Consultant to develop a paper on care reforms and systems

Result of Service

The consultant is expected to draft a paper that develops a framework outlining the key determinants for advancing care reforms and systems.

Work Location

Remote

Expected duration

3 months

Duties and Responsibilities

Background Around the world, societies and economies are undergoing socio-demographic changes such as ageing populations, low fertility rates, urbanization, increased migration, widespread crises and conflicts, and climate change, which have all intensified the demand for care. However, while gaining global importance, care work still remains invisible and undervalued, often relegated to informal and unpaid labour, disproportionately borne by women, thus hindering their empowerment. Although this trend is observed globally, it is particularly acute in the Arab region where women undertake 80 to 90 per cent of all unpaid care work and spend 4.7 times more time than men on these responsibilities, exceeding the global average of 3.62 . Unpaid care work hinders women’s visibility and participation in public economic and political spheres as well as in decision-making processes in the Arab region. The disproportionate unpaid care work undertaken by women limits their economic engagement and opportunities, as it makes it challenging for them to balance work and family responsibilities. Additionally, women often face gender stereotypes, limited professional development opportunities, and an institutional culture that marginalizes their contributions. Women’s economic and political participation in the region remain low compared to global averages. In 2025, women’s labour force participation was only 19 per cent, less than half the global average of 49 per cent, making it the lowest rate worldwide . Women’s political representation shows a similarly stark gap. In December 2025, women held only 27 per cent of national parliamentary seats globally, with an even lower share in the Middle East and North Africa at around 16 per cent, the lowest in the world . However, there has been growing regional momentum realizing gains in the care economy with many countries in the Arab region offering instructive examples of care reforms. Nevertheless, these reforms are often sector-specific, focusing on one policy area such as labour without approaching care in a holistic manner interconnected across different sectors and policy areas. Within this context, understanding the political economy which examines how social, economic, and political factors shape care policies and systems becomes a pressing priority. Building on these reform efforts in the Arab region and looking at breakthroughs in care policymaking globally, including Latin America which has been particularly active in advancing comprehensive care systems, it is increasingly important to understand how care, often framed solely as a gender equality issue, intersects with other major development issues and policy domains. This highlights the regional need for policies that recognize care as a central element of sustainable economies and redistribute it among different stakeholders including the state. Ongoing inter-regional collaboration between UN regional commissions, namely ESCWA and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) including through a project on advancing care policies for transformative recovery in Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia-Pacific and the Arab states, seeks to draw lessons from Latin American countries’ experiences in advancing comprehensive care systems. Given the inherent political nature of care policymaking, it is essential to understand what prompts political actors to prioritize care. A key driver is awareness around the critical role care plays in society and its far-reaching implications for economic and social well-being. When care is made visible as a cross-cutting issue that affects economic growth, labour force participation, health outcomes, social cohesion, and gender equality, it is more likely to gain traction in political discourse and influence the selection of policy instruments, thereby driving change in laws, budgets, and institutional support for care systems. Objective and methodology ESCWA seeks to hire a consultant to assist in drafting a paper, in collaboration with ECLAC, that thoroughly examines the factors and determinants behind care reforms, investigating the political economy of care in the Arab region and relating it to Latin America’s experience. The paper will draw on experiences from both Latin American and Arab countries to demonstrate the importance of moving beyond fragmented care reform policies towards comprehensive care systems. It will build on the recommendations provided by experts during ESCWA’s Expert Group Meeting on the Political Economy of Care Policies: Determinants for Reform in the Arab Region organized in July 2026. Tasks and responsibilities The consultant will be responsible for the following tasks: - Desk review: undertake a desk review of available successful and as well as unachieved experiences in advancing care policies and systems from Latin America and the Arab region; - Based on the results of the desk review, undertake consultations with relevant stakeholders on the main determinants, challenges or barriers which they have faced while working on advancing care policies and systems; - Review the results of consultations with relevant stakeholders from the Arab region on the main determinants, challenges or barriers which they have faced while working on advancing care policies and systems; - Propose the elements and dynamics among key determinants to advance care policies and systems and draw lessons for future policy making and reforms on care while taking into account the discussions and recommendations of the Expert Group Meeting above mentioned. - Suggest a detailed outline to be validated and agreed upon with ESCWA’s team in consultation with ECLAC; - Based on the agreed outline, prepare the first draft of the paper to be reviewed by ESCWA’s team; - Prepare a final draft based on the comments and recommendations provided by ESCWA and ECLAC’s teams. Supervision: The consultant will work Under the direct supervision of the Social Affairs Officer responsible for the care economy stream at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) Ms. Rouba ARJA, and overall guidance of the gender Justice, Population and Inclusive Development cluster leader. The consultant is expected to provide regular updates on the work progress.

Qualifications/special skills

A master’s degree in economy, or sociology, or law or gender studies or related area is required. A PhD in one of these fields is desirable. All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. A minimum of 10 years of professional work experience in areas related to public policy making is required. Previous experience in social policy reform and changes is required. Previous experience in working on care policies is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat; and Arabic is a working language of ESCWA. For this position, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Spanish and/or Arabic is desirable. Note: “Fluency” equals a rating of ‘fluent’ in all four areas (speak, read, write, and understand) and “Knowledge of” equals a rating of ‘confident’ in two of the four areas.

Additional Information

Not available.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.