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.

All qualified candidates with expertise in one or more of the areas of expertise outlined in the Vacancy Announcement are encouraged to apply. In addition, for this specific call for applicants for the UN Women Coordination Roster, there is a particular need for candidates with one or more of the following qualifications:

• Candidates with substantive expertise in Gender Equality Markers applied in UNCT context, experience in joint planning in Crisis situation and/or recovery.
• Candidates with contextual professional experience at the regional level.
• Candidates with proficiency in Portuguese, Arabic and/or Russian are strongly encouraged to apply.

A. Background/Context for required services. 

UN Women is the UN organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women.  As a global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide.  UN Women supports UN member states as they set global standards for achieving gender equality and works with governments and civil society to design laws, policies, programmes and services needed to implement these standards.  It stands behind women’s equal participation in all aspects of life, focusing on five priority areas: (1) increasing women’s leadership and participation; (2) ending violence against women; (3) engaging women in all aspects of peace and security processes; (4) enhancing women’s economic empowerment; and (5) making gender equality central to national development planning and budgeting.

UN Women also coordinates and promotes the UN system’s work in advancing gender equality. Support for gender mainstreaming within the UN System through its coordination mandate remains integral to the work of UN Women as mandated in its founding resolution (GA 64/289, para.58). UN Women coordinates and promotes the UN system’s work in advancing gender equality and works to position gender equality as fundamental to the Sustainable Development Goals.  As the custodian of this coordination mandate, UN Women’s UN System Coordination Division (UNSCD) works to establish institutional coherence to promote and coordinate accountability of the work of the UN system in GEWE, including gender mainstreaming in policies and programmes. In the context of its coordination work, and to strengthen the effectiveness of the UN gender architecture at regional and country level, UN Women is developing a roster of international and national level experts for consultancies that will provide technical and coordination support in the following areas of work:

B. Areas of expertise and related competencies (please note that not all applicants need to have experience in all of the areas below):

UNCT SWAP Gender Equality Score card

• Experience from work on gender mainstreaming and gender analysis in international development programmes/projects
• Experience in the development and delivery of gender training programs, toolkits, evaluation and monitoring
• Knowledge on international normative frameworks on gender equality and women’s human rights
• Facilitation and inter-coordination skills will be an asset
• Previous experience with the Gender Equality Scorecard, knowledge of UN Cooperation Frameworks, UN Common Country Assessments is an asset=
• Experience in data collection and analysis from interviews, surveys and focus groups is an asset.

UNCT Gender equality Marker

• Experience in provide technical support and analysis related to gender equality markers to UN entities and UN Country Teams
• Experience in gender research and data collection and analysis, including interviews, survey and focus groups is an asset.
• Experience in delivering online or physical training to UN Country Teams on gender mainstreaming/the application of UNCT GEM
• Support to gender mainstreaming of UN Joint Work Plans/UN INFO, UN Cooperation Frameworks, UN Common Country Assessments is an asset
• Strong knowledge of UN system and understanding of inter-agency coordination processes

Gender Mainstreaming in UN Common Country Assessments and UN Cooperation Frameworks,

• Excellent knowledge of gender responsive planning and Results Based Management.
• Experience in integrating gender analysis and gender data in the narrative and results framework of the UN Common Country Assessments / UN Cooperation Frameworks,.
• Experience in evaluating UN Cooperation Frameworks,.
• Experience in elaborating and implementing gender trainings for UN Gender Theme Group and other results groups and relevant personnel in UN Country Teams.
• Good knowledge of the existing UN Sustainable Development Group common learning package on applying the guiding principles of Human Rights Based Approach, Gender Equality Women`s Empowerment and Leave No One Behind in the Common Country Assessment/ UN Cooperation Frameworks, development, Handbook on Gender Mainstreaming[1] and UNCT Resource Book on Gender Mainstreaming in the UNSDCF and Related Programming to develop tailored trainings will be an asset

Gender Equality Country profile 

• Experience in developing detailed methodology, annotated outline and timeline for gender analysis elaboration, including national consultations with key partners and stakeholders based on existing corporate guidance.
• Experience in compiling relevant studies and resource materials on GEWE related issues, including status of compliance with GEWE international normative framework (for example, latest CEDAW Concluding Observations issued to the State party to the Convention, relevant regional normative reports/reviews, national Beijing periodic national review, etc.), gender related assessments and undertake their analysis, as well as a desk review including those provided by UN Women and partners, such as programme and policy documents; studies and research  and peer reviewed research products developed by research institutes and academia on gender equality issues in the region, etc.;
• Experience in reviewing national GEWE legal framework, policies, plans, budgets, and institutions (including women’s national machinery and human rights entity).
• Experience in work with data specialists to collect and analyze statistical data on GEWE with a specific focus on sectoral and thematic priorities and issues (unpaid work; employment and access to decent work, reproductive rights and health, education, EVAW, participation in decision making, etc.).
• Previous experience in Country Gender Equality Profiles is an asset

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework:

Functional Competencies:

• Proven technical competencies in working in the area of gender mainstreaming and analysis on gender equality
• Demonstrated experiences in review, evaluation, producing of analysis and concept paper related to gender mainstreaming.
• Demonstrated experience in developing quality research methodology involving multiple country consultations and extensive desktop review.
• Previous work with UN Women Countries offices
• Excellent knowledge of Results Based Management.
• Strong research, writing, analysis skills in the substantive area.

Qualifications:

• A Master’s degree in Social Science, Gender Studies, Anthropology, Management, Public Policy, or related social sciences; or a first-level university degree with additional 2 years of qualifying experience.
• At least 5 years of professional experience working in one or more of the following areas: gender equality, public policy analysis/development, strategic and action planning, gender budgeting, data collection and data analysis, and gender equality/women’s empowerment training.
• Knowledge on women’s human rights instruments (international and national).
• Previous experience with UN Women will be an asset.
• Fluency in English, Spanish or French is required.
• Working Knowledge of one of the following languages is a strong asset: Portuguese, Russian, Chinese or Arabic.
• Candidates will be able to select if they want to be tested in either English, Spanish, French or Arabic as part of the roster vetting process.

Contracting Arrangements: 

Successful candidates will be included in UN Women’s technical expert roster for a period of 2 years. Membership beyond the 2-year period must be renewed through a performance review or through the submission of another application.  Entry into the expert roster system does not necessarily mean that a contract with UN Women is guaranteed. This will depend on forthcoming needs. Being included in the roster requires participation in at least one training per year.

When a request for services arises, the UN Women office in need of services shall directly contract the consultant from the roster without the need for further selection processes. A specific Terms of Reference (ToR) outlining the outputs for each assignment shall be provided and, subject to agreement from the designated candidate, a Special Service Agreement (SSA) will be issued. Conditions of a particular assignment may be negotiable.

Statements :

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)