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.

With an aim to contribute to the initiatives to reach durable solutions in the region, the Senior Gender Advisor will support the Humanitarian and the UN Country Team's efforts to advance gender equality in Somalia through gender mainstreaming and women’s empowerment measures that will ensure the active participation of women in support of the Somali transition and liaise with all relevant actors and institutions, including the African Union, the UN system, national governments and civil society actors to strengthen women's meaningful contribution to such a process. The Senior Gender Advisor will also provide technical support and content expertise on mainstreaming a gender approach into key elements of the UNCT's planning and programming.

Under the direct supervision of the Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator, in close consultation with the UN Women Regional Director and Deputy Regional Director, and the Inter-Agency Gender theme Group for Somalia (DGTG) the Senior Gender Advisor will contribute to the advancement of gender equality in Somalia through ensuring the mainstreaming of gender   into the assessment, planning and programming for the priorities identified by the UN and the Somali authorities during the transition period by focusing on areas as:

• Constitutional review processes;
• Governance systems and electoral assistance;
• Human rights/ transitional justice;
• Public Security;
• Coordination of international assistance and peace building planning.

Duties and Responsibilities

Technical assistance and strategic partnerships

• Provide systematic guidance and support to the RC/HC to ensure implementation of commitments to promoting gender equality by ensuring equal representation and addressing women's needs in conflict resolution and prevention efforts, and build strategic links with the work of other UN Agencies, government counterparts and NGOs under international frameworks on women, peace and security;
• Strengthen and enhance partnership/cooperation/consultation/coordination with UN entities, national and international civil society actors, especially women's organizations, to ensure women's engagement in the planning and implementation of the transition process in Somalia;
• Provide systematic guidance and support to the RC/HC and the GTG to promote and sustain GBV as a priority issue for the UNCT through leadership and coordination for implementation of the ‘Joint Communique on SGBV’ agreed at the London Conference on Somalia in May 2013; supporting the development and implementation of a 3-5yr strategic plan to address GBV in Somalia as a predictable outcome of gender inequality and androcentric systems; coordinating gender and GBV sensitive response in IDP relocation and settlement efforts and advocating to donors to facilitate long-term funding to address the cultural and social norms that are the root cause of GBV in Somalia;
• Liaise with key international, national, regional, and local stakeholders from Government and civil society; including donors to build up and strengthen strategic partnerships and strengthen collaboration to promote national commitments to gender equality; including through supporting advocacy on gender equality and women’s empowerment, to increasing women’s political participation, both elected and appointed; addressing gender discrimination in policy & guidelines for the constitutional review and electoral processes; and facilitating access of national women’s organizations at peacebuilding forums organized or supported by the UN;.
• Liaise with UNSOM in the development of gender responsive recommendations and action points related to public security, Constitutional review and electoral processes, human rights/transitional justice and international assistance; Support the UN Somalia Assistance Strategy outcome teams to mainstream gender equality and women’s empowerment as cross-cutting priorities;
• Provide systematic guidance, coordination and support to the H/RC on establishing mechanisms, policies and networks to prevent and address sexual exploitation and abuse in the humanitarian and development sectors.

• Support the UNCT to assess the gendered impact of the transition on the Somali people with special attention to the needs and concerns of women and girls;
• Carry out a systematic gender analysis of policy and programme documents in connection with the national and regional commitments as well as the relevant commitments of the United Nations (SCR 1325 (2000); SCR 1889 (2009); SCR 1820 (2008); SCR 1888 (2009) and SCR 1960 (2010));
• Consult with UNSOM, UNCT, UN Women country offices, and relevant stakeholders located in Somalia to coordinate all work related to gender activities. Specifically, Provide advice and technical expertise to the GTG on developing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating a Gender Equality Strategy for the UNCT;
• Ensure appropriate information flow with relevant stakeholders to promote women's leadership in peacemaking and peacebuilding, including through the development of joint statements and press releases;
• Oversee the establishment and maintenance of a credible knowledge base on gender issues, women’s organizations, women’s networks and gender expertise in Somalia.

Competencies

• Integrity:Demonstrate consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct;
• Professionalism:Demonstrate professional competence and expert knowledge of the pertinent substantive areas of work;
• Cultural sensitivity and valuing diversity:Demonstrate an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Demonstrate an international outlook, appreciating difference in values and learning from cultural diversity.

• Ethics and Values:Demonstrate and promote ethics and integrity by creating organizational precedents.
  
• Organizational Awareness:Build support for the organization and ensure political acumen;
  
• Development and Innovation: Support staff competence development, and contribute to an environment of creativity and innovation;
  
• Work in teams:Build and promote effective teams. Demonstrate ability to work in a multicultural, multi-ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
  
• Communication and Information Sharing:Create and promote an environment for open and effective communication;
  
• Self-management and Emotional Intelligence: Stay composed and positive even in difficult moments, handle tense situations with diplomacy and tact, and have a consistent behavior towards others;
  
• Conflict Management: Surface conflicts and address them proactively acknowledging different feelings and views and directing energy towards a mutually acceptable solution;
  
• Continuous Learning and Knowledge Sharing: Share knowledge across the organization and build a culture of knowledge sharing and learning;
  
• Appropriate and Transparent Decision Making: Ensure fair and transparent decision making processes and manage risk.

• Substantive experience and record of accomplishment in the area of women, peace and security.
• Demonstrated People Management Skills;
• Proven ability to advocate and provide policy advice;
• Ability to lead strategic planning, programme development and implementation, results-based management and reporting;
• Ability to develop and maintain strong partnerships and mobilize resources.    
  

Required Skills and Experience

• Masters degree or equivalent in the fields of gender and international affairs, political science, development, law and/or security studies.

Experience:

• At least 10 years of management and supervisory experience for analysis and programming in the areas of recovery and development with special focus on the promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment in crisis and post conflict countries. Experience should be geared to support gender analysis and programming in these areas; an understanding of GBV in emergencies and the integration of women, women's empowerment and rights, with particular experience in complex and multi­ component programmes on gender responsive governance, peace and security and particularly in transition contexts;
• Familiarity with the UN system, UN Women, and Special Political missions desirable;
• Familiarity with Somalia and women’s rights organizations and networks in the Region an advantage;
• Familiarity with political analysis and peacebuilding process issues from a gender perspective;
• Experience writing analytical documents, fund raising proposals and reports;
• Experience in developing advocacy strategies and public speaking highly desirable;
• Experience in building partnerships and engaging with civil society groups and/or women's organizations;
• International peacebuilding experience and multi-cultural exposure.

Languages:

• Fluency in written and oral English.