Gender Women and Youth Consultant at Habitat for Humanity International

Project Overview 

• Habitat for Humanity is currently implementing a 3-year project on Driving Green Growth in the Construction Sector project; funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE) programme. The project is being implemented in Kenya and co-designed between Habitat, consortium partners, other sector partners and youth working both in formal and informal sections of housing sector. The project applies market systems development approach to facilitate housing firms and relevant stakeholders to link youth to decent green jobs through three interconnected change objectives: 
• Create, match, and improve 908 green jobs for youth in the construction sector, of which 34% for women.
• Increase demand, supply and utilization of green housing products and services.
• Increase meaningful participation of women and youth in the construction sector.

Purpose and Objectives of the Assignment

• The construction sector represents a significant avenue for economic growth and employment opportunities, particularly for youth and women. However, gender disparities persist within the sector, limiting the full participation and empowerment of these groups. Recognizing the need to address these challenges, HFHI is seeking a gender consultant to review participation of youth and women in the CFYE project and develop targeted interventions that promote youth and women's inclusion and empowerment within the construction industry.

The key objectives of this assignment will be:

• Review and evaluate the effectiveness of strategies applied by project partners in enhancing inclusion of youth and women in the green construction sector and identify key gaps and success factors. 
• Develop strategies and recommendations based on these findings to enhance the participation, retention, and leadership of youth and women within the construction industry.
• Support project partners to develop a gender engagement framework that: 
• Guides project partners to implement gender responsive strategies that are aligned to their business models. 
• Guides project partners in mapping out and establishing collaborations between key stakeholders to promote gender responsive policies and practices. 

Scope of work

• The consultant will engage various stakeholders in the green construction sector including government agencies, built environment professionals, contractors, youth and women, enterprises in the green construction sector and educators to understand their perspectives and experiences related to green construction opportunities and challenges.
• He/she will support in the development of a gender mainstreaming strategy tailored to the specific needs and aspirations of youth and women in the construction industry, including recommendations for training programs and mentorship initiatives.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Review existing literature, reports, and data on gender issues within the construction sector, with a focus on the experiences and challenges faced by youth and women.
• Conduct consultations with youth, women, industry stakeholders, government agencies, and civil society organizations to gather insights and perspectives on gender dynamics within the construction industry.
• Review existing strategies applied by project partners in enhancing inclusion of youth and women in the green construction sector to identify best practices for adoption, and key gaps and challenges affecting gender mainstreaming. 
• Develop a gender mainstreaming strategy tailored to the specific needs and aspirations of youth and women in the construction industry, including recommendations for training programs, business models and mentorship initiatives.
• Conduct a gender mainstreaming workshop in the construction sector

Deliverables

• Inception report outlining the proposed methodology, work plan, and timeline for the consultancy.
• Gender analysis report summarizing key findings from the literature review, existing partner strategies on gender mainstreaming, stakeholder consultations, and policy analysis.
• Gender mainstreaming strategy framework for specific project partners, with actionable recommendations for promoting gender equality within businesses and withing the construction sector.
• Gender Mainstreaming workshop report
• Monitoring and evaluation framework with gender responsive indicators to track progress towards gender equality goals in the construction sector.
• Draft report consolidating all deliverables and providing a roadmap for implementation.
• Final report. 

Experience and qualification. 

• A university degree in gender studies, social sciences, development studies is preferred. 
• Master’s degree in the related field will be an added advantage. 
• Five years’ experience in conducting gender analyses and developing gender mainstreaming strategies, particularly within the context of youth and women's empowerment in the construction sector or related industries.
• Strong communication skills with ability to liaise with various stakeholders, including government officials.