National Consultant – Mapping and Costed Roadmap for Women in Fisheries in Somalia

Position details

• Grade: Not Applicable
• Education and experience: Master's Degree - 7 year(s) experience OR Bachelor's Degree - 9 year(s) experience
• Required languages: English, Somali
• Application deadline: 2026-11-10T04:59:00+00:00

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.

Guided by the principle of leaving no one behind, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action. In Somalia, UN Women works with the Federal Government, Federal Member States, civil society and partners to advance women’s leadership, economic empowerment and participation in governance, peace and security, and humanitarian action.

Somalia’s fisheries and wider Blue Economy offer significant opportunities for inclusive growth, food security, employment and resilient livelihoods. Women contribute substantially across the fisheries value chain, particularly in processing, trading, marketing and small-scale enterprises, yet their participation and benefits remain constrained by limited access to finance, markets, infrastructure, technology, skills, business services and decent working conditions. Their contributions are also insufficiently captured in gender-disaggregated data, and their representation in fisheries governance and decision-making remains limited. The Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy (MoFBE) leads policy, coordination and oversight of the sector, and the Fisheries Development and Management Law No. 008/2023 provides a legal foundation for fisheries governance, licensing and compliance.

On 6–7 September 2026, MoFBE convened the National Women Fisheries Conference in Mogadishu, bringing together women in fisheries, Federal Member State (FMS) and Banadir representatives, government institutions, cooperatives, civil society, UN Women, the United Nations Transition Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) and other partners. The Conference endorsed the establishment of the Somali National Women Fisheries Union (SNWFU) as a national platform for women’s representation, leadership, advocacy and economic empowerment. It adopted a Communiqué, called for a costed Roadmap and Action Plan and regional consultations before the end of 2026, and proposed a 20-member Interim Technical Committee under MoFBE oversight. Operationalizing these commitments requires consultations across the FMSs and Banadir, stakeholder and membership mapping, a needs assessment, and a costed two-year roadmap setting out priorities, responsibilities, timelines, resources, indicators, governance arrangements and a process for electing permanent leadership.

The assignment comes at a critical juncture, following the conclusion of the UNTMIS mandate on 31 October 2026. It will help sustain gains from UNTMIS-supported work on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and Women in Maritime Security (WIMS), including the WIMS National Action Plan 2023–2027, by ensuring that relevant lessons, partnerships and capacity-development initiatives inform SNWFU’s development and continue through national institutions, women’s networks and partner-supported programmes. Recognizing the close links between women’s economic empowerment in fisheries and their participation in maritime security and governance, the consultancy will promote coherence, avoid duplication and strengthen practical synergies across these agendas.

In line with UN Women’s mandate and the UN Women Somalia Strategic Note 2026–2030, a national technical expert consultant is therefore required to support MoFBE in translating the Conference outcomes into an evidence-based, costed and implementable two-year roadmap for SNWFU’s establishment and operationalization. The roadmap will provide a practical framework for coordination, accountability and resource mobilization; connect SNWFU with women’s fisheries associations, maritime networks, FMS institutions, civil society, the private sector and development partners; and safeguard the Union’s representative character, transparency, sustainability and Somali ownership. Particular attention will be given to rural, displaced, minority and other marginalized women, women with disabilities and young women, to ensure that the Union reflects the diversity of women in Somalia’s fisheries sector.

Objective of the Assignment:

The overall objective is to provide technical support to MoFBE to conduct FMS consultations, map women and organizations involved in fisheries, assess their needs and institutional capacities, and develop a practical, inclusive and fully costed two-year roadmap for establishing and operationalizing SNWFU with support of UN Women Somalia. The findings will directly inform the costed two-year roadmap for SNWFU and may be adapted by MoFBE, UN Women and partners for policy briefs, advocacy, resource mobilization and future programming on women’s economic empowerment in the Blue Economy.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Under the overall guidance of the UN Women Somalia Country Representative and in close coordination with the Programme Specialist, the consultant will undertake the following tasks:

• Conduct a desk review of the needs, challenges, existing laws, policies and strategies, programme documents, research, the September 2026 Conference Communiqué and outcome documents, and available fisheries and gender data;
• Plan and facilitate consultations in Kismayo, Baidoa, Dhusamareeb, Jowhar, Las Anod, Garowe and Banadir, engaging women across fisheries value chains and relevant government and non-government stakeholders, both in person and online, as appropriate;
• Map women fisheries actors, groups, cooperatives, associations, women-led organizations, relevant institutions, service providers and partners, including their geographic coverage, value-chain roles, membership, governance and capacity;
• Assess women’s needs, opportunities and barriers in relation to finance, markets, infrastructure, cold-chain and processing equipment, technology, skills, services, licensing, safety, decent work, leadership and participation in fisheries governance;
• Assess existing organizational capacity and identify support required for representative, transparent and accountable SNWFU governance, including FMS chapters and membership and leadership selection processes;
• Develop a two-year costed roadmap and implementation plan with sequenced activities, deliverables, indicators, responsible actors, estimated resource requirements, risks and mitigation measures;
• Recommend practical arrangements for gender-disaggregated data collection, monitoring, reporting and accountability to women fisheries stakeholders and MoFBE;
• Work closely with the Interim Technical Committee and identify opportunities for partnerships, resource mobilization and linkages with relevant WPS and WIMS initiatives to sustain SNWFU.

Methodology:

• Desk review: Review relevant national and FMS laws, policies and strategies, including the Fisheries Development and Management Law No. 008/2023, the September 2026 Conference Communiqué and outcome documents, the WIMS National Action Plan 2023–2027, programme documents, research and available sex- and age-disaggregated fisheries data.
• Participatory consultations: Conduct gender-responsive consultations in Kismayo, Baidoa, Dhusamareeb, Jowhar, Las Anod, Garowe and Banadir, in person or online as appropriate, through focus group discussions with women across the fisheries value chain and key informant interviews with MoFBE, FMS line ministries, the Interim Technical Committee, cooperatives, associations, the private sector, civil society and development partners.
• Stakeholder and membership mapping: Use a standardized tool to map women fisheries actors, groups, cooperatives and associations by location, value-chain role, membership, governance, capacity and contact details, and verify registration status with relevant federal and state institutions.
• Analysis and validation: Triangulate primary and secondary data, disaggregated by sex, age, disability and location, and validate findings and the draft roadmap with MoFBE, the Interim Technical Committee and UN Women.
• Ethics and inclusion: Apply do-no-harm principles, informed consent, confidentiality and data protection, and ensure safe and accessible participation of rural, displaced, minority and young women and women with disabilities.

Deliverables:

The consultant will submit the following deliverables to UN Women and MoFBE  in line with the schedule below:

Deliverables	Expected completion time	Payment Schedule
Deliverable 1: Inception report including summary desk review findings, methodology, data collection tools, consultation plan for the FMSs and Banadir, and detailed workplan, agreed with MoFBE and UN Women	21st November 2026	20%
Deliverable 2: Consultation report and mapping database – summary of FMS and Banadir consultations, and a stakeholder and membership-mapping database (Excel) of women fisheries actors, groups, cooperatives and associations, with appropriate data safeguards	15th December 2026	30%
Deliverable 3:  Needs assessment report and draft costed roadmap – consolidated national and location-specific needs, capacity gaps and opportunities, and a draft two-year costed roadmap and implementation plan for SNWFU, shared with MoFBE, the Interim Technical Committee and UN Women for review	23rd December 2026	20%
Deliverable 4:  Final costed two-year roadmap for the formation and operationalization of SNWFU, incorporating validation feedback, with governance and leadership-selection arrangements, monitoring framework, risk mitigation, and a summary PowerPoint presentation	28th December 2026	30%

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel:

This is a home-based consultancy with travel within Somalia. The consultant will be required to travel to Kismayo, Baidoa, Dhusamareeb, Jowhar, Las Anod, Garowe and Mogadishu (Banadir) to facilitate consultations in close coordination with MoFBE. 

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:

• Strong commitment to gender equality and women’s economic empowerment
• Sound knowledge of fisheries value chains and the Blue Economy in Somalia
• Ability to develop costed roadmaps, implementation plans and results frameworks
• Strong facilitation and stakeholder-engagement skills, including with government institutions and community groups
• Excellent analytical, writing and synthesis skills
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment and in fragile, conflict-affected settings
• Ability to deliver quality results on time and under pressure

Required Qualification:

Education: 

• Master’s degree in fisheries or marine sciences, security, intelligence and strategic studies, economics, development studies, gender studies, business administration, public policy or a related field;
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience: 

• Minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience in women’s economic empowerment, fisheries, the Blue Economy or private sector development, including research, assessments and stakeholder mapping;
• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience in marine and maritime work and the Blue Economy, preferably in Somalia;
• Proven experience in the institutional development of cooperatives, associations or member-based organizations, including governance and membership arrangements;
• Demonstrated experience in developing costed strategic plans, roadmaps or action plans with results frameworks;
• Experience facilitating consultations with federal and state governments, communities and women’s groups in Somalia;
• Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality analytical reports, Excel databases and PowerPoint presentations for government, UN and development partners;
• Experience with the United Nations system and knowledge of UN Women’s mandate, Women, Peace and Security, or Women in Maritime Security is an asset.

Language Requirements:  

• Fluency in English and Somali is required;
• Knowledge of any other UN official language is an asset. 

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.