Company Description
About the Program
Investing in Women: Women in Inclusive Sustainable Economic Recovery (IW) is a multi-country Australian Government initiative in Southeast Asia that seeks to accelerate women’s economic empowerment through increased and equitable opportunities in the private sector, contributing to inclusive, sustainable economic recovery and growth in targeted countries. Our objective is to support women to thrive in the workplace and succeed in business.
Building on the results, partnerships and lessons established under the first seven years of the program, IW’s new phase will extend and deepen Australia’s contribution to advancing gender equality in Southeast Asia through influencing and growing an ecosystem of policymakers, business leaders, capital providers and women’s economic empowerment actors.
Positioning women at the centre of economic resilience and accelerating their economic empowerment is critical to achieving a wide range of sustainable development objectives in Southeast Asia. As the region recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, gender-sensitive economic recovery strategies will be critical to prevent further deterioration in women’s economic empowerment indicators as seen during COVID-19. Focus on an inclusive recovery seeks to harness the productivity, skills, capacity, talent, innovation, and leadership that women offer, and realise the benefits of women’s economic empowerment for themselves, their families, and their communities.
IW continues the ambitious agenda of advancing women’s economic empowerment through:
- Workplace Gender Equality (WGE) – We support Business Coalitions that work with influential businesses on shifting workplace cultures, practices, and policy barriers to achieve workplace gender equality, with member companies together employing more than one million people;
- Enabling Policy Reforms – We support locally identified reform agendas that promote women’s workforce participation, generate support for the business case for WGE, and build the case for the value and importance of the care economy to business, the economy and women’s economic empowerment;
- Campaigns and Communities of Practice – We support locally driven campaigns in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam that highlight positive examples of gender equality to strengthen public support for women’s economic participation. Through fostering a community of gender equality advocates, IW will continuously build evidence that supports the broader adoption of progressive attitudes and behaviours; and
- Gender Lens Investing – We work to increase investment in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that disproportionately benefit women in Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. We do so by increasing capital providers’ demand for Gender Lens Investing strategies and products, catalysing the supply of financial instruments available to small businesses owned or led by women, and investing in the growth of SMEs that support women through a ‘fund of funds’ strategy.
In collaboration with corporations and business leaders, policymakers and implementers, capital providers, entrepreneurs, and advocates, we are working with those who are driving change for women's economic equality in our region.
Investing in Women supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 Agenda and the leveraging of private sector investments to achieve the Goals. The SDGs recognise that gender equality is not only an essential human right, but a necessary foundation for peaceful, prosperous and sustainable societies.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has contracted Abt Associates Australia to implement Investing in Women. Abt Associates Australia is a mission-driven, global leader in research, evaluation and implementing programs in health, social and environmental policy and international development.
Investing in Women’s new phase is anticipated to be up to AUD 80 million in value, initially for four years (from January 2023 to June 2027), with an option to extend for a further six years. Initial countries of focus will be at least Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, with some activities engaging at a regional level. Further information about Investing in Women can be found on the website: www.investinginwomen.asia.
Job Description
About the Opportunity
Investing in Women (IW) is seeking a Policy Partnerships Adviser to support its Enabling Care Policy Reform (Workstream 2 / W2) efforts in the Philippines. This position will contribute to shaping and delivering impactful policy and research partnerships with key national stakeholders—particularly the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev)—to advance women’s economic empowerment and improve access to quality care services.
The Policy Partnerships Adviser will be responsible for:
Managing the delivery of activities with DEPDev
- Acting as the focal point for W2’s engagement with implementing/service partners and other stakeholders during the course of the partnership with DEPDev.
- Providing relevant technical inputs for research projects and related activities.
- Supporting the development of concept notes for related activities with W2, MERL and DEPDev with clear objectives, stakeholder engagement touchpoints, timeline, and deliverables.
- Preparing scope of work documents to procure services to deliver agreed activities with DEPDev and participate in the tender evaluation identifying and facilitating W2’s engagement with relevant stakeholders for the initiative.
- Working with W2 and the MERL team to monitor the activities and produce necessary documentation.
Progressing other W2 interventions in the Philippines
- Providing technical inputs and facilitating stakeholder liaison as required for upcoming W2 dissemination activities in the Philippines.
- Preparing scope of work documents to procure services of a hospitality and/or events management organisation for dissemination activities (e.g. validation workshops).
- Organizing workshops or other activities agreed with DEPDev in close coordination with IW’s operations team.
Employment type and location: Short-Term Advisor role based in Manila, Philippines.
Duration: Up to 31 December 2026; anticipated to commence in July 2025.
Qualifications
About You
We are seeking an individual who will bring:
- Strong experience in stakeholder engagement, particularly with government, research institutions, and civil society.
- Solid understanding of public policy development and advocacy in the Philippines, especially related to gender equality and economic reform.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multi-stakeholder research partnerships and related procurement processes.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing concept notes, scopes of work, and policy-related documents.
- Experience working in development programs, preferably DFAT-funded, and familiarity with monitoring and learning processes.
Key Selection Criteria
For your application to be considered by the Panel, interested applicants must submit a response to each of the following Key Selection Criteria (KSC):
KSC 1.
Post-graduate qualifications (Masters or PhD) or equivalent in experience in public policy, international development, political economy analysis, or related fields.
KSC 2.
Demonstrated experience in supporting policy engagement in the Philippines.
KSC 3.
Demonstrated strong analytical and writing skills, with a track record in delivering analytical products to support policy reform initiatives.
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single requirement for a position. At Abt Global we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you are excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every role requirement, we encourage you to apply in any case. You may be just the right candidate for this or for other roles.
Additional Information
How to Apply
We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage applications from experienced and capable women.
Please submit your application online. copy this link:
https://egpy.fa.us2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/JoinAbt/job/106516/?utm_medium=jobshare&utm_source=External+Job+Share
Please submit your application online. Upload your cover letter, CV and response to the KSCs. Submit your CV and KSC response as a single Word or PDF document, and address how you meet the requirements of this role. We are unable to proceed with an application without the KSC statements.
Closing Date: 20 Jul 2025, Sunday, Philippine Standard Time
Please note that applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and interviews may be conducted before the closing date. IW reserves the right to close this advertisement early if we have identified suitable candidates
About Us
Abt Global is a mission-driven, global leader with a proven track record in complex program implementation in the international development sector. We offer bold solutions and technical excellence in Health, Economic Growth, Governance, Research & Evaluation, Environment & Energy, Gender Equality & Social Inclusion. Working with our many partners, we have driven measurable social impact for more than 55 years, to achieve our mission of improving the quality of life and economic well-being of people worldwide. We operate in remote and challenging environments and employ more than 3,700 staff in over 50 countries. For more information about us and what we do, visit our website at www.abtglobal.com
Equity
Abt Global values individuality and celebrates difference with a strong commitment to diversity, equality, racial equity, gender, and disability inclusion. We strongly encourage people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to apply for this position. We offer flexible work arrangements and a culturally safe environment for staff members from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.
Safeguarding
We are deeply committed to safeguarding, to protect and prevent harm and abuse to individuals we work for and who work for us. Our recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation. We will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, child abuse, sexual abuse or exploitation in any form, and expect everyone to be treated with respect and dignity.
