Background

UN Women was established by GA resolution 64/289 of 2 July 2010 on system-wide coherence, with a mandate to assist Member States and the UN system to progress more effectively and efficiently towards the goal of achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women. Since 2001 UN Women (previously as UNIFEM) in Kyrgyzstan has implemented catalytic initiatives on promoting women’s economic, political and social rights. In 2012 a full Country Office (CO) was established. In 2014 the Strategic Note (SN) for the period of 2015-17 was confirmed.

The CO recognizes the need for a strong rights-based emphasis in programming in relation to international agreements and human rights treaties that Kyrgyzstan has signed on to. In relation to gaps remaining between existing normative and policy frameworks on gender equality and women’s empowerment and their practical implementation, the CO programme focuses on the following thematic areas: 

• Changing societal attitudes in favor of gender equality, and in support of full participation of women at family, community and in public life, including in political and peace-building processes and in the workforce;
• Strengthening national and local gender-responsive planning and budgeting;
• Accelerating rural women economic empowerment.

Cross-cutting to these is a continuation and strengthening of the CO focus on girl empowerment and the related involvement of young men in this process.

CO programming includes support to Government and civil society organizations in the development and implementation of innovative approaches aimed at achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment.

UN Women supports efforts of the national partners and UN agencies in implementation of gender equality commitments in compliance with the UN human rights conventions ratified by the Kyrgyz Republic. The CO provides strong and coherent technical support of gender equality priorities relating to national and UN efforts and supports building effective partnerships between Government, civil society and other relevant actors. UN Women convenes and leads the UNiTE campaign to end violence against women and girls. The CO strengthens coordination on gender equality and women’s empowerment programming and enhances cooperation for the gender responsive post-2015 development agenda’s implementation at the national and sub-regional levels.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of key functions

Under the supervision of the Representative, the Communications and Advocacy Specialist is responsible for developing strategic communications and media initiatives and managing media/press coverage. S/he will oversee the production of a range of communications materials for UN Women, and for online and offline audiences. S/he is responsible for producing timely, accurate and high-quality informational materials, such as press releases and media advisories, news briefs, fact sheets, stories from the field, informational kits and other communication and visibility products for media outreach, the UN Women website and other information channels. The Communications and Advocacy Specialist will organize, lead and report on the UNiTE Campaign to end violence against women and girls. The Specialist will further design strategies aimed at facilitating behaviour change towards gender equality and the full involvement of women in all aspects of societal life, plan interventions, support their implementation, monitor and report on them.

The Communications and Advocacy Specialist will collaborate closely with Headquarters’, Regional and Country Office colleagues to ensure communications strategies, media relations and organizational outreach efforts are aligned with corporate communications policies and initiatives. S/he also collaborates with project staff to support outreach campaigns, resource mobilization and donor relations initiatives; s/he mobilizes support in conjunction with intergovernmental processes, and support the activities and special events organized for UN Women.

Key Functions

Summary of key functions:

• Provide advice and support to UN Women advocacy and campaigns;
• Plan, implement and monitor evidence based behaviour change communication campaigns;
• Build communications partnerships and media alliances;
• Oversee and maintain online outreach and produce information materials for public outreach;
• Liaise closely with UN Women and UN agencies Communications officers;
• Manage UN Women media/press relations.

Provide advice and support to UN Women advocacy and campaigns:

• Plan and implement communications components of UN Women and/or UN campaigns, e.g. HeforShe, UNiTE campaign, etc.;
• Provide inputs, organize and logistically realise advocacy and events conceptualized and organized with a view to reaching wider audiences including those not convinced or opposed to the UN Women mandate; to that end develop and compile concepts and relevant materials;
• Support the UN Gender Theme Group with advocacy material and communications assistance;
• Design and implement advocacy and awareness raising campaigns on EVAWG based on the results of the  Gender in Society Perception Study (GSPS) and GSPS Youth Component.

Plan, implement and monitor evidence based behaviour change communication (BCC) campaigns

• Using data generated under the GSPS and GSPS Youth Component, design specific BCC strategies and products targeting specific audiences;
• Implement activities to realise the aforementioned strategies making use of products developed, this in collaboration with programme colleagues;
• Monitor attitude and behaviour change over time using an indicator approach.

Build communications partnerships and media alliances:

• Identify and develop new communications partnerships and media alliances to enhance the visibility and cement UN Women as a thought-leader; manage and nurture existing partnerships;
• Identify innovative opportunities and new communications tools and platforms which can serve to highlight the work of UN Women;
• Draft and lead implementation of the CO Communications Strategy;
• Familiarise with and make customized use of emerging/leading edge communications products/channels.

Oversee and maintain online outreach and produce information materials for public outreach:

• Oversee and manage social media accounts in line with corporate social media policy and provide inputs to corporate social media accounts;
• Draft publications, brochures, fact sheets, stories from the field to inform media, state partners, general public and donors on the work of UN Women in the country, funding needs and its global mandate and inter-linkages;
• Source video producers, editors, photographers, writers, etc. and support hiring them according to UN Women procedures to produce various material on UN Women’s work or in relation to its mandate;
• Format and edit CO documents in the required languages;
• Organise nation-wide dissemination of GSPS gender data with the aim to inform state and non-state stakeholders on key results and advocate for gender-sensitive programming and policy-making.

Liaise closely with UN Women and UN agencies Communications officers:

• Provide ongoing substantive and editorial support to the CO Knowledge Management Board, and ensure that corporate standards are maintained in publications;
• Regularly draft and provide advice on CO materials, e.g. web site, reports, video productions and other to highlight initiatives and ensure visibility at the national, regional and international levels;
• Regularly liaise with Communications Officers from other UN entities at country level to provide UN Women/GEWE inputs to joint UN initiatives; represent UN Women in the UN Communications Group.

Manage UN Women media/press relations:

• Identify opportunities for press conferences, organize conferences; facilitate interviews for the Representative; draft talking points and speeches for the Representative for public events; interpret for the Representative during public events including during field trips;
• Draft press releases;
• Maintain and expand contacts with national and international media.

Impact of Results

The effective support provided to the Representative and the Country Office programme team directly impacts on the quality, relevance, and effectiveness of the UN Women Country Office. The post impacts on the development, implementation of results that in turn directly impact on the credibility and image of UN Women as an effective partner for national partner organizations and as a competent knowledge based organization on gender equity and girls’ rights issues.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

Ethics and Values:

• Demonstrate and safeguard ethics and integrity.

Organizational Awareness:

• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment.

Development and Innovation:

• Take charge of self-development and take initiative.

Work in 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.

Communicating and Information Sharing:

• Facilitate and encourage open communication and strive for 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:

• Encourage learning and sharing of knowledge.

Appropriate and Transparent Decision Making:

• Demonstrate informed and transparent decision making.

Functional Competencies:

• Excellent communication skills. Communicates sensitively, effectively and creatively across different constituencies;
• Demonstrates very good understanding of and experience in communications and outreach/advocacy;
• Proven networking skills, and ability to generate interest in UN Women’s mandate;
• Strong initiative-taker;
• Very effective at multi-tasking;
• Focuses on impact and results for the client;
• Interacts effectively with all levels of the organization, including senior management;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Identifies opportunities and builds strong relationships with clients and partners;
• Ability to remain calm, in control and good humoured even under pressure and tight deadlines;
• Cultural sensitivity and valuing diversity: demonstrates an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff and demonstrates an international outlook, appreciating difference in values and learning from cultural diversity.

Management and Leadership:

• Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills;
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
• Leads teams effectively and shows mentoring as well as conflict resolution skills;
•  Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills.

Knowledge Management and Learning:

• Promotes knowledge management in UN Women and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example;
• Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more practice areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills.

Development and Operational Effectiveness:

• Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting;
•  Ability to lead the formulation and monitoring of management projects;
• Solid knowledge of financial and human resources management, contract, asset and procurement, information and communication technology, general administration;
• Ability to lead business processes re-engineering, implementation of new systems (business side), and positively affect staff behavioral/attitudinal change;
• Sound knowledge of gender and development issues.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced degree in communications, journalism, public relations, social sciences, international relations, or a related field.

Experience:

• A minimum of two years’ post-degree work experience in communications and advocacy at the national or international level, including experience in media relations;
• Experience with on-line outreach, social media;
• Experience working in large development agency also pertinent;
• Good IT skills, including databases and office software/multimedia packages;
• Familiarity with gender issues, EVAWG, and Gender Equality and Women Empowerment;
• Outstanding oral and written communications and editing skills, with proven ability to meet tight deadline;
• An understanding of the concept of Behaviour Change Communications;
• Good numerical skills to operate budgets and to cost activities;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.);
• Familiarity with UN Women and UN system is an asset.

Language:

• Fluency in English, Russian and Kyrgyz.

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.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted! Candidates can only be shortlisted if they profess to meet all the mandatory requirements in the Job Description. All online applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women, UNDP or UN Personal History form (P11) in English which can easily be found via web search http://www.unwomen-eeca.org/en/announcements/ . Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment which must be the P11. Please carefully respond to the requirements of the Job Description in the P11 that you submit.

Applications without the completed P-11 form are incomplete and will NOT be considered for further assessment!