UN WOMEN Jobs - 60656- Consulant for Analytical Policy Paper Loooking at

Consulant for Analytical Policy Paper Loooking at the Role of National Governments in Promoting Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE), WiWhin the Framework of the post-2015 Development Agenda/Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Advertised on behalf of

UN WOMEN

Location :

Home-based with Travel to Nairobi if Needed, KENYA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

14-Oct-2015

Application Deadline :

11-Oct-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

25 Days

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

The United Nations (UN) Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) is the UN organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. Established in July 2010, it came about as part of the UN reform agenda to try and achieve greater impact in addressing issues of gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE). These reforms were guided by three concerns: (i) need for more focus and stronger drive on GEWE; (ii) need for strengthened accountability in the UN and globally; and (iii) the need for more resources (human, technical, financial) to be invested into GEWE. Certain challenges had also been identified concerning the institution’s operational structure (as the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)), which needed to be addressed, if the reform agenda was to be realized.

Today, UN Women is working through 3 main avenues, to accelerate the attainment of GEWE: support to inter-governmental bodies, such as the Commission on the Status of Women, in their formulation of policies, global standards and norms; and, support to UN Member States in implement these standards, standing ready to provide suitable technical and financial support to those countries that request it, and to forge effective partnerships with civil society. UN Women also leads and coordinates the UN system’s work on GEWE and promotes accountability, including through regular monitoring of system-wide progress. UN Women’s work is informed by the following strategic priorities: the need to enhance women’s leadership and participation; ending violence against women; and championing women’s economic empowerment, and engagement in peace and security issues. Finally, UN Women leads the development of global norms and standards for advancing GEWE, in partnership with Member states and other stakeholders.

In line with the above, especially the need to promote accountability globally to GEWE, UN Women in partnership with the UN regional commissions, facilitated a review of progress towards the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action within the UN. This review was designed to coincide with the twentieth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration. To highlight the urgency of the objectives of the review and the need for concrete commitment to the agenda, UN Women also launched a global campaign, designed as a “Call to Action” to all, to be part of the solution towards the realization of the promise of the Beijing Declaration i.e. “equality between women and men”. Titled “Empowering Women – Empowering Humanity: Picture it!”, this call aimed to draw attention to, and invigorate the efforts of UN Member States and their partners- and the global women’s movement, to the unrealized agenda of the Beijing Declaration. It also endeavored to engage new constituencies on this critical development agenda, through a series of year-long activities around the world, aimed at directing efforts to picture a world where gender equality is a reality and to join a global conversation on empowering women to empower humanity[1].

This global campaign, was linked to various initiatives taking place at the regional and national levels in the run up to the 59th Session of the Commission of the Status of Women (CSW) in 2015, will focus on achievements since governments adopted the 1995 BPfA. In Africa, during the Ninth African Regional Conference on Women held in November 2014, ministers in charge of gender and women’s affairs, while welcoming the decision of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union to declare 2010-2020 as the African Women’s Decade, and 2015 as the Year of Women’s Empowerment and Development towards Realizing Africa’s Agenda 2063, they issued a call to action to different stakeholders including their governments, to greater political and financial commitments and the strengthening of national gender machineries, based on the outcomes of the regional review[2]. They also called upon all Member States of the African Union to endorse a stand-alone gender goal, within the framework of the post-2015 development agenda, to bolster efforts globally.

The decision by UN Member States in August 2015, to endorse a stand-alone gender goal within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - as well as to incorporate gender targets in 11 other SDGs, therefore constitutes a land mark achievement- and opportunity for UN Women and its stakeholders. Within Africa, it calls for a consolidation of strategic thinking around the SDGs- following from the BPfA review process, and the Addis Ababa Declaration and the commitments made during the Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD) in July 2015. Borrowing from lessons learned to date, there is need to consolidate the thinking on the positioning and drive towards the GEWE agenda within national governments in Africa, to ensure the attainment of the stand-alone gender goal (and other related goals), in the region.

Problem Analysis:

One key concern that has emerged from the review of progress on the BPfA, was the importance of an enabling environment in the promotion of gender equality. In particular, there is need to support the development of gender-sensitive policies and laws; strong national mechanisms for GEWE and dedicated resources. Governments, and in particular, the leadership and technical personnel in key government ministries such as the ministries in charge of national planning and public financial management and the national gender machineries, have key roles in orienting government action to effectively address gender and other inequalities. Within the framework of the SDGs which call for stronger coordination across a broader range of thematic areas, there is a need to more deliberately define the roles of key government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) that are critical for the purposes of effectively facilitating multi-sectoral and multi-level responses to addressing the systemic causes and effects of gender inequalities. This includes re-looking at the mandates and capacities needed in government MDAs to operationalize gender responsive planning and budgeting methodologies, and multi-sectoral approaches to leading, coordinating and sustaining partnerships – as well as supporting the capacities of key development sectors, to achieve the agenda of GEWE.

While the SDGs do not necessarily expand the thematic areas that gender advocates have been working in under the Beijing Platform for Action, they do increase the demand for the support that will is required within the government – more broadly, to enable Member States of the African Union (AU) to effectively operationalize the SDGs are country level.This calls for a re-look at how best to position the gender equality and women’s empowerment agenda, to harness the political good will expressed in the SDGs to advance GEWE, at the national level.

[1] See UN Women B+20 regional campaign. See also involvement in UN Women’s He For She and Planet 50/50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality Campaigns:

[2] Addis Ababa Declaration on Accelerating the Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action : Towards a transformational change for women and girls in Africa (19 November 2014).

Duties and Responsibilities

The overall objective of this paper is to contribute to the strategic thinking on the positioning of the GEWE agenda within national governments, for the realization of the post-2015 development agenda/the SDGs within Africa, as informed by the outcomes of the BPfA review process in Africa; the Addis Ababa Declaration; and the Third Conference on FfD. Additionally, the paper will aim to recommend how, based on current institutional structures for advancing GEWE, and prevailing opportunities and challenges, they can be more effective in coordinating efforts towards GEWE within the AU, within government and with the support of UN Women and other key stakeholders, and (respectively), to strengthen accountability- nationally and regionally.

The specific objectives of this assignment are to:

Provide an overview of recommendations from stakeholders, for increasing Member States’ effectiveness in accelerating the achievement of GEWE in Africa, generated in the run up to and following from the CSW59;

Recommend concrete ways of:

Strategic focus areas for GEWE - both nationally and regionally in Africa, for the purposes of enhancing the effectiveness of governments in promoting accountability on GEWE issues.

The paper will also be presented to an Experts Group, comprising of governmental and non-governmental stakeholders, during the regional pre-CSW 60 meeting in November 2015, for discussion and validation.

Expected Outcomes

To contribute to better understanding on how the GEWE agenda can be best positioned within national government, with the aim of strengthening accountability within the framework of the post-2015 development agenda/SDGs- both nationally and regionally;
To strengthen coordination and coherence in UN Women’s efforts (horizontally and vertically) regionally, in achieving its mandate with specific categories of stakeholders i.e. UN and governmental (respectively), - and the role of civil society in these efforts.

Competencies

Core values and Guiding principles:

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.

Core Competencies:

Excellent advisory, managerial leadership and partnership building skills;
Aptitude to take initiative and to adapt to quickly changing environment;
Ability to effectively communicate with a wide range of partners both orally and in written;
Skills in effectively facilitating policy dialogue, knowledge sharing events, meetings involving a variety of stakeholders from Government, civil society and development partners;
Ability to set priorities and accomplish multiple tasks consecutivelY.

Functional Competencies:

Strong analytical skills ;
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude ;
Ability to provide strategic and policy advice ;
Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills ;
Results oriented and responds positively to feedback.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

At least a Master’s degree in Gender and Development, Law, Social Sciences or any related discipline;

Experience:

At least 15 years’ working experience on gender—related normative frameworks, in promoting accountability and coordination at both national and regional levels;
Have a good working knowledge and experience of national and regional intergovernmental frameworks and processes in advancing GEWE in Africa;

Language Requirements:

Excellent presentation, facilitation and report writing skills in English;
Knowledge of French or Spanish will be an added advantage.