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.

On the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, the Commission on the Status of Women will review and assess progress made in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in March 2025. The anniversary is also an opportunity to strengthen action to achieve gender equality and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and other global commitments, such as commitments including those under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) and subsequent resolutions on women, peace and security; the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development (2015); the Paris Agreement on Changing the Status of Women (2015); and the World Summit on Sustainable Development. In this regard, all States are encouraged to undertake comprehensive national-level reviews of progress in implementing the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Governments should collaborate with relevant stakeholders at all levels of preparations for the 2025 review to benefit from their experience and expertise. National reports should cover trends, achievements and remaining gaps and challenges, as well as plans to accelerate implementation at the national level.

The regional commissions will use the national reports to prepare regional synthesis reports throughout 2024. All States are invited to complete their national reports by 1 June 2024. National reports will feed into the global synthesis report that UN Women will submit to the sixty-ninth session of the Commission on the Status of Women to be held in March 2025.

Moreover, several important processes will be held simultaneously in Kyrgyzstan:

• As part of the implementation of the National Strategy for Achieving Gender Equality until 2030, it is planned to review the implementation of the current action plan (2022-2024) and develop the next plan for 2025-2027.
• Implementation of the State Programme to support women's leadership until 2030, aimed at creating conditions for the active participation of women in the political, economic and public life of the country, as well as promoting their role in key decision-making.
• Implementation of a programme to support and develop women's entrepreneurship in the Kyrgyz Republic for 2022-2026, aimed at providing and expanding access to financial resources, creating conditions for training willing women in the basics of running a business, and creating conditions for a further increase in the number of women entrepreneurs.
• As part of the implementation of the National Action Plan for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, it is planned to review the implementation of the current action plan (2022-2024) and develop the next plan for 2025-2027.
• The Volunteer National Review (VNR), the second cycle. It will reflect on the country's fundamental and practical approaches to achieving the SDGs, challenges, and successes since the last review, as well as the areas where further work is required.
• The Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the fourth cycle for Kyrgyzstan. It provides an opportunity to report on the actions taken to improve the human rights situations in the country and to overcome challenges to the enjoyment of human rights.
• Alignment of national legislation and policies with the provisions of the ILO Convention No. 190 on the Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the Workplace, ratified on 29 February 2024. This Convention provides an opportunity to take appropriate action to minimize and prevent violence and harassment in the workplace, to ensure safety and equality in the workplace, and to create conditions for fair and safe labour relations.
• High-level events on women's leadership, women's participation in peace and security processes, the elimination of violence against women and girls, and women's economic empowerment, as part of the Kyrgyz Republic's chairship of the Dialogue of Women Leaders of Central Asia, EXPO and 16-day campaign against GBV.

Considering digitalization as a key aspect of modern society and its importance and impact on gender equality requires examination. Digitalization offers opportunities to increase women's and girls' access to education, health, information and economic resources. However, there is a gender gap in access to digital technologies. Women are less likely to use digital services and less likely to pursue careers in technology. Women's digital inclusion contributes to economic growth. Excluding women from digital opportunities limits countries' GDP. Digitalization can exacerbate existing inequalities, but it also provides an opportunity to address them. We can use technology to tackle online violence, equal opportunities in education and women's participation in decision-making. At the same time, digitalization fosters innovation and the development of new technologies. Involving women in this process will enrich it with diversity and contribute to a fairer society for all.

Under overall guidance by the UN Women Representative and the direct supervision of the Head of the Programme and in close collaboration with other programme team members from UN Women, the Consultant will consultant to explore the intersection of digitalization with various key GEWE processes, strategic documents, and structures.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Provide strategic recommendations on linkages of the above key frameworks with the National Digitalization Agenda:

•  Conduct a comprehensive desk review of existing literature and reports related to digitalization and the key HR and GEWE frameworks:
• Analyze how digitalization aligns with the realization of the WiL Program
• The role of digitalization within the national gender equality strategy.
• Examine how digitalization can empower women entrepreneurs.
• Explore digitalization’s impact on implementing NAP on implementation of the UN SCR 1325 on WPS.
• Assess the connection between digitalization and ILO Convention 190.
• Utilize other normative frameworks (e.g. CSW67, Beijing+30, CEDAW COBs, VNR, UPR, etc.) to guide this work. For Beijing+30 review report – analysis of the situation, facilitation of the discussions, development of draft section on digitalization with the lead consultant on writing the review report.
• Provide strategic recommendations on how the key frameworks can be effectively linked to the National Digitalization Agenda

2.    Conceptualize and organize dedicated consultations with the key stakeholders:

•  Map and engage in meetings with relevant state and non-state actors to gather insights and perspectives
•  Develop detailed concept notes for each meeting, outlining the proposed agenda

3.    Develop a detailed action plan for each of the areas for Digitization:

• Create a detailed action plan for each area of digitization identified in the frameworks.
• Align the action plan with the overall National Digitalization Agenda.
• Ensure that the plan includes specific steps, timelines, and responsible parties

4.    Digitalization policy overview and proposals for digital literacy for the GEWE Community:

•  Provide an overview of existing digitalization policies and initiatives.
•  Propose strategies for enhancing digital literacy within the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) community.
• Engage in dedicated meetings with donor organizations working on digitization to explore collaboration opportunities, resource mobilization, and coordination.

Payment for this consultancy will be based on the achievement of each deliverable and certification that each has been satisfactorily completed. Payment will be based on the submission of the report along with the deliverables described below:

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

The assignment requires partial presence on UN Women premises. UN Women CO will facilitate travel arrangements (national) and provide DSA as per actual cost, based on a mutually agreed travel plan. UN Women will provide the consultant with relevant background materials and programme documents. Specifically, UN Women will provide access to relevant training materials, reports, research and data.

Competencies

Core Values: 

• Respect for Diversity 
• Integrity 
• Professionalism 

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 Core Values and Competencies:  

https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment/application-process#_Values 

FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES: 

• Sound practical knowledge and experience on digitalization issues and national priorities;
• Previous experience on GEWE issues is an advantage;
• Ability to work effectively and harmoniously with people from diverse cultures and professional backgrounds, demonstrating excellent interpersonal communication skills;
• Results-based management skills; 
• Strong teamwork spirit, leadership, and facilitation skills;
• Able to multi-task and juggle competing demands

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Certification:

• Master’s degree in political science, sociology or relevant field;
• Computer literacy (minimum MS Word, Excel).

Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of experience in the area of digitalization policy and implementation;
• Sound knowledge of international standards on human rights, women’s rights, and key normative HR-related instruments;
• Experience engaging with multiple stakeholders including governments, state bodies, CSOs, and the UN/ development partners and donor community
• Ability to produce well-written reports and/or programme documents demonstrating analytical ability.
• Experience engaging with multiple stakeholders including governments, state bodies, CSOs, and the UN/ development partners and donor community.

Languages:

• Fluency in Russian and Kyrgyz is required.
• Working knowledge of English is an asset.

How to Apply:

Personal CV or P11 (P11 can be downloaded from: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.doc )

A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page)

Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment.

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