CONSULTANCY SERVICES FOR Gender Audit for Education Sector

CONSULTANCY SERVICES FOR

Gender Audit for Education Sector

VACANCY#: UNICEF/MLW/2011/010

Background

Malawi has achieved gender parity in lower primary school but gender disparities continue to exist in upper primary, technical and vocational skills and in university education. These gender disparities exist despite the free primary education policy which came into effect in 1994.

Malawi is a signatory to the Millennium Development Goals and reports show that by 2015, Malawi will not meet the targets on MDG 2 and MDG 3 unless different strategies are developed to accelerate progress in the area of universal primary education and promotion of gender equality and women empowerment respectively.

A gender audit for the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) is critical if substantive progress has to be made in closing gender gaps existing in the sector. The audit will inform where strategies for gender equality need to be strengthened, document good practices and suggest how resources can be effectively and efficiently used to promote gender equality.

UNICEF is therefore, seeking the services of an International Individual consultant to carry out a Gender Audit will Identify gaps, challenges and opportunities for improving gender mainstreaming in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology with a view to improve girls’ education.

Expected skills and qualifications:


1. Education

• University degree at Masters or Doctorate level in the social sciences, education, development studies or other relevant field of study;

2. Work Experience:

• 5 years of working experience in the related field and Strong educational research and evaluation background, particularly in the Southern African region. Prior experience in gender auditing will be an added advantage.
• Extensive knowledge of the literature on gender, education, and development, with particular reference to Malawi
• Close familiarity with Malawi’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology programme approaches for gender, particularly in promoting girls’ education at various levels will be an added advantage
• Excellent written and analytical skills and ability to synthesize large and diverse sources of information

3. Duration:

35 working Days

4. Specific duties and responsibilities include:-

1. Assess the technical capacity of staff at Ministry Headquarters and at selected district offices and selected schools with respect to mainstreaming gender
2. Conduct a field trip to selected districts to review how gender is being mainstreamed at district level
3. Identify and document practices, attitudes, strategies, policies and regulatory frameworks that have made a positive or negative contribution to gender mainstreaming in the ministry (looking at retention, transition, deployment of teachers, children who are at risk in dropping out etc.)
4. Assess the level of resources (human and financial) allocated and utilized on gender mainstreaming and activities aimed at bridging the gender gap
5. Examine staff gender balance at the Ministry HQ level, selected District Education Manager's Office and selected schools within the districts; as well as reporting on accountability systems for gender main streaming at the same levels.

Only candidates who meet all of the above requirements need to apply submitting a letter of application along with their curriculum vitae on or before 19 August 2011 to:

The Chief of Operations
UNICEF
P.O. Box 30375, Lilongwe 3
Email: lilongwe@unicef.org



ONLY SHORTLISTED APPLICANTS WILL BE ACKNOWLEDGED