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 between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

In Ukraine, UN Women supports the Government and civil society to uphold national and international commitments on gender equality and women’s rights, including CEDAW, the Beijing Platform for Action, the Women, Peace and Security agenda, and EU accession obligations. Current programming responds to the gendered impacts of the war while strengthening institutions to deliver inclusive recovery and reconstruction. This work aligns with the UN Transitional Framework, UN Women’s Strategic Note 2024–2025 and contributes directly to the priorities of the UN Women Strategic Plan 2026–2029, particularly gender-responsive governance, public finance accountability, and financing for gender equality. UN Women’s portfolio focuses on: (i) Women, Peace and Security and prevention of gender-based violence; (ii) gender-responsive governance and public finance, including gender-responsive budgeting (GRB); and (iii) gender-responsive recovery, humanitarian response, and European integration.
Across these areas, UN Women provides policy advice, technical assistance, and capacity development to national and local authorities, oversight institutions, and civil society to ensure that public resources equitably address the needs of women, men, girls, and boys.

The Ministry of Finance (MoF) is a key partner leading the institutionalization of GRB within Ukraine’s public financial management (PFM) system. Since 2014, gender approaches have been progressively integrated into programme-based budgeting, with rollout to all ministries and Key Spending Units. Foundational measures included incorporation of GRB into the PFM Reform Strategy, medium-term budget planning, and methodological guidance for gender analysis of budget programmes.

Despite wartime pressures, Ukraine continues advancing PFM reforms in 2025–2026. Key developments include implementation of the updated PFM Reform Strategy (2022–2025 and subsequent extension), strengthened medium-term budget planning and performance-based budgeting, amendments to the Budget Code to enhance fiscal transparency and accountability, digitalization of budget planning and reporting systems, and alignment with EU acquis requirements under the accession process. At the same time, significant public and donor resources are directed toward recovery and reconstruction, social protection, services for internally displaced persons, and human capital investments. These reforms create critical entry points to embed gender analysis, sex-disaggregated indicators, and gender impact assessments into budget formulation, execution, and monitoring to ensure equitable and effective use of funds. 

In 2023, UN Women conducted a national mapping of GRB implementation across state and local levels. While policy frameworks are in place, gaps remain in institutional capacity, consistent use of data, and tracking of gender equality results. Strengthening accountability and linking budget allocations to measurable gender outcomes are priority areas for government and partners.

Supporting gender-responsive public finance directly contributes to the UN Women Strategic Plan 2026–2029 by advancing financing for gender equality, stronger governance and oversight systems, and women’s leadership in recovery and peacebuilding. Embedding GRB within Ukraine’s reconstruction architecture will help ensure that large-scale investments deliver inclusive, evidence-based, and sustainable results.

To advance these objectives, UN Women seeks a National Consultant to provide expert technical and capacity development support to the Government of Ukraine on GRB implementation for promoting gender-responsive recovery. The consultant will provide expert support to strengthen GRB planning and implementation at all levels; provide policy advice and methodological guidance; support conducting gender analyses of budget policies and programmes; support capacity building and advocacy; and help integrate gender equality into recovery and reconstruction financing processes.

The consultant will be reporting to Programme Management Specialist (Governance and Women’s Leadership Team) and will be supported by Programme Analyst (Gender Responsive Governance), who will be the point of contact on the contract and payment issues.

Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work

The assignment will include, but not be limited to, the following responsibilities:

1. Technical and Policy Support on GRB Institutionalization

• Provide expert advice to UN Women on the design and implementation of programme interventions that advance Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB) at national and subnational levels.
• Support the integration of gender equality principles into medium-term budget planning and programme-based budgeting processes.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of GRB methodologies, tools, and practical guidance aligned with Ukraine’s Public Financial Management (PFM) reforms and EU acquis requirements.

2. Legal and Regulatory Framework Improvement

• Provide expert support to the institutions of the National Women’s Machinery (NWM), the Ministry of Finance, the Parliament and other governmental partners (upon request) to strengthen the legal and policy framework for GRB, including recommendations on amendments to budget regulations, procedures, and methodological documents.
• Review and analyze draft legislation, Budget Code provisions, budget instructions, and sectoral policies to ensure alignment with gender equality standards and EU integration commitments.
• Prepare technical notes and policy recommendations to strengthen the institutional foundations of GRB within the budget process.

3. Support to Gender Mainstreaming in Public Investment and ITA Processes

• Provide expert and technical support to the Government of Ukraine, in coordination with UN Women and the Office of the Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy, on strengthening gender mainstreaming in public investment planning and International Technical Assistance (ITA) processes.
• Contribute to the revision and enhancement of the Methodology for ITA Project Submission, including the development and refinement of gender markers and gender-sensitive assessment criteria in line with OECD standards.
• Advise on integrating gender equality requirements into public investment appraisal and project selection processes in alignment with PFM reforms and EU standards.
• Support the institutionalization of gender markers within relevant government systems to strengthen gender-responsive allocation of resources.

4. Capacity Development and Expert Support

• Deliver training, mentoring, and on-demand expert advisory support to relevant governmental partners, including line ministries, Key Spending Units, and local authorities on applying gender analysis in budgeting and incorporating gender considerations into sectoral planning.
• Provide expert support to the development of the GRB training materials.
• Provide tailored technical assistance to pilot institutions to demonstrate practical application of GRB approaches.

5. Stakeholder Coordination and Partnerships

• In coordination with UN Women, facilitate collaboration among the institutions of the National Women’s Machinery (NWM), the Ministry of Finance, line ministries, Parliament, local governments, and civil society to advance coherent and sustainable GRB implementation.
• Support multi-stakeholder consultations and policy dialogue processes to promote ownership and alignment of GRB reforms.

6. Knowledge Sharing and Analytical Contributions

• Document emerging practices and lessons learned to inform policy dialogue and strategic programming.
• Contribute to analytical inputs, briefing notes, and programme documentation as required.

Deliverables

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a primary home-based consultancy. It may require occasional travel to training locations within Ukraine, contingent upon the consultant obtaining security clearance. The assignment requires intermittent presence on UN Women premises.

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:

• Analytical Skills: Ability to analyze complex data and policy documents to identify gender disparities and recommend GRB interventions.
• Policy Development: Proficiency in developing policies and strategies that integrate gender considerations into budgeting processes and decision-making.
• Capacity Building: Experience in designing and delivering training programs to enhance stakeholders' understanding of GRB principles and implementation.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Skill in fostering collaboration and partnerships with government agencies, civil society organizations, and international stakeholders to promote GRB initiatives.
• Monitoring and Evaluation: Competence in designing monitoring frameworks and evaluating the impact of GRB interventions on gender equality outcomes.
• Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills to effectively communicate GRB concepts, findings, and recommendations to diverse audiences.

Required Qualifications

Qualifications Education.

• Advanced (Masters) degree in Public Policy and Administration, Public Finance, Economics, Social Sciences or related field.

Experience:

• Minimum 2 years of relevant work experience (after Master’s degree) in gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE), gender-responsive budgeting (RGB) or other related fields;
• Proven experience with conducting gender analysis of normative and policy documents, sectorial budgetary programs and sex-disaggregated data, and providing policy gender-responsive recommendations on advancement of GEWE; 
• Proven experience of providing advisory/technical support on GRB to government institutions; previous experience with the Ministry of Finance will be considered as an asset;
• Experience with support of coordination of multiple stakeholders’ activities and liaise with governmental and non-governmental stakeholders, including development partners, and civil society; experience with UN Women and other UN agencies will be considered as an asset;

Languages and other skills: 

Working level in verbal and written English and fluency in Ukrainian 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.