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.
The UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office (MCO) is based in Suva, Fiji, and works alongside over 20 other UN agencies in the region across 14 countries: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
Under its Strategic Note 2023–2027, which is aligned with the UN Pacific Sustainable Development Framework and the 2050 Blue Pacific Strategy, the Fiji MCO guides gender equality and women’s empowerment efforts across these 14 Pacific Island countries and territories, with programme presences in Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu.
The Strategic Note is underpinned by UN Women’s Global Strategic Plan and focuses on four interlinked programme areas:
Ending Violence against Women and Girls (EVAWG); Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE); Gender and Protection in Humanitarian Action; and Governance and Participation in Public Life (GPPL)Under its Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) programme area, the UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office (MCO) hosts the Markets for Change (M4C) Project. M4C is a multi-country initiative that aims to ensure marketplaces in rural and urban areas of Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu are safe, inclusive, and non-discriminatory—promoting gender equality and the economic empowerment of market vendors, with particular attention to the needs and aspirations of women market vendors.
The Markets for Change [M4C] project aims to promote gender equality and economic empowerment of market vendors, with specific attention to the needs and aspirations of women market vendors. The M4C is a six-year project started in 2014 to 2021 across Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. The M4C phase II is a five-year project started in 2022 to 2026 across Fiji, Solomon Islands, Samoa and Vanuatu.
The key M4C outcomes comprise the following:
Inclusive, effective, and representative marketplace groups are further enabled and recognized. The socio-economic security of women market vendors is improved. Local governments, market management and other decision-makers are gender responsive, effective and accountable to women market vendors. Physical infrastructure and operating systems are improved to make markets more gender-responsive, safer, more accessible and resilient to disaster risks and climate change.The Markets for Change Project follows a Human Rights-Based Approach, working with rights-holders (market vendors, with a particular focus on women market vendors) and duty-bearers (market management, local government). Following a rights-based approach, the Project seeks to address the multiple and intersectional barriers which women face in advancing economically. These include leadership and political participation, social norms around economic agency and voice, financial inclusion and removing barriers to finance, increasing vendors skills and capacities, increasing women’s voice and participation and strengthening gender-responsive actions on climate change and disaster preparedness, infrastructure development and disaster preparedness activities. The Project’s success is contingent upon the full range of activities being supported in recognition of the intersectional barriers in advancing Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE).
Women’s economic empowerment is central to realizing women’s rights and gender equality. Empowering women in the economy and closing gender gaps in the world of work are key to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 5, to achieve gender equality, and Goal 8, to promote full and productive employment and decent work for all; also Goal 1 on ending poverty, Goal 2 on food security, Goal 3 on ensuring health and Goal 10 on reducing inequalities. UN Women has a global mandate to implement innovative programs targeting women’s empowerment and gender equality, including Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE).
M4C is implemented by UN Women in partnership with UNDP with current funding support from the Government of Australia, and previously Canada and New Zealand.
Situation in Solomon Islands
In the Solomon Islands, the informal sector remains the backbone of the national economy, employing approximately 75% of the total labor force, as reported in the UNDP Baseline Study of Informal Economy (2022). Within this sector, women play a central and indispensable role, particularly as market vendors and micro- entrepreneurs. According to the UN Women Country Factsheet (2023), over 80% of market vendors across urban centers like Honiara, as well as in rural communities, are women. Their economic participation is crucial not only for household livelihoods but also for the financial health of local communities.
The Honiara Central Market—Solomon Islands’ largest and most prominent informal marketplace—generates an estimated annual turnover of USD $10–16 million, with women responsible for nearly 90% of these earnings (UN Women and Strongim Bisnis reports, 2022–2025). This figure underscores both the scale and economic impact of women's involvement in informal trading activities.
Despite this vital contribution, informal enterprises face multiple structural challenges, and women are disproportionately affected. These include lack of legal and social protection, absence of professional development opportunities, and barriers to formalization and access to finance. Reports from Strongim Bisnis (2022–2025) highlight ongoing efforts to address these gaps by promoting gender-inclusive market systems, improving financial inclusion, and fostering strategic partnerships to empower women economically.
Together, these findings present a clear call to action: recognizing, resourcing, and reforming policies that support women in the informal sector will not only promote gender equity but also strengthen economic resilience and national development.
Objectives of the assignment
The key objective of the assignment is to review and propose updates to the five existing market vendors associations’ constitutions and develop new constitutions for two emerging market vendors associations. The proposed tasks should include to:
Conduct a comprehensive desk review of the constitutions of the existing Market Vendors Associations (MVAs) to assess their strengths and weaknesses and gather input for potential revisions that align with vendor needs. Revised constitutions for each MVA to be socialised with key stakeholders. Present proposed constitutional revisions at Annual General Meetings or an extra-ordinary full member meeting for formal adoption, ensuring majority support and finalizing the updated constitutions for official registration. Collaborate with local stakeholders to develop new constitutions for the Malu'u and Seghe MVAs, incorporating vendor feedback to ensure the documents reflect their needs and comply with local regulations. New constitutions for each MVA to be socialised with key stakeholders.Context of the engagement and background
Under outcome 1 of the project, M4C works with Honiara central market vendors association, Auki market vendors association, Buala market vendors association, Gizo market vendors association, Honiara market vendors association, and Munda market vendors association with Malu’u and Seghe being new emerging market vendors associations. The main goal and aim of outcome 1 are to strengthen and ensure these established groups are inclusive, effective and become a strong advocate and voice for the diverse women vendors within the market. The associations are accountable to their members hence strengthening their constitutions is vital and critical for transparency and accountability and ensuring that it remains relevant and realistic to meet and address the needs of the members.
During various Project Working Committee and Project Management Committee meetings including the recent ones held in November 2025 the committee strongly urged the project to quickly review the MVAs constitutions to remain relevant and to develop Seghe and Malu’u ones to formally register them.
The National Consultant will undertake a structured approach to the responsibilities, starting with a review of the existing constitutions of Auki, Buala, Gizo, Honiara, and Munda Market Vendors Associations (MVAs) and gathering member input through consultations. Proposed revisions will then be presented at the Annual General Meetings or call for an extra -ordinary full members meeting of the existing MVAs for formal adoption, followed by finalization and submission to the Company Hause, Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labor and Immigration. The next task, the National Consultant will develop new constitutions for the emerging Malu'u and Seghe MVAs, collaborating with local stakeholders and market vendors to ensure the documents align with vendor needs and will again follow the due process for formal registrations at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labor and Immigration.
Description of Responsibilities / Scope of Work
Under overall guidance of the UN Women Regional Project Manager for the Markets for Change, the Country Programme Coordinator, and direct supervision of the Markets for Change Solomon Islands National Project Coordinator, in close consultation with the respective market authorities and market vendors associations, the National Consultant will perform the following tasks:
Task 1: Review and Revision of Existing MVAs' Constitutions Conduct a comprehensive desk review of the constitutions of the Auki, Buala, Gizo, Honiara, and Munda MVAs to assess their strengths and weaknesses and identify best practices for adaptation. Engage with each existing MVA to gather input on potential constitutional revisions, ensuring alignment with the needs and expectations of vendors. Present proposed revisions at Annual General Meetings or extraordinarily full members meeting for formal adoption by MVA members, securing majority support for the changes. Finalize and submit the updated constitutions to the Company Haus, Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labor and Immigration to ensure update of official registration and legal recognition. Socialize the new and revised constitutions with key stakeholders. Task 2: Development of New Constitutions for Malu'u and Seghe MVAs Collaborate with local stakeholders to draft constitutions for Malu'u and Seghe that define objectives, governance structures, and operational guidelines while ensuring compliance with local regulations. Organize consultations with market vendors in Malu'u and Seghe to gather input on the drafts, fostering engagement and ownership of the new constitutions. Incorporate feedback from the consultations into the final versions of the constitutions to accurately reflect the needs of the vendors. Finalize and submit the constitutions to the Company Haus, Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labor and Immigration to formally establish and register the Malu'u and Seghe MVAs as legal entities.Expected Deliverables
The National Consultant is expected to work and deliver the following results: No. Deliverables Estimated Duration to Complete Target Due Date Task 1: Review and Revision of Existing MVAs' Constitutions 1. Desk review of existing market vendors associations constitutions and good practice by similar groupings in the Pacific. Draft report on findings (up to 10 pages). Up to 20 days
30 April 2026
30% Deliverable 1:
Desk Review Report14 May 2026 2.
Stakeholder consultation for Auki MVA Constitution and presentation at the AGM or extra-ordinary full members meeting (Including Travel Days)
Up to 14 days 20 May 2026 3.Stakeholder consultation for Buala MVA Constitution and presentation at the AGM or extra-ordinary full members meeting (Including Travel Days)
Up to 14 days 10 June 2026 4. Stakeholder consultation for Munda MVA Constitution and presentation at the AGM or extra-ordinary full members meeting (Including Travel Days) Up to 14 days 30 June 2026 5.Stakeholder consultation for Gizo MVA Constitution and presentation at the AGM or extra-ordinary full members meeting (Including Travel Days)
Up to 14 days 21 July 2026 6.Stakeholder consultation for Honiara MVA Constitution and presentation at the AGM or extra-ordinary full members meeting (Including Travel Days)
Up to 5days 28 July 2026 7.Revise the constitutions with the adopted revisions, write up report on the revision process, and submit revise constitutions to the Ministry of Commerce.
Up to 15days 18 August 202640 % Deliverable 2-7:
5 x Stakeholder Consultations Input adopted revisions for the constitution Submit revised constitutions to Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labor01 September 2026 Task 2. Development of New Constitutions for Malu'u and Seghe MVAs 8.
Develop Malu’u MVA and Seghe MVA constitutions
Up to 16 days 9 September 2026 9.Stakeholder consultation for Malu’u MVA draft Constitution and Adoption (Including Travel Days)
Up to 14 days
29 September 2026 10.
Stakeholder consultation for Seghe MVA draft Constitution and Adoption (Including Travel Days)
Up to 14 days
19 October 2026 11.
Revise draft constitutions with input from consultation to finalize and submit to Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labor and immigration.
Write up a summary report of the constitution development process and submit it to M4C, UN Women.
Up to 10 days
2 November 2026
30 % Deliverable 8-11:
2 x Draft Constitutions Developed and Adopted 2 x Stakeholder Consultations Input recommendations for the constitutions Submit final constitutions for Malu’u and Seghe to Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labor and Immigration 16 November 2026 Total Up to 150 working daysAll the documents, including consultation material and reports should be written in the English language. All documents and materials utilized will need to be returned to UN Women in electronic format. All materials will remain property of UN Women and cannot be used without UN Women’s permission.
Institutional Arrangement
UN Women will provide the National Consultant with background information relevant to the scope of work during the pre-assignment briefing.
The National Consultant is expected to work remotely using her/his own computer but may access the UN Women Office for printing of relevant documents or should he/she be required to work on-site at any point during the assignment.
As full consideration for the services performed by the National Consultant under the terms of this consultancy UN Women shall pay the National Consultant upon certification that the services have satisfactorily performed according to the scope of work/duties and deliverables stated in the TOR. Upon receipt of the final deliverables and prior to the payment - the deliverables, related reports and documents will be reviewed and approved by UN Women within one week.
Duration of the Work
The total duration of the contract assignment will be up to 150 working days within a 6‑month period, effective from 1 April 2026 (or as soon as possible) until 2 November 2026.
The assignment includes a total of six (6) provincial missions as follows: