Hiring trends for gender roles within globaldev's social inclusion sector

To mark International Women’s Day, Devex is taking a look at recent hiring trends around gender-related roles in global development’s social inclusion sector. This analysis — covering more than 600 positions related to gender within the social inclusion sector that were posted on Devex’s job board from September to February — provides a snapshot of the current hiring landscape for those seeking work in these areas. What skills and experience have been in demand? Nearly half of the 630 positions that Devex analyzed were for midlevel professionals, while a quarter were aimed at senior-level professionals and 18% at entry-level job seekers. Consulting roles made up about 42% of all postings. These proportions are consistent with other periods in the recent past, including the same six-month stretch from 2020 to 2021. In terms of specialty areas within these roles, a majority of the positions called for broad skill sets, but nearly 15% dealt specifically with violence issues and 14% were focused mainly on equality and diversity. About 5% dealt solely with the business and financial aspects of the work, and another 5% were strictly policy-focused. Where were the jobs located? Outside of the United States and United Kingdom — which tend to be home to the most opportunities on Devex’s job board in general — Bangladesh, Kenya, and Ethiopia were the countries with the highest concentrations of jobs related to gender equality within the social inclusion sector. Broadly, the roles covered large swaths of the globe, and more jobs — 40 — were based “worldwide” rather than in any one country or region, meaning they could be performed from any location. Who has been hiring the most? 1. UN Women Staffers: Over 2,000. Headquarters: New York City. UN Women accounted for about 25% of these 630 postings during the six-month period. Of these, 14% were positions that could be performed from any location, while a significant number of opportunities were available in Georgia, Turkey, and South Sudan. Given its focus on issues related to gender, UN Women consistently offers a wide variety of opportunities in this area. The agency is currently seeking a program analyst in Ethiopia and an international expert to support gender integration in the electoral cycle in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 2. United Nations Development Programme Staffers: Over 20,000. Headquarters: New York City. On the ground in 170 countries and territories “to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality,” the United Nations Development Programme is the U.N.'s leading global development network. At 46, the agency had the second-most postings in this period. These were spread across a wide range of regions and covered a broad swath of specialties, though 15% were focused specifically on gender violence. UNDP currently has openings for a gender-based violence expert working remotely and a gender specialist in project management and monitoring in the U.S. 3. UNICEF Staffers: Over 15,000. Headquarters: New York City. UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to protect the rights of children. Of its 33 postings, over 60% were for consulting roles. While the positions spanned a wide range of regions, the agency needed particular help in Vietnam, Panama, and Nigeria. UNICEF is currently seeking a social policy consultant in Jordan and a gender program specialist in Bangladesh. 4. Asian Development Bank Staffers: Over 2,500. Headquarters: Mandaluyong, Philippines. The Asian Development Bank is an international development finance institution whose mission is to help its 68 members reduce poverty and improve quality of life. All but one of its 31 postings were for consulting positions, with gender specialists being most in demand. ADB is currently seeking a green finance expert to work remotely as a consultant. The person would focus on its Women’s Finance Exchange initiative, which aims to broaden access to finance for women and women’s businesses. 5. World Bank Staffers: Over 10,000. Headquarters: Washington. The World Bank is “a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world.” It had a particular need for gender-related work in Bangladesh and Mozambique. Presently, the bank is seeking a gender-based violence specialist in Congo and a national gender specialist in Cambodia.