Facilitator Opportunity on Gender Equality and Women’s Participation: ASEF Opens Call for Capacity-Building Programme (2026)

In an era where inclusive governance and sustainable development are central to global progress, ensuring meaningful women’s participation in leadership and decision-making has never been more critical. Despite decades of advocacy and international commitments, women continue to face structural barriers that limit their representation and influence across political, social, and economic spheres.

To address these challenges and strengthen cross-regional collaboration, the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) has announced an open call for an experienced Individual Consultant / Facilitator to design and deliver a high-level capacity-building programme on gender equality and women’s participation. The initiative aims to bring together participants from Asia and Europe to enhance their skills, knowledge, and practical tools to promote women’s leadership and gender-inclusive policymaking.

The programme will run during March–April 2026, with a training event planned for September 2026 in Kunming, Yunnan, China. This opportunity is designed for professionals with extensive expertise in gender equality, governance, and training facilitation who are committed to advancing inclusive development and strengthening women’s leadership across sectors.

Why Women’s Participation Matters for Sustainable Development

Women’s full participation in decision-making is essential for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality). Inclusive societies require governance systems that reflect the diversity of their populations and provide equal opportunities for participation.

However, progress toward gender equality remains uneven worldwide. Women often face systemic challenges such as:

• Limited access to political leadership and decision-making roles

• Structural barriers within institutions and governance frameworks

• Insufficient gender-responsive budgeting and policy planning

• Lack of gender-disaggregated data for evidence-based policymaking

• Weak monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for gender equality initiatives

These persistent gaps make targeted capacity-building initiatives essential for empowering leaders and practitioners to integrate gender equality into policies, programs, and institutional frameworks.

The upcoming ASEF training programme is designed to address these gaps by equipping participants with practical skills and tools to advance women’s participation across governance, advocacy, and community development sectors.

Overview of the Capacity-Building Programme

ASEF’s three-day programme will bring together 20–25 participants from Asia and Europe representing diverse professional backgrounds, including government institutions, civil society organizations, academia, and the private sector.

The training aims to provide participants with practical and actionable strategies to strengthen women’s participation in leadership and policymaking processes.

Key Objectives of the Programme

The programme is designed to achieve several strategic goals:

1. Strengthening Gender Mainstreaming in Policy and Programming

Participants will learn how to integrate gender equality principles into policymaking, development programming, advocacy initiatives, and grassroots community actions.

2. Enhancing Women’s Leadership Across Sectors

The programme will explore strategies for promoting women’s participation and leadership across governance systems, civil society structures, and institutional environments.

3. Building Technical Skills for Gender-Responsive Governance

Participants will gain hands-on knowledge in areas such as:

• Gender-sensitive data collection and analysis

• Gender-responsive budgeting frameworks

• Monitoring and evaluation systems for gender equality initiatives

4. Advancing Sustainable Development Goals

The training will highlight the cross-cutting importance of women’s participation for achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals beyond gender equality, including:

• Climate action

• Peace and security

• Digital transformation

• Inclusive governance

By connecting gender equality to broader global challenges, the programme aims to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration and policy innovation.

Role of the Facilitator

The selected Facilitator will play a central role in shaping the learning experience and ensuring the programme delivers meaningful outcomes for participants.

Working closely with ASEF, the Facilitator will support both the design and implementation of the training programme.

Core Responsibilities

The Facilitator’s responsibilities will include several key tasks:

Programme Design

The Facilitator will collaborate with ASEF to develop the training curriculum, including:

• Structuring the programme agenda

• Identifying the appropriate target audience

• Designing participatory learning methodologies

• Developing training materials and resources

Coordination with Experts

The Facilitator will recommend and collaborate with subject-matter experts or co-trainers who can contribute specialized knowledge to the programme.

They will also facilitate two to three sessions during the three-day training event.

Assessment and Evaluation

To measure the programme’s effectiveness, the Facilitator will design and implement pre-training and post-training assessment tools that evaluate participant learning outcomes.

These evaluation tools will help identify knowledge gains, practical skill development, and areas for future improvement.

Reporting and Documentation

After the programme concludes, the Facilitator will prepare a concise training report summarizing:

• The facilitation process

• Key discussions and learning outcomes

• Participant feedback and insights

• Recommendations for future capacity-building initiatives

Follow-Up Engagement for Long-Term Impact

ASEF encourages Facilitators to propose follow-up initiatives that extend the impact of the training programme beyond the initial three-day workshop.

These follow-up activities may include:

• Collaborative projects between participants

• Policy advocacy initiatives

• Knowledge-sharing networks

• Continued mentorship or capacity-building programs

Such initiatives can help translate the training’s lessons into long-term institutional and community change.

Selection Criteria for the Facilitator

To ensure the success of the programme, ASEF is seeking candidates with strong professional expertise in gender equality and training facilitation.

Expertise in Gender Equality and Women’s Participation

Applicants should have 7 to 10 years of professional experience in areas such as:

• Gender equality and women’s empowerment

• Women’s leadership and participation in governance

• Gender mainstreaming within sustainable development programmes

Candidates must also demonstrate strong knowledge of international frameworks related to gender equality, including:

• The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)

• The Beijing Platform for Action

• The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Training and Facilitation Experience

The selected Facilitator should have proven experience in:

• Designing gender-related training programmes

• Applying participatory and adult-learning methodologies

• Facilitating discussions in English with diverse professional audiences

The ability to engage participants from different sectors and cultural backgrounds is essential.

Technical Expertise

Candidates should possess strong technical knowledge in areas such as:

• Gender analysis methodologies

• Gender-responsive budgeting

• Use of gender-disaggregated data for policymaking

• Monitoring and evaluation frameworks for gender equality initiatives

Regional and Cross-Cultural Experience

Experience working in ASEM member countries or other multicultural environments will be highly valued.

Applicants should also demonstrate the ability to integrate intersectional and inclusive perspectives into training design and facilitation.

Availability

The selected Facilitator must be available to travel to Kunming, Yunnan, China during the first half of September 2026 for the programme’s training event.

Proposal Submission Requirements

Interested candidates must submit a detailed proposal outlining their approach to designing and facilitating the training programme.

The proposal should not exceed four pages and must include the following components:

• Name and affiliation of the Facilitator

• Names and affiliations of proposed expert trainers or co-facilitators

• Objectives and expected learning outcomes of the training

• Proposed target group and its relevance to the programme’s theme

• Training methodology, including interactive elements

• Technical or logistical requirements

• Proposed budget, including economy travel and accommodation costs in Kunming, China

Applicants should refer to the official proposal template for additional guidance.

Application Deadline

All proposals must be submitted online through the designated submission platform.

Submission Deadline: Monday, 6 April 2026

Late submissions will not be considered.

This opportunity represents a unique chance for experienced gender equality professionals to contribute to international capacity-building efforts and strengthen collaboration between Asia and Europe in advancing inclusive governance.

Professionals with strong expertise in gender equality, women’s leadership, and participatory training methodologies are encouraged to apply and play a key role in shaping the next generation of gender-responsive leaders.

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