Climate-Responsive Agricultural Training for Women in Selected Municipalities, National Consultancy, Sarajevo, BiH

Background:

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is among the most air-polluted and energy-intensive countries in Europe and faces mounting climate-related threats including floods, droughts, landslides, and wildfires. Over 20% of the country is flood-prone, affecting more than 283,000 people, with climate-related disasters contributing to economic losses exceeding USD 3.2 billion. These impacts are particularly severe in rural areas, where women are deeply engaged in informal agriculture but largely excluded from formal climate planning and decision-making. Rural women constitute 28.5% of the total population in BiH and 49.8% of the rural population, yet face systemic barriers including gender inequality, limited access to resources, and a lack of tailored tools to build resilience. Climate impacts have led to declining yields, shifting planting seasons, increased pest outbreaks, and water management challenges, especially for rural women that are using traditional methods in agriculture. These challenges are intensified by limited access to technical knowledge, irrigation systems, and climate-smart inputs.

In response, UN Women is launching a gender-sensitive climate initiative in the cities of Bijeljina, Cazin, Doboj and Lukavac. The initiative targets socially and economically disadvantaged rural women and aims to empower them with knowledge and tools to improve climate resilience, adopt sustainable agricultural practices, and implement energy efficiency measures, thereby contributing to both climate adaptation and mitigation.

The initiative is directly linked to the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs) developed by the cities and municipalities under the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy. These local plans set ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2030 and increasing resilience to climate change. While structural actions in the SECAPs often require significant investment, the success of non-structural measures, such as promoting energy efficiency, sustainable resource use, and behavioral change, depends on active citizen participation. Women in rural areas have a critical role to play in advancing these goals through their daily practices, household decisions, and agricultural livelihoods.

This consultancy will contribute directly to the implementation of SECAP priorities by supporting gender-responsive, community-led climate actions and enhancing the inclusion of women in local mitigation and adaptation strategies. It will do so through tailored training, awareness-raising, and practical support designed to increase food security, promote sustainable livelihoods, and foster local climate leadership among rural women. Drawing on the Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Consultant’s general training, this consultancy will provide agriculture-specific training, enabling rural women to enhance food security, build resilience, and contribute meaningfully to climate mitigation and adaptation efforts.

The consultant will work under the overall supervision of UN Women Programme Management Specialist and the direct supervision of Gender Responsive Climate Officer, who will serve as the focal point for coordination, contract management, and payments.

Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work

This assignment complements the separately developed general climate change and energy efficiency training by providing agriculture-specific knowledge and practical guidance on climate-resilient farming practices. The consultant will work in close collaboration with the Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Consultant to jointly deliver integrated, gender-responsive training and awareness raising to socially and economically disadvantaged rural women in Bijeljina, Cazin, Doboj and Lukavac.

The consultant is expected to undertake the following tasks:

• Design and prepare gender-responsive agricultural training materials, including a detailed training plan tailored for and targeting women in rural areas of Bijeljina, Cazin, Doboj, Lukavac, draft a content for a take-home flyer or leaflet (in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian), summarizing key agricultural adaptation messages tailored to the needs of rural women, as well as user-friendly training materials (presentations, handouts, posters, visual aids) covering:
  • Climate-resilient crop selection and farming techniques
  • Soil and water conservation methods
  • Sustainable land management and organic practices
  • Climate risks in agriculture (drought, floods, pests) and mitigation strategies
  • Gender-specific challenges and opportunities in agricultural adaptation (climate-smart agriculture)
• Deliver four, one-day gender-sensitive training sessions (one in each city), facilitating interactive sessions that encourage active participation, and sharing of experiences ensuring that the content is adapted to local needs and understandable for non-expert audiences. Each session should target up to 25 participants, with a focus on women at risk of being left behind (LNOB principle).
• Collaborate closely with the Climate Change Consultant while designing training materials, to ensure coherence and integration of messages between agriculture-specific and general training modules.
• Collaborate closely with co-trainers, local community focal points and UN Women personnel to ensure smooth identification of participants, logistics, timely transitions between topics, and effective engagement throughout the sessions.
• Collect feedback from participants and local stakeholders after each training session to assess the effectiveness of the training sessions and identify areas for improvement.
• Produce a final report summarizing all activities, lessons learned, and concrete recommendations for scaling or replicating the training programme in other local communities.

The consultant should, in development of the deliverables, allow time for deliverables to be reviewed and commented by UN Women before their finalization. All training materials of an acceptable standard and quality and session delivery must be delivered in Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian and Final Report should be submitted to the UN Women in English.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This consultancy is home-based, with required travel to Bijeljina, Cazin, Doboj and Lukavac for the delivery of in-person training sessions. All travel will be pre-arranged and approved in consultation with the supervisor, with all travel expenses covered by UN Women.

Competencies :

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework:

Functional Competencies:

• Demonstrated expertise in sustainable agriculture, climate-resilient farming, and rural development.
• Experience in designing and delivering capacity-building activities, such as trainings, workshops, awareness sessions or public outreach, especially for rural, grassroots or non-expert audience.
• Ability to develop accessible training content for non-expert audiences.
• Strong coordination skills to work jointly with other consultants and stakeholders.
• Confident facilitation and public speaking skills.
• Openness to feedback and a flexible approach to adapt content and methodology accordingly.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to produce clear, concise reports and documentation.

Education and Certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in biotechnical sciences, natural sciences, civil protection, or other degrees relevant to the requirements of the ToR is required. A first level university degree in combination with two additional years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. (pass/fail)

Experience:

• At least 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of professional experience in agriculture, rural development, civil protection, or gender and agriculture is required. (35 points)
• Proven record in delivering or facilitating capacity building sessions, workshops, conferences, or awareness-raising activities on agriculture, environment, or agriculture and gender-related topics, with at least 2 trainings delivered in the past 3 years is required. (30 points)
• A minimum of 3 years of proven hands-on experience or demonstrated technical knowledge in organic farming, composting, and climate adaptation strategies in agriculture is required. (25 points)
• Experience in capacity building for rural communities, vulnerable groups, or grassroots stakeholders is considered a strong asset. (5 points)
• Prior experience working with international organizations, civil society, or UN agencies is an asset. (5 points)

Languages:

• Fluency in BHS is required. (pass/fail)
• Fluency in English is required. (pass/fail)

How to Apply

• Curriculum Vitae
• A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page)

Statements :

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.

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