Background

Over the past several years, countries in South East Europe (SEE) have implemented significant reforms in their legal and institutional frameworks, as part of their development and accession to the European Union. Most countries have recently adopted gender equality laws and have prepared national plans or strategies towards the advancement of gender equality. They are also introducing reforms in their budgetary systems that aim to enhance the link between policies and resource allocations, and introduce greater transparency and opportunities for civil participation in the budgetary process. Despite these changes, women’s situation in various areas continues to be disadvantaged, their meaningful participation in governance processes is not sufficient, and existing policies and legislation are not adequately applied due to lack of effective implementation mechanisms, insufficient resource allocations, and an overall weak rule of law.
 
The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) has been active in the region of South East Europe in helping address the above gaps through various programmes and projects since 1998. Under its Strategic Plan 2008-2011 for Central and Eastern Europe, UNIFEM is committed to strengthen further its support to Serbia in advancing national commitments to enhance gender equality and women’s human rights. Based on consultations with national partners in government, civil society and in coordination with the United Nations Country Team, UNIFEM’s work in Serbia will mainly focus on the following topics: 1) Applying gender responsive budgeting as a tool for advancing gender equality and democratic governance through increased transparency and accountability; 2) Women building peace and human security in the Western Balkans: Implementing SCR 1325; 3) Advancing gender equality mechanisms and policies through support to government entities and Civil Society Organizations; 4) Supporting actions to eliminate violence against women.

Duties and Responsibilities

The primary tasks of the NPC will be to support the development, implementation and close monitoring of the ongoing and planned work on gender responsive budgeting (GRB) in the country. Secondly, the NPC will support the development, implementation and close monitoring of other ongoing and planned work under the UNIFEM CEE Strategic Plan. Thirdly, the NPC will be tasked with communications and media relations. The separation of tasks will be as follows: GRB 50%, other SP-related assignments 30% and communications 20%. The NPC will work under the day-to-day supervision of the Gender Adviser in Serbia, under the oversight of the GRB Project Manager for the sub-regional GRB Programme in South East Europe and in close collaboration with the Programme Specialist in the UNIFEM Sub-regional Office in Bratislava.
 
Specifically, the NPC will be responsible for the following:
  • Coordinate the implementation of GRB programme activities and other SP-related activities in Serbia, following ongoing work and identifying new entry points with a focus on higher involvement of government entities at various levels of government;
  • Lead the continued identification and diversification of UNIFEM’s programme partners (government, civil society, international organizations) on GRB and SP-related activities;
  • Undertake continuous monitoring of progress on GRB work, prepare reports and correspondence as necessary and provide needed input to donor reports (in conjunction with relevant staff and consultants);
  • Develop and continuously update the implementation plan for the GRB programme and ensure its timely execution;
  • Support implementing partners to achieve results in a timely manner through provision of technical guidance and support for capacity development;
  • Facilitate the building of partnerships between civil society organizations (CSO) and government partners;
  • Support the GRB Project Manager in pursuing linkages between GRB activities in Serbia and other countries in the sub-regional GRB programme, contribute to the exchange of information and the development of sub-regional activities and knowledge products;
  • Go on in-country missions, as needed;
  • Participate in relevant UN, governmental, donor and CSO meetings on behalf of UNIFEM and ensure coordination and collaboration between UNIFEM and other UN agencies operating in the country;
  • Coordinate communication with media representatives and communications officers from UNIFEM, other UN agencies and other partners;
  • Write promotional material related to UNIFEM activities in Serbia for the sub-regional office’s website, the UNIFEM’s newsletter ‘Currents’ and other media outlets, as needed.

Competencies

  • Familiarity with the UN System, dedication to its principles, and knowledge of the Human Rights Based Approach.
  • Experience in work on protection and promotion of women human rights and gender equality
  • Cultural, gender, religion, race, national and age sensitivity and adaptability.
  • Knowledge of Serbian governmental institutions and legislative framework
  • Demonstrated interest and/or experience in gender work;
  • Demonstrated initiative and sound judgment, dedication to the UN principles and ability to work harmoniously with persons of different nationalities and cultural background.
  • Demonstrated ability to work in a team and communication skills

Required Skills and Experience

  • Advanced degree in economics, public policy, development studies, gender studies, international relations, or similar.
  • A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience. Previous employment experience with international organisations is an asset as is previous work on gender and public finance.
  • Programme/project design and management skills.
  • Strong analytical, writing and communication skills in both Serbian and English.
  • Good computer skills in Windows environment, knowledge of internet communications and command of MS Office applications (Word, Excel, Power Point)