Women’s Economic Empowerment Associate

Mission and objectives

UN Women is the UN organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide. UN Women Jordan works in close collaboration with the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the UN System, Civil Society, and members of the international community to advance the women’s national agenda, promoting women’s empowerment, women’s rights, and gender equality.

Context

UN Women Jordan supports the implementation of Jordan’s Economic Modernization Vision (EMV) by advancing women’s economic participation, strengthening gender-responsive policies, and expanding livelihood opportunities for vulnerable women living in poverty pocket areas. Its work aligns closely with Jordan’s broader “Triple Modernization Agenda” and the national target of doubling female labour force participation from 14% to 28% by 2033. A flagship area of support is the Surging Women’s Employment Initiative (SWEI), led by UN Women across the Arab States region. In Jordan, the initiative seeks to generate an additional 14,000 jobs for women by 2030 through partnerships with government, private sector actors, international financial institutions, and civil society organizations. The programme focuses particularly on sectors identified as high-potential growth areas under the Economic Modernization Vision, including the care economy, green economy, climate-smart agriculture, and STEM sectors. In parallel, UN Women works extensively with the private sector to promote women’s recruitment, retention, and leadership. Through the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) network and partner-ships with businesses operating in Jordan, the organization supports companies in adopting gender-responsive workplace policies, increasing women’s representation in management, and improving workplace safety and inclusion. Another pillar of UN Women Jordan’s work relates to supporting women in poverty pocket areas access to employment opportunities, Through the Oasis programme, established in 2012, UN Women provides integrated services to Syrian refugee women and vulnerable Jordanian women in both refugee camps and host communities. The programme combines livelihood support, vocational and digital skills training, psychosocial support, gender-based violence prevention, and community cohesion initiatives aims to equip women who never had access to income with the necessary skills to enter the job market. Overall, UN Women Jordan positions gender equality not only as a rights issue, but also as a macroeconomic and development imperative. Its programming aims to address structural barriers to women’s employment — including care burdens, transportation, workplace discrimination, and restrictive social norms — while supporting Jordan’s transition toward a more inclusive and resilient economy.

Task Description

Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Representative and the women’s economic empowerment specialist, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: 1. Support the development of programme strategies in the area of Women’s Economic Empowerment including through the development of draft concept notes, conduction of desk reviews and preparation of analytical briefs. 2. Support the implementation of projects under the Women’s Economic Empowerment portfolio:

• Support the drafting of the annual workplan and budget;
• Support the monitoring of implementation of activities;
• Follow up with partners for the submission of financial and narrative reports;
• Support the organization of meetings, including Project Steering Committee, project review and/or evaluation meetings, as needed.
• Support the liaison with partners, documentation of meetings through note taking and preparation of briefs
• Support the implementation of the private sector engagement strategy 3. Support the monitoring of programme activities:
• Support with the preparation of field visits, follow up with partners and private sector companies
• Support with data collection and data analysis using the private sector monitoring tool
• Support with data visualization of reports
• Support with the preparation of quarterly donor reports
• Provide technical support to the Representative and Deputy Representative on inter-agency 4. Support advocacy, knowledge building and communication efforts
• Support with the development of background documents, briefs and presentations related to Women’s Economic Empowerment/Surging Women’s Employment;
• Support in identifying best practices and lessons learned to guide programme improvement and strategy planning; 5. The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization. During the first month of the assignment, the UN Volunteer will work closely with his/her direct supervisor to finalize an agreed-upon work plan. The work plan should outline key objectives and activities and include regular check ins with the supervisor to review progress and receive performance feedback.

Competencies and values

• Accountability
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Building Trust
• Commitment and Motivation
• Commitment to Continuous Learning
• Communication
• Creativity
• Empowering Others
• Ethics and Values
• Integrity
• Knowledge Sharing
• Leadership
• Managing Performance
• Planning and Organizing
• Professionalism
• Respect for Diversity
• Self-Management
• Technological Awareness
• Vision
• Working in Teams

Living conditions and remarks

Location: The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is located in the Middle East. Bound by Syria to the north, Iraq to the northeast, Saudi Arabia to the east and south, Red Sea to the south and the Palestinian National Authority to the west. Weather: Jordan’s climate can be classified as semi-arid (Bsh) on the Koeppen-Geiger classification. It features a hot, dry climate characterized by long, hot, dry summers and short, cool winters. The climate is influenced by Jordan's location between the subtropical aridity of the Arabian desert areas and the subtropical humidity of the eastern Mediterranean area. January is the coldest month, with temperatures from 5°C to 10°C, and August is the hottest month at 20°C to 35°C. Daily temperatures can be quite hot, especially in the summer; on some days it can be 40°C or more, especially when a hot, dry southerly wind blows. Such winds can sometimes be very strong and can cause sandstorms. About 70 percent of the average rainfall in the country falls between November and March; June through August are often rainless. Rainfall varies from season to season and from year to year. Precipitation is often concentrated in violent storms, causing erosion and local flooding, especially in the winter months. Safety and Security: Jordan is a relatively stable country. The potentials for internal or external armed conflict are considered very unlikely in the current political environment. Peaceful demonstrations, and sometimes road blockages, do occur in Jordan, motivated by domestic factors such as unemployment, deprivation of resources and development or for regional issues such as solidarity with the Palestinian cause or with the Syrian crises. Most of these events are driven by civil society unions and Islamic parties. Domestic tribal civil unrest sometimes turns violent, especially outside main cities, due to tribal disputes or socio-economic reasons. In all occasions law enforcement agencies usually manage to contain the situation rapidly. Road traffic accidents are the primary threat against UN personnel in Jordan. Poor road conditions and bad driving behaviours are the main reasons for the high rate of traffic accidents. Amman is a category A duty station with security level 1. Transportation and housing: Taxis as well as ride-hailing services (Uber and Careem) are abundant and affordable in Amman. Medical facilities are generally very good, particularly in Amman where there are several modern, well-equipped public and private hospitals. Public minibuses are the most common form of public transport. They normally only leave when full, so waiting times of an hour or more are inevitable, especially in rural areas. The larger air-con buses offer a speedy and reliable service, departing according to a fixed schedule. Housing is readily available with rents for one- to two-bedroom apartments ranging between 500 and 800 JD (1 JD = 0.708 USD) depending on the location. Health Services: Medical facilities are generally very good, particularly in Amman where there are several modern, well-equipped public and private hospitals. Almost all doctors (and most pharmacists) speak English; many have studied abroad. Language: The official language of Jordan is Arabic, but English is widely spoken – especially in the cities. Many Jordanians have travelled or have been educated abroad so French, German, Italian and Spanish are also spoken, but to a lesser extent. Learn more about Jordan from the Ministry of Tourism’s website: https://www.mota.gov.jo/Default/En Conditions of Service The Conditions of Service, available here: https://explore.unv.org/cos, outline the policies and rules governing UN Volunteer assignments. Full information on entitlements at the duty station can be accessed here: https://app.unv.org/calculator.