Gender Expert - Pharmaceutical Value Chain

Africa Trade Competitiveness and Market Access (ATCMA) Programme –ECOWAS Component 

The EU-funded Africa Trade Competitiveness and Market Access (ATCMA) Programme, a pan- African initiative aims at sustainably increasing intra-African and EU-Africa trade. In addition to a continental component, the programme comprises five regional components in the ECOWAS, COMESA, SADC, ECCAS and EAC regions, building on existing or previous regional programmes (WACOMP in West Africa, MARKUP in East Africa, PIQAC in Central Africa, RECAMP and SIPS in Southern Africa).   

The programme is implemented jointly by UNIDO and the International Trade Centre (ITC). ITC is the joint technical cooperation agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization (WTO) in charge of the sustainable promotion of trade and exports from developing countries and economies in transition. The ITC aims to make micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in developing countries more competitive in global markets, accelerate economic development and contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Thus, the organization contributes to creating jobs along product value chains and promising services sectors, especially for young people and women. 

The overall focus of this four-year Umbrella Programme is to address market access challenges faced by selected value chains and enhance their competitiveness, through two pillars:  

Supporting countries to benefit from trade opportunities by enabling them to conform with standards and technical regulations, requiring quality infrastructure and conformity assessment services, as well as by streamlining regulatory and procedural frameworks at the regional and national levels. The programme will help the African countries to benefit from trade opportunities by being able to conform with standards and technical regulations, which requires establishing efficient testing, certification and accreditation mechanisms that conform to the requirements of the SPS and TBT agreements and benefit from international recognition. It will also strengthen governmental institutions in their capacity of creating a more conducive business environment for MSMEs. 

Maximizing MSME export potential and access to new markets by overcoming constraints or developing enablers like value addition, and export capacities: In order to maximise MSMEs export potential and support them to enter new markets, the Programme will also address other market access constraints or enablers: enhance value addition and export capacities through marketing, labelling, branding strategies, sustainability and environmental issues, technology transfer and processing for export, business promotion through market linkages and capacitate trade and investment support institutions. Support will be provided both at institutional and policy level, as well as at private sector level, with a primary focus on selected key export-oriented regional priority value chains. Particular focus on intra-African exports as well as exports to the EU will be given, so regions can fully exploit their trade-driven growth potential, with a view to contribute to sustainable growth and jobs creation.  

The programme is thematically structured into five components leading to 5 outputs as follows: 

In relation to Specific Objective 1: 

Output 1.1: Market access barriers identified and reduced 

Output 1.2: Strengthened quality compliance and standards  

Output 1.3: Value-chain revision mechanism facilitated 

In relation to Specific Objective 2: 

Output 2.1: Enhanced value addition and diversification 

Output 2.2: Enhanced SME capacities and opportunities for business and export 

While UNIDO is in charge of implementing output 1.2 and 2.1., ITC is responsible for the implementation of output 1.1, 1.3 and 2.2 

To ensure an overall coherent umbrella ATCMA framework, coordination and complementarity between the Continental component and sub-regional components will be ensured throughout the overall programme implementation.  

Within ATCMA-ECOWAS, pharmaceutical components have been identified as a strategic value chain for regional industrial upgrading, quality compliance, SME competitiveness and intra-African trade integration. Interventions focus on pharmaceutical manufacturing inputs, formulation, quality control, regulatory compliance, and enabling services, rather than on clinical research or health service delivery. 

In this context, gender equality and women’s economic empowerment are addressed through an industrial lens, with attention to participation in pharmaceutical manufacturing, access to skills and certification, enterprise upgrading, regulatory engagement, and inclusion in regional coordination mechanisms. 

Special attention will be given to enhancing the participation and empowerment of women and youth-owned/-led businesses, aligned with the objectives and implementation of the AfCFTA Women and Youth Protocol. The Protocol provides a legally binding framework to promote the effective participation of women and youth in intra-African trade, value addition, and integration into regional and continental value chains. In this context, the assignment will support evidence-based implementation of the Protocol through targeted gender analysis, identification of structural and regulatory barriers, and formulation of actionable recommendations relevant to ATCMA interventions.   

The programme will also integrate UNIDO’s approach to gender equality and women’s empowerment as a driver for sustainable industrial development. As part of the inception phase, an in-depth gender analysis will be undertaken to inform programme implementation, ensure gender-responsive activities, and establish gender-specific indicators and baselines. 

To conduct a gender-responsive and gender-transformative analysis of selected pharmaceutical value chains at continental and regional levels, identifying structural, regulatory, skills-related, financial and market barriers and opportunities affecting women’s participation, leadership and benefit in pharmaceutical manufacturing, quality infrastructure, regulatory systems, enterprise upgrading and market access, in line with ATCMA’s industrial mandate. 

The analysis shall be strictly aligned with ATCMA activities under Outputs 1.1, 1.2, 2.1 and 2.2, and shall not extend to clinical trials, health service delivery, or patient-level interventions. Recommendations will also indicate, where relevant, how findings can be tabled through regional coordination mechanisms (including the Value Chain Revision Mechanism), without expanding the scope beyond Outputs 1.1, 1.2, 2.1 and 2.2. 

The expert will work under the overall guidance of the UNIDO Lead Programme Manager responsible for the ECOWAS Programme  in the Division of MSME Competitiveness, Quality and Job Creation (TCS/SME) at UNIDO HQ, in close collaboration with the Industrial Development Expert of the ATCMA ECOWAS at UNIDO HQ.  

The methodology shall explicitly reflect the scope of ATCMA pharmaceutical interventions, including analysis of: 

Gendered participation across pharmaceutical value-chain segments (inputs, formulation, quality control, regulatory compliance, distribution); 

Access to industrial skills, GMP-related training, laboratory certification and regulatory competencies; 

Barriers faced by women-owned and women-led pharmaceutical SMEs in achieving compliance, upgrading production, and accessing finance; 

Gender representation and participation in regulatory authorities, quality infrastructure institutions, clusters and value-chain revision mechanisms; 

Gender-differentiated impacts of non-tariff measures (NTMs), registration procedures, and cross-border trade requirements affecting pharmaceutical enterprises. 

All consultations and data collection shall follow ethical and do-no-harm principles, including informed consent, confidentiality, and safe handling of sensitive or commercially sensitive information. 

Where relevant, findings may be channeled through existing regional coordination platforms, including the Value Chain Revision Mechanism, strictly as coordination and validation fora, without expanding the analytical scope beyond Outputs 1.1, 1.2, 2.1 and 2.2. 

The Expert will be responsible for the performance of the following main duties:

MAIN DUTIES 

Concrete/ measurables outputs to be achieved  

Expected duration 

Location 

1. Familiarization with ATCMA-ECOWAS programme documents, UNIDO Gender Equality Strategy, and selected pharmaceutical value chains, including relevant industrial, regulatory, quality infrastructure and SME upgrading frameworks. 

Desk Review Completed. 

Demonstrated understanding of ATCMA objectives and gender integration requirements 

Participation in inception call with UNIDO 

4 days 

Home-based  

2. Prepare Inception Note: methodology, work plan, and list of stakeholders for consultations. 

Inception Note  

5 days 

Home-based  

3. Conduct desk review of  continental, regional and national gender equality strategies, industrial, pharmaceutical, MSME, quality infrastructure and trade policies relevant to pharmaceutical manufacturing, regulatory compliance and enterprise upgrading.  The review shall include analysis of gender considerations in pharmaceutical industrial policies, medicines regulation systems, GMP and quality infrastructure frameworks, and SME support mechanisms relevant to ATCMA interventions. 

Desk review summary (annex to Gender Analysis Report) 

7 days 

Home-based 

4. Carry out consultations (virtual and/or in-person) with key stakeholders such as the African Women in Processing (AWIP), African Women in Business (WIB), the Africa Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Regional Associations,   , pharmaceutical manufacturers’ associations, regulatory authorities, quality infrastructure institutions, laboratories, training providers, cluster organizations, and women-owned or women-led pharmaceutical enterprises, as relevant to ATCMA activities. 

Consultation notes (annex to Gender Analysis Report). 

7 days 

Home-based  

5. Draft Gender Analysis Report for pharmaceutical components value chain (max. 20 pages, excluding annexes), covering: gender roles and participation across  in pharmaceutical value-chain segments; barriers and opportunities for women’s participation in trade and value addition; gender-differentiated  impacts of TBT measures, GMP requirements and quality infrastructure systems (and, where relevant, SPS-related controls affecting pharmaceutical inputs and logistics); Skills gaps, workforce segmentation and leadership constraints affecting women’s participation in pharmaceutical manufacturing and regulatory functions;; institutional, regulatory and coordination   gaps; and prioritized, actionable and sequenced  recommendations for integrating gender within ATCMA pharmaceutical activities . 

Draft Gender Analysis Report 

8 days  

Home-Based 

6. Prepare an Annex of Proposed Gender Indicators – including sex- and age-disaggregated  baselines, targets, and data sources – aligned with ATCMA log frame, UNIDO Gender Marker requirements, with particular attention to participation in pharmaceutical manufacturing, access to skills and certification, enterprise upgrading, regulatory engagement and export readiness, and ITC monitoring systems. 

Gender Indicators Annex 

7 days 

Home-Based  

7. Present preliminary findings and recommendations through at least one validation workshop (virtual or in-person), and submit a short workshop summary including agenda, participant list, key feedback received and how comments were addressed. 

Workshop report; feedback incorporated 

6 days 

Home-Based  

8. Prepare Final Gender Analysis Report, incorporating feedback from respective programme stakeholders. 

Final Gender Analysis Report (clean + tracked). 

6 days 

Home-Based 

All deliverables shall explicitly demonstrate relevance to ATCMA (ECOWAS Component)p harmaceutical value-chain activities and avoid health-service or clinical domains outside the programme’s scope. UNIDO (and ITC, as relevant) will review each deliverable and provide consolidated comments within a specified number of working days. The consultant shall revise and resubmit deliverables within an agreed timeframe, incorporating all consolidated feedback. 

Inception Note (max. 3 pages) – detailing methodology, workplan, and list of stakeholders for consultations. 

Draft Gender Analysis Report (max. 20 pages excluding annexes) – covering findings, analysis, and recommendations. 

Annex: Proposed Gender Indicators – including baselines, targets, and data sources. 

Final Gender Analysis Report – incorporating feedback from UNIDO and partners. 

Education: Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in gender studies, social sciences, international development, or a related field. 

Technical and Functional Experience: 

Minimum 5 years of professional experience in gender analysis and women’s economic empowerment, preferably in trade, value chain, or industrial development contexts. 

Demonstrated experience working on gender issues in regulated manufacturing sectors (e.g. pharmaceuticals, chemicals, medical products or similar) is a strong asset. 

Familiarity with pharmaceutical manufacturing, GMP, quality infrastructure or regulatory systems is an asset. 

Experience in African region or similar socio-economic contexts is an asset. 

Familiarity with AfCFTA frameworks and/or regional trade agreements is an asset. 

Demonstrated experience in developing gender-responsive indicators and conducting stakeholder consultations is required.  

Excellent analytical and report writing skills in English is required, while working knowledge of French is desirable.  

Experience with EU-funded programmes is desirable. 

Ability to work in a multicultural environment is desirable. 

Core values: Integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity 

Core competencies: Results-orientation and accountability, planning and organizing, team orientation 

Managerial competencies (as applicable): Strategy and direction, judgement and decision-making 

Key Competencies: 

WE FOCUS ON PEOPLE: cooperate to fully reach our potential – and this is true for our colleagues as well as our clients. Emotional intelligence and receptiveness are vital parts of our UNIDO identity. 

WE FOCUS ON RESULTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: focus on planning, organizing and managing our work effectively and efficiently. We are responsible and accountable for achieving our results and meeting our performance standards. This accountability does not end with our colleagues and supervisors, but we also owe it to those we serve and who have trusted us to contribute to a better, safer and healthier world. 

WE COMMUNICATE AND EARN TRUST: communicate effectively with one another and build an environment of trust where we can all excel in our work. 

WE THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND INNOVATE: To stay relevant, we continuously improve, support innovation, share our knowledge and skills, and learn from one another.

This appointment is limited to the specified project(s) only and does not carry any expectation of renewal.
Employees of UNIDO are expected at all times to uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity, both at work and outside. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for jobs at UNIDO.

All applications must be submitted online through the Online Recruitment System. Correspondence will be undertaken only with candidates who are being considered at an advanced phase of the selection process. Selected candidate(s) may be required to disclose to the Director General the nature and scope of financial and other personal interests and assets in respect of themselves, their spouses and dependents, under the procedures established by the Director General.

Visit the UNIDO website for details on how to apply: www.unido.org

NOTE: The Director General retains the discretion to make an appointment to this post at a lower level. 

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