Manal Sweidan

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Jordanian Socioeconomic expert focused on social and gender Inclusion, with over 20 years of progressive experience in social statistics, gender equality, women’s economic empowerment, and gender mainstreaming across government, UN agencies, and international organizations. Proven expertise in conducting gender analyses, designing action plans, and leading capacity-building initiatives with national and local government entities. Skilled in integrating gender perspectives into biodiversity, resilience, and sustainable development projects, with strong analytical, training, and report-writing abilities in both English and Arabic.

• GESI Strategy Development
• Capacity Building and Training
• Data Analysis and M&E
• Program Design and Implementation
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Qualitative Research
• Partnerships and Alliances
• Extensive experience in gender studies, sociology, and human rights.
• Demonstrated experience in gender and social inclusion programs.
• Proficiency in monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) GESI indicators
• In depth knowledge of gender equality and social inclusion laws and regulations, particularly in Jordan and MENA region.
• Excellent facilitation skills with both youth and adult-focused methods.
• Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft office products (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Self-motivated and result- oriented with strong organizational ability

Gender Community of Practice Lead, Mercy Corps Country Office in Jordan 2022 – 2026

• Short Term Consultant with UNDP Jordan: National Individual Consultant to provide technical assistance, and capacity building to Government entities in Aqaba on women’s rights, women’s economic empowerment, and gender equality. Under the Canadian supported Project: “Enhancing Inclusive Coastal Ecosystem Biodiversity and Resilience in the Gulf of Aqaba Jordan
•  Co-facilitate and organize, with USAID, agenda and meetings of the USAID Secretariat for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Community of Practice, bringing together all USAID IPs working in gender transformation.
•  Co-create with USAID and IPs the structure and operational norms for the Secretariat.
• Support the organization and logistics of the Secretariat and the Community of Practice in general.
• Convene USAID IPs at key touch points in program cycles (e.g. work planning, identification of common measurement tools, etc.) to facilitate coordination of key actions pushing forward gender transformation.
• Serve as liaison between the various spokes of USAID’s gender community of practice, ensuring effective coordination and collaboration between USAID IPs.
• Identify, build, and manage collaborative partnerships with IPs.
• Monitor and track the performance of the Gender CoPR to ensure it is meeting its objectives and goals.
• Create and maintain a library of tools and resources, contextually and linguistically appropriate, for IPs to draw from to inform their own gender transformative work.
• Support the development and tracking of learning questions to support gender transformative work.

Program Analyst/ Gender Statistics, UN WOMEN Country Office in Jordan, 2021 - 2022 

Actively monitor and supervise the national implementation of the project “Making Every Woman and Girl Count” activities at the UN Women Country office in Jordan, including:

• Overseeing the implementation of Women Count in Jordan in accordance with the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics and International Statistical Activities. 
•  lead technical support in creating M&E tools and indicator identification, measurement and performance tracking as it relates to gender mainstreaming and the Targeted Gender Priorities.
• Leading managerial and technical work that is essential for Women Count such as KPI performance sheets, administrative planning, and budgeting.
• Working on annual evaluation reports to assess sectoral workflow towards maintaining gender equality within the SDG framework.  
• Communicating on regular basis with headquarter office and team to share accomplishments and provide the consultation needed for assuring work is aligned with Women Count mission.
• Delivering training and capacity-building assistance to UN Women offices and project/program teams in effort to expand organizational expertise of gender statistics and SDG monitoring.
• Increase awareness of UN Women's efforts in gender statistics including emergency work contexts
• Oversee the nationwide collection and analysis of gender data and build strategic alliances for gender equality with various partners, including institutional links with UN agencies and other relevant entities.
• Providing technical assistance on all issues pertaining to gender statistics and SDGs monitoring.
• Arrange and deliver training courses to UN Women country and program offices to gradually strengthen their capabilities in gender statistics.
• Creating partnerships and developing existing allies: i.e., articulating gender data that contributes to UN Women's strategy at state scale; working on forming different joint ventures and partnerships with stakeholders such as (public government situations, private companies, civil society and non-profit institutions, donors on a local and international scale)
• Assist with monitoring and assessment of Women Count at the national level.
• Creating meaningful connections between the SDGs and making sure they are used at the regional and national level.
• Involvement in a wide range of statistics and SDGs-related training, such as drafting proposals for agenda items, identifying potential participants, putting together materials, and presenting results, at a worldwide and national scale.
• Create and distribute frameworks and techniques that will support the development of SDG's indicators that is relevant for gender. 

Senior SDG Data Advisor/ Project Manager, UNDP country office in Jordan, Feb 2020- May 2021

• Development of a Project Implementation Plan
• Development of Roadmap for Filling Key Data Gaps and Establishment of Baselines
• Implementation of Roadmap
• Establishment of Database and SDG Goal Tracker
• Capacity Building of DOS Staff and Key Staff in Line Ministries

Head of Gender Statistics Division, Department of Statistics, Jordan Feb 1997- Feb 2020

• Develop comprehensive administrative and technical protocols for the Gender Statistics Division, ensuring streamlined operations and effective data management.
• Establish a robust and accessible gender statistics database to centralize relevant information and enable efficient data retrieval and analysis.
• Foster gender awareness within pertinent institutions through a series of impactful seminars, meetings, and workshops, contributing to a more informed and sensitive approach to gender-related matters.
• Craft well-structured project proposals and documentation concerning gender statistics, showcasing a meticulous approach to project management and communication.
• Serve as a proficient gender statistics trainer in collaboration with esteemed entities such as UNIFEM and UNFPA, contributing to capacity-building efforts and knowledge dissemination.
• Develop, implement, and assess comprehensive training initiatives for the Statistics Division staff in conjunction with relevant organizations, focusing on gender-related concerns and challenges.
• Assume a managerial role in the collaborative project "Women’s Economic Participation in Jordan – Mainstreaming Gender in the Public Sector," conducted in partnership with KVINFO, demonstrating adept project management and coordination skills.
• Spearhead the organization of key international events such as the Fourth Global Forum on Gender Statistics by UNSD, ESCWA, and the World Bank, along with six Inter-Agency and Expert Group Meetings on Gender Statistics, underscoring meticulous event management capabilities.
• Contribute actively as a member of the national group entrusted with crafting Jordan's six CEDAW reports, reflecting a commitment to promoting gender equality and human rights on a national scale.

Consultant for Mapping key actors and processes around the SDGs in Jordan and introduce strategic entry points for civil society to influence Jordan’s efforts to achieve the SDGs. Danish Centre for Research and Information on Gender, Equality and Diversity- KVINFO, February to April 2020

• An inception notes, including proposed methodology, work plan and report outline. 
• A note on key findings to be presented as part of the debrief with the Danish organizations. 
• A draft report presented to the Danish organizations before finalizing the report. The draft report shall, however, be based on the professional judgement of the consultant. 
• A final report was delivered electronically. The report should be in English, amounting to a maximum of 15-20 pages plus appendices. The final report shall also include a summary in English and Arabic not exceeding 2 pages in each language. 
• A presentation of the final report verbally and with, for example, a PowerPoint presentation

Gender Statistical Consultant, EURO-MEDITERRANEAN STATISTICAL CO-OPERATION PROGRAMME, Expertise France, April to October 2018

• Preparation of a framework for the catalogue and of a questionnaire to be sent to the relevant countries for the gathering of gender information,
• Review and cross-check of the gender information received from the countries; and if necessary, demand clarifications on methods,
• Preparation of draft catalogue and tables of gender data for exchange with the countries for final comments, and presentation of the results at the regional event to get the final agreement from the relevant countries.

Consultant on Gender Statistics Bulletin, General Authority for Statistics in Saudi Arabia, July 2018, Saudi Arabia

• Review the calculation methods used for the available data.
• Do a comparison of available data regionally and internationally.
• Recommend new set of data.

SDG Analyst Writer, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – FAO, Nov –Dec 2017

• Exploring the relevance of the SDG indicators for Jordan.
• Assessing availability of basic data related to indicators: in which institutions, their quality and the gaps.
• The collection, reporting, analysis of data related to the indicators.
• Existing capacities for monitoring of each SDG indicator and its implementation.
• Identifying priority areas for action (using the work on SDG2 as a positive model of collaboration), with a focus on these that can be carried out in 2018.
• Writing a report of the FAO SDG indicators in Jordan.

Executive Director of Jordan’s Demographic and Health Survey JDHS. Department of Statistics, Jordan 2017, April 2017- 2018

• Provide support for the implementation of technical and/or managerial activities of the survey.
• Participate directly in various stages of the survey process, e.g., fieldwork monitoring, report writing, and dissemination of the survey findings.
• Support the day-to-day operations of the survey and be available to devote full time to the survey management and supervision during field work monitoring, and data entry and processing.
• Coordinate activities efficiently at the central as well as the field level and have the authority to make decisions in the field if necessary.
• Prepare and execute operation plans.
• Assure that DHS protocols are followed to ensure data quality and timeliness.
• Prepare necessary vouchers, keep records and supervise activities as assigned by survey manager.

Qualitative Researcher: Regional and country-specific estimates of the socio-economic costs of gender-based violence (domestic violence, early and forced marriage, and public sexual harassment) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Banyan Global, USAID and its partners, the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) and International Center for Research on Women, Washington, DC, Jordan 2017. January -June 2017 

• Complete Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) prior to participation in any research activities.
• Review original versions and translations of interview guides and informed consent forms.
• In consultation with ICRW, develop sampling and recruitment plan based on mapping of service provision sites.
• Participate in webinar trainings held by ICRW prior to fieldwork and regular check-in meetings (via web) throughout the course of the fieldwork.
• Conduct up to 30 KIIs and/or FGDs with survivors of violence and possibly service providers.
• Once fieldwork has been completed, deliver full data set of completed interviews in English. 
• Write a brief country report (3-4 pages) in English describing the basic characteristics of the sample/data collected and summarizing the main findings.
• Provide input into the analyses of findings from the fieldwork and the draft country briefs.

Qualitative Researcher, Child Marriage, International Center for Research on Women, Washington, DC, October– December 2016

• Reviewing study tools and consent forms
• In consultation with ICRW, finalizing a list of stakeholders to be interviewed.
• Participating in a data collection and ethics training led by ICRW (2 days), in Amman, Jordan
• Setting up interviews with relevant UNICE, government, and NGO stakeholders.
• Conducting 12-15 KIIs (approximately 5 with UNICEF staff, 5 with government staff and 5 with Ngo representatives of civil society.
• Writing a brief country report (3-4 pages), in English, describing the data collection process with the basic characteristics of the sample collected, summarizing the main findings and challenges, and listing out any key quotes which should be included in the final report, to be submitted to ICRW to UNICEF at the conclusion of the project. 

National consultant on Gender and Agricultural Statistics, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FAO, October – November 2016

• Mapping of gender statistics databases, programs and key institutions and actors involved in collecting/compiling gender statistics in Jordan and identify which programs/actors are also involved in agricultural and/or rural development statistics.
• Mapping of development actors involved in gender development activities, particularly in rural areas, including government organizations, international agencies, NGOs, cooperatives, and others. 
• Take stock of available data and information within the Arab framework established by ESCWA on gender indicators in different government institutions and NGOs/CSOs.
• Based on meetings with technical services responsible about data production and with users of data services (agricultural and non-agricultural statistics), prepare short report containing gender indicators available with data producers and identify the data gaps particularly indicators needed by the data users.
• Prepare a work plan containing priority activities and tasks needed for gradual gender mainstreaming in agricultural and rural development statistics.
• Prepare a national report on “Priorities for the production of gender-disaggregated data in agricultural rural development statistics”; this national report should be a standalone report that could also be used as an input for an anticipated regional project/initiative on (sex) gender- disaggregated data.

Trainer on Gender Terminology, USAID Rule of Law Program, July – August 2016

• USAID ROLP training event aims to support the Ministry of Public Sector Development (MOPSD) to conduct an annual training program to develop the capacity of future leaders in the Government of Jordan. The program including training of participants in different topics that include communication and presentation skills, emotional intelligence, change management, negotiation skills, institutional performance management, strategic planning results-oriented project management, human resources management, public service ethics, gender-based budget planning, economics and finance.

Trainer on Gender Terminology, USAID Takamol Program, March – November 2016

• Preparation of material training and provide training to Women Leadership Building Program: The USAID Takamol program is a flagship initiative focused on gender equity and female empowerment in Jordan. In implementing the USAID Takamol program, IREX works closely with and builds the capacity of Jordanian partners throughout the country. Through a partnership with the Jordanian Ministry of Public Sector Development, IREX trains female midcareer public professionals in order to increase their opportunity for promotion. The five-week training covers topics such as personnel and project management, public sector ethics, budgeting, and strategic planning. 

Labor Market Statistician for the purposes of the Economic Research, Analysis and Debate (Econ RAD) project, Adam Smith International office in Amman –Jordan, 2016.

• In coordination with the Phenix Center and ASI, provide quantitative analysis of existing Department of Statistics data for the two research products Phenix is producing on 1) female labor participation and access to employment and 2) the skill/labor mismatch in the Jordanian economy as agreed with Phenix Center researchers and ASI
• Provide descriptive analysis of the data for paper 1) as agreed with the researcher and work to revise and edit contents in coordination with Phenix Center and ASI 
• For both papers to provide the data in clearly accessible charts and tables as appropriate 

Gender Based Violence Researcher, (ICRW) and the Center of Arab Women for Training and Research (CAWTAR), Jordan 2016.

• Conduct simultaneous 2-week context analysis related to Gender-Based-Violence with focus on the status of domestic violence, child marriage, and public sexual harassment for the Countering Gender Based Violence (GBV) Initiative MENA project.

Monitoring and Evaluation Consultant, United Nation Population Fund “UNFPA” and Arab Institute for Training and Research in Statistics “AITARS”, Jordan – 2013.

• Guarantee Quality assurance for the two technical mission reports associated with Gender Statistics Component through reviewing and evaluating their materials.
• Provide Arab Institute for Training and Research in Statistics “AITARS” with the results of the evaluation in transcribed documents.  

Violence Against Women Consultant, United Nation Population Fund “UNFPA” – Baghdad – Iraq, June 2011.

Provide the following services to the I-WISH TOT training that took place in Erbil- Iraq

• Training on VAW questionnaire
• Training on Empowerment questionnaire
• Take part of training evaluation
• Put comments on the questionnaire and training manual

Monitoring and Evaluation Manager, International Rescue Committee IRC- Jordan, 2009 

• Determine the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) requirements for the International Rescue Committee, UNIFEM-funded project entitled "Building Local Capacity to Combat Violence against Women in Jordan" based on the M&E plan and logical framework in the IRC's approved proposal and develop data collection tools for specific project activities.

Socioeconomic associate at the NATO supported regional project Societal Security and Environmental Impact of Marine Aquaculture in the Gulf of Aqaba 2006- 2009