UN Women is inviting qualified professionals to apply for a Gender and Social Policy Expert consultancy supporting the development of a gender-responsive National Care Policy for Saint Lucia. The position is a home-based individual consultancy with travel to Saint Lucia expected as part of the assignment.
The consultancy is being implemented under UN Women’s work with Global Affairs Canada through the “Build Back Equal” project, which focuses on strengthening women’s economic resilience and addressing structural barriers to women’s economic empowerment across the Eastern Caribbean.
The selected consultant will provide technical expertise in gender equality, social policy, care systems and policy development, helping Saint Lucia strengthen its national approach to unpaid and paid care work.
The assignment focuses on supporting the Government of Saint Lucia in developing a comprehensive gender-responsive National Care Policy.
The consultant will work under the overall supervision of the UN Women Multi-Country Office Caribbean Representative and report directly to the Deputy Representative.
A major focus will be the 5Rs framework for care work: Recognise, Reduce, Redistribute, Reward and Represent. The consultant will examine how care policies can contribute to women’s economic empowerment, labour force participation, decent work and inclusive economic development.
The role will involve research, policy analysis, stakeholder consultations, drafting and validation of the proposed National Care Policy.
Key Responsibilities
The Gender and Social Policy Expert will undertake several major activities during the consultancy.
These include reviewing existing national policies, legislation and strategies related to gender equality, labour, social protection, family-friendly policies and care work.
The consultant will identify policy and legislative gaps concerning both unpaid and paid care work and assess relevant regional and international good practices.
The expert will also contribute to drafting the National Care Policy, ensuring that it addresses areas such as:
- Childcare and affordable care services
- Parental and maternity leave
- Care for older persons
- Care for persons with disabilities
- Decent work for care workers
- Redistribution of unpaid care responsibilities
- Women’s economic empowerment
- Labour force participation
- Social protection
- Institutional coordination and financing
The consultant will also facilitate stakeholder engagement involving government ministries, civil society organisations, private-sector representatives, workers’ organisations, employers and care providers.
Particular attention will be given to ensuring that women, carers, care workers, men, young people and persons with disabilities are meaningfully represented in consultations.
Research and Policy Development Deliverables
The consultancy includes a detailed series of research and policy deliverables.
The consultant will first prepare an inception report, including the proposed methodology, workplan and stakeholder map.
A comprehensive desk review will then examine Saint Lucia’s policy, legislative and service-delivery context relating to care. This will include relevant regional model laws, gender assessments, draft legislation and available cost exercises concerning the care economy.
The consultant will subsequently undertake qualitative research through focus group discussions and key informant interviews.
Focus groups will involve women’s organisations, men’s groups, youth, older persons, persons with disabilities and domestic workers’ representatives.
Key informant interviews will include faith-based organisations, employers, trade unions and senior government officials.
The research will feed into a qualitative analysis report and a broader situational analysis covering social and cultural norms, unpaid care work, labour policies, social protection, childcare, healthcare, eldercare, disability care, domestic work and care infrastructure.
The consultant will then prepare the first draft of the National Care Policy, including policy priorities, institutional arrangements, implementation mechanisms and monitoring and evaluation provisions.
The draft policy will be presented during an in-country stakeholder consultation before finalisation.
Consultancy Timeline
The assignment has an initial duration of 50 working days.
Key deadlines include:
- 29 September 2026: Inception report and desk review
- 13 October 2026: Research instruments for qualitative analysis
- 30 October 2026: Focus groups and key informant interviews
- 13 November 2026: Focus group discussion report
- 30 November 2026: Final qualitative analysis report
- 11 December 2026: Situational analysis of care work
- 31 December 2026: First draft of the National Care Policy
- 22 January 2027: Stakeholder consultation and summary report
The consultancy is described as local and home-based, with travel to the target country required during the assignment. UN Women will arrange and cover the official mission travel.
CARICOM nationals and holders of CARICOM Skills Certificates are encouraged to apply.
Eligibility and Qualifications
Applicants must have a Master’s degree in economics, social sciences, statistics, public health, gender and development or a related field.
Candidates with a Bachelor’s degree may also qualify with additional relevant professional experience, subject to the vacancy requirements.
At least five years of experience working on gender equality and/or human rights is required for candidates with a Master’s degree, while candidates applying with a Bachelor’s degree require seven years of relevant experience.
Applicants must also have at least five years of experience analysing and integrating gender-responsive approaches into policy and programme formulation and implementation, particularly in social protection and care policies.
Importantly, demonstrable experience drafting national care policies is required.
Strong legal analysis, social research, analytical and communication skills are also expected. Applicants should be familiar with international and regional standards concerning gender equality, labour, social protection and human rights.
Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
How to Apply
The UN Women Gender and Social Policy Expert opportunity offers an opportunity for an experienced policy professional to contribute directly to national reforms around care, gender equality and women’s economic empowerment in Saint Lucia.
The position is particularly relevant for professionals with backgrounds in gender and development, social policy, social protection, labour policy, human rights, care economy research and public policy.
Interested candidates should carefully review the official vacancy requirements and complete all sections of the UN Women application form, including education and employment history. UN Women notes that incomplete applications may be disqualified from the recruitment process.
Position: Consultant Gender and Social Policy Expert
Organisation: UN Women
Location: Home-based, Saint Lucia
Contract: Individual Consultancy
Duration: 50 working days
Application deadline: 11 September 2026
Education: Master’s degree plus five years’ relevant experience, or Bachelor’s degree plus seven years’ relevant experience
Language: English
This consultancy provides an opportunity for a qualified gender and social policy specialist to support the development of a national care policy designed to address unpaid care work, strengthen social protection and advance women’s economic empowerment in Saint Lucia.
