

• Support EmPower’s regional approach to youth leadership and engagement on gender-responsive climate action, including coordination with youth networks and advisory mechanisms.

• Contribute to youth-led analysis, dialogue, and inputs that inform regional and national discussions on climate action, skills, and economic transitions.

• Promote meaningful participation of youth from LNOB groups, including youth with disabilities, Indigenous youth, and LGBTQIA+ youth.

2. AI and Digital Transformation for Inclusive Climate Action

• Provide technical and analytical inputs to EmPower’s regional work on AI and digital systems in the context of climate action, disaster risk reduction, and resilience.

• Contribute to the identification of opportunities, risks, and safeguards related to the use of AI and data-driven approaches, with attention to gender equality, inclusion, and prevention of harm.

• Support regional learning, evidence generation, and dialogue on responsible and inclusive use of AI in climate-related contexts.

3. Green Skills and Just Transition

• Support EmPower’s work on green skills and just transition, including analysis of skills needs, access barriers, and inclusion pathways linked to climate-resilient and low-carbon sectors.

• Contribute to regional thinking and guidance on aligning skills development with labour market demand, economic resilience, and LNOB considerations.

• Ensure coherence between green skills work and EmPower’s broader engagement on value chains, livelihoods, and economic participation.

4. Knowledge, Learning, and Integration Across EmPower Outputs

• Contribute to the development, synthesis, and refinement of knowledge products, learning materials, and guidance related to AI, skills, youth, and LNOB within the EmPower programme.

• Support regional and country-level capacity building, peer learning, and knowledge exchange activities as required.

• Work collaboratively with across the team to ensure that technical inputs are accessible, policy-relevant, and aligned with EmPower’s strategic priorities.

5. Strategic Support and Programme Adaptation

• Provide flexible technical support to emerging priorities related to AI, green skills, and youth engagement as EmPower activities evolve.

• Contribute to internal learning, reflection, and adaptive management processes.

• Provide inputs to donor-facing materials, internal briefings, and strategic discussions, as required.

Expected Outputs

In consultation with the Programme Coordinator, Climate Change, the Consultant will submit brief progress updates monthly and contribute to a rolling set of outputs aligned with the EmPower Annual Work Plan. Expected output will include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Technical contributions to concept notes, background briefs, internal guidance, and strategic papers related to AI, green skills, youth engagement, LNOB, and gender-responsive climate and economic resilience, including analysis of emerging risks, opportunities, and safeguards.
• Contributions to the development, synthesis, or refinement of knowledge products, learning materials, and analytical briefs capturing lessons learned, good practices, and implementation challenges related to AI, skills, youth leadership, and inclusive climate action.
• Technical and coordination support to EmPower’s youth leadership and innovation pathways, including youth-led analysis, policy inputs, advisory processes, and documentation of youth participation, influence, and learning.
• Analytical and technical inputs related to the responsible, gender-responsive, and inclusive use of AI and digital systems in climate action, disaster risk reduction, resilience, and related sectors, with attention to LNOB and prevention of harm.
• Contributions to EmPower’s work on green skills, workforce transitions, including identification of skills demand, access barriers, and inclusion pathways linked to climate-resilient and low-carbon sectors.
• Technical advisory and capacity strengthening support provided to UN Women ROAP, MCOs/COs/PPOs, and partners, including inputs to capacity-building activities, peer learning exchanges, and training materials related to AI, skills, youth, and LNOB.
• Technical inputs to EmPower regional workplans, adaptive management processes, and cross-output coordination, ensuring coherence between AI, skills, youth, value chain, and resilience work.
• Support engagement with relevant regional or thematic platforms and partners, maintenance of structured documentation and knowledge resources, monthly brief progress updates, and a final consultancy report and handover note summarising contributions, learning, and recommendations.

*Payment will be made upon submission of expected outputs and approval of the Programme Coordinator for Gender and Climate Action

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

The consultant will be based in Bangkok.  (The contract period is from 15 March 2026 – 31 December 2026. The consultant will work 20 days per month. Travel will be managed following UN Women travel policy.

Competencies

• Respect for Diversity 
• Integrity 
• Professionalism 

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues 
• Accountability 
• Creative Problem Solving 
• Effective Communication 
• Inclusive Collaboration 
• Stakeholder Engagement 
• Leading by Example 

Required Qualifications

Education and Certification:

• Master’s degree in gender studies, international development, social science, policy, and/or any relevant field directly related to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

• A first-level university degree in similar fields in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum 1 year experience in gender equality programming, youth engagement, climate or environmental action, skills development, digital or AI-enabled development as required.

• Demonstrated experience contributing to regional or multi-country initiatives, including coordination with diverse stakeholders such as UN agencies, government counterparts, civil society, youth networks, academia, or private sector actors as required.

• Proven experience supporting knowledge development, analysis, or learning products, such as briefs, guidance notes, learning summaries, or analytical inputs related to development, climate action, digital transformation, or skills as required.

• Experience integrating gender equality and Leave No One Behind (LNOB) considerations into programme activities, research, policy analysis, or capacity-building initiatives as required.

• Experience supporting youth engagement or participation processes, including youth consultations, advisory mechanisms, innovation challenges, or youth-led initiatives, is a strong asset.

• Strong knowledge of AI, digital technologies, data, or future skills in development or climate contexts as required.

• Regional experience in Asia and the Pacific and/or familiarity with ASEAN or other regional policy processes is an asset.

Languages:

Fluency in English or French or Spanish is required.