Background

Grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, UN Women will work 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. Placing women's rights at the centre of all its efforts, UN women will lead and coordinate United Nations System efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It will provide strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States' priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

The International Women's Commission for a Just and Sustainable Israeli-Palestinian Peace (IWC) was established in 2005 following the pioneering work of Palestinian and Israeli women and subsequently international women leaders as a tripartite body comprised of Palestinian, Israeli and International women leaders committed to advancing a just and sustainable peace between Israel and Palestine.  The IWC has been guided by a Charter of political principles that emphasizes the fulfillment of all UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions relevant to the conflict, including UN Security Council resolution 1325, which is core to the work of the IWC. The IWC promoted a women's rights perspective to mainstream political analysis and political actions, which was absent from peace negotiation efforts.  Over the course of five years (2006-2011), IWC members engaged in high-level political advocacy at home and abroad, drawing on the voices and insights of women experiencing the impact of the conflict in their daily lives.

The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) has supported the work of the IWC since 2006, acting as the international secretariat and facilitating high level meetings, events, communications and convening of the IWC's three groups.  The IWC is supported by three coordinators based in Israel, Palestine and the U.S., respectively responsible for supporting IWC activities in Israel, Palestine and for coordination of joint IWC activities and advocacy.

A decision was taken by the IWC members in May 2011 to disband formally.  As requested by the IWC members and in accordance with UN Women's evaluation guidelines, a participatory process of documentation and assessment of the IWC is to be conducted to create the space for internal reflection, review, and drawing up of lessons learned for future partnership-building of women leaders in Palestine and Israel and globally.   

Duties and Responsibilities

Towards the final deliverable of a written and video assessment/documentation, the consultant will:

  • Review all  IWC documentation  including project documents, reports, minutes from meetings, IWC statements and press releases.
  • Synthesize political developments and analysis related to the work of the IWC such as stalled formal negotiations, the Gaza blockade, resistance to "normalization", legislation restrictive of civil society in Israel, the emergence of other types of coalitions, accountability, etc.
  • Conduct primary research: Interviews with IWC members and Israeli, Palestinian and international coordinators, staff and leadership of UN Women and possible participatory workshop.
  • Undergo a consultative process with IWC for approval by IWC members and all parties concerned before finalization.

Competencies

CORE VALUES / GUIDING PRINCIPLES:
  • Integrity: Demonstrating consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct. 
  • Cultural Sensitivity/Valuing diversity: Demonstrating an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Demonstrating an international outlook, appreciating differences in values and learning from cultural diversity. 
  • Ethics and Values: Promoting Ethics and Integrity / Creating Organizational Precedents.
  • Organizational Awareness: Building support and political acumen.
  • Working in Teams: Building and promoting effective teams.
  • Knowledge Sharing / Continuous Learning: Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning.

Functional competencies:

  • Outstanding communications skills, with proven expertise in writing cogent and compelling material in the field of women's empowerment and gender equality.
  • Good planning, goal-setting and prioritization skills.
  • Ability to work independently and deliver results under tight deadlines.
  • Ability to forge consensus amongst a broad array of interlocutors. 
  • Strong interpersonal, communication and presentation skills.
 

Required Skills and Experience

Education:
  • Master's degree or higher (or equivalent) in women's studies, gender, international relations, or related discipline.
  • Substantive knowledge and understanding of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and women's participation in peacebuilding. 
  • Knowledge of Film and New Media Skills (web programming, working with online media, shooting and editing in various formats).

Experience:

  • Minimum seven years of progressively responsible work experience  in assessment and evaluation, particularly in the context of gender equality and women's empowerment.  
  • Extensive previous experience in documentary film production.
  • Extensive work experience with international organizations and for advocacy campaigns.
  • Experience of undertaking film making in other countries will be an asset.
  • Experiences in the region will be an asset.

Languages:

  • Fluency in English is required.
  • Knowledge of another UN language will be an asset.

Note:

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.