Background

About UN Women

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.

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is one of the most widespread violations of human rights worldwide, globally affecting around one in three women in her lifetime. Regional evidence suggests that a similar ratio applies in the Asia-Pacific region. Forms of VAWG may vary, and there are variations across sites, however, current available data indicates that in 2018, 19% of women in South Asia, 9% in Southeast Asia and between 19% and 30% in the Pacific experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence in the past 12 months.[1] Lifetime prevalence of intimate partner violence is as high as 53% in Kiribati and 50% in the Solomon Islands.[2]

Gender inequality and harmful social norms which are prevalent in society are reflected in online and offline media channels.[3] While narratives portrayed through media channels can contribute to normalizing discriminatory or violence-condoning social norms and behaviours that are harmful towards women and girls, media can also be utilized to raise awareness, educate the public, challenge perceptions and break stereotypes.

A UN Women study on Online violence against women in Asia (2020) highlighted that “there is a critical need to address misogyny and gender equality, which drive violence against women, as well as hate and the toxic use of digital media.”[4] UN Women has since invested in research, utilizing big data, to better understand the arguments and tactics of misogynistic movements and activists online, who perpetrate harmful norms around women and activity work to oppose gender equality. Further, UN Women produced a handbook and guidelines, which will inform this assignment.

Assignment Background

The Handbook to Address Violence against Women in and through the Media provides guidance to working with media organizations in order to advance gender equality and prevent VAWG. The Handbook recognizes the role of the media in promoting gender equality both within the media sector, as well as to their external audiences.[5] Through the ability to reach large sections of the population and contribute to shaping public opinions – including on gender norms – the media has a crucial role to play in preventing and addressing violence against women and transforming harmful social norms.[6] The Handbook is currently being translated into Asian languages, including Korean, for utilization in a variety of contexts. The Guidelines on Responsible representation and reporting of violence against women and violence against children provide recommendations to media professionals related to ethics when interviewing survivors of violence, applying an intersectional survivor-centered approach to reporting, avoiding victim-blaming or stereotyping, and using gender-responsive language to ensure that media coverage does not contribute to harm.

The ’Changemakers’ Project

Currently, the UN Women Regional Office is implementing a project titled ‘Changemakers: Youth, Technology and Innovation to End Violence Against Women and Girls in Asia and the Pacific’, funded by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family of the Republic of Korea. The programme aims to contribute to changing harmful social norms that support gender inequality and violence, through the media, online and educational programmes, engaging the media sector, states and ICT-intermediaries as well as girl and boy scouts and their wider communities in a youth-based approach.

Through this project, and building on the media handbook and reporting guidelines, UN Women aims to challenge harmful social norms and violence-promoting narratives on media channels and promote positive alternative messages on relationships based on equality, mutual respect, communication, and the safety and security of women and girls. This also provides an opportunity to reinforce the message that violence against women is a shared problem, and not only a “women’s issue.”

By working with media intermediaries, journalists and communication organizations, UN Women aims to contribute to the representation of diverse women’s voices and experiences in online and offline media channels in Asia and the Pacific, counter harmful messaging about women online, and reshape narratives about women’s lives and experiences.

[1] WHO (2021). Violence Against Women Prevalence Estimates, 2018 – Global, regional and national prevalence estimates for intimate partner violence against women and global and regional prevalence estimates for non-partner sexual violence against women. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240022256

[2] Ibid.

[3] UNESCO and UN Women (2019). The Big Conversation: Handbook to Address Violence against Women in and through the Media, p. 4.

[4] UN Women (2020). Online Violence against Women in Asia: A Multi-Country Study, p. 12.

[5] Ibid., p. 3

[6] Ibid., p. 3-4.

Duties and Responsibilities

Purpose of Consultancy

The purpose of this assignment is to facilitate a consultation with media and ending VAWG actors and, following the results, produce and then pilot a practical training or implementation package for and with journalists and other offline and online media actors, based on the Handbook to address VAWG in and through media, the guidelines on responsible reporting and latest research. The aim of this assignment will be to contribute to gender-sensitive reporting of violence against women and to enhance efforts on countering harmful narratives in media and digital spaces, by working together with journalists and media actors.  

Key Tasks

Based on the resources outlined above, the consultant shall organise a consultation with media and ending VAWG actors and, based on the discussions, produce and then pilot a training package, including an implementation guide, targeting a diversity of actors in the media sector, such as journalists, photographers, broadcasters, editors, media and news producers, bloggers and digital/social media influencers.

The consultant is expected to carry out the below activities in close collaboration with the UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific:

• Consultation with media and ending VAWG actors around existing resources on how VAWG is addressed in the media across Asia and the Pacific
  • Convene media and journalism actors, including media or journalism networks, that are knowledgeable about reporting on VAWG across countries, to surface issues, existing actions, and resources to improve media representation of VAWG.
  • Identify where the needs are for further engagement with media on ending VAWG, how to take these resources forward and implement recommendations.

• Produce a training/implementation package on VAWG targeting media-actors
  • Utilizing the resources outlined above and additional information and resources identified in consultation with UN Women and actors in the consultation above, produce a practical training/implementation package for online training modules on gender-sensitive reporting of VAWG and preventing and countering VAWG and harmful narratives online, for journalists, news producers and other media actors, adapted to the contexts in the Asia Pacific region, with clear objectives;
  • Draft the concept note, agenda, PowerPoints, pre- and post-workshop survey tools and handout materials for the learning sessions. Each set of materials should be appropriate for different actors within the online and offline media sector in Asia and the Pacific, taking into account different levels of knowledge and cultural backgrounds of the participants, and follow ethical principles to be an empowering experience.

• Pilot the training package by organizing learning sessions with media actors in the Asia Pacific region
  • Pilot the online training module with an estimated 3-4 online learning sessions with media actors (journalists, editors, producers, bloggers, digital influencers) on their role in preventing VAWG and on gender-sensitive reporting and representation.
  • Draft call for applications for participants, support the dissemination of the call for applications and support the selection of media actors, in close collaboration with UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.
  • Prepare participants ahead of the online sessions, with clear concept note, agenda, pre-reading materials, instructions for the participants, and consent forms.
  • Conduct pre- and post-surveys for the online sessions to assess knowledge, capacity, learning and awareness/understanding of VAWG and the role of media in perpetrating or preventing VAWG, and develop a summary of lessons learned and outcomes of the series.
  • Manage the logistical aspects of the online sessions, including Zoom links and virtual whiteboards.

The aim of the training package and learning sessions with media actors is to build awareness, skills and knowledge on gender-sensitive reporting of gendered violence and to utilize the influence and visibility of media and actors within media spheres to actively contribute to countering harmful narratives in online and offline media channels. The learning sessions should take into account and be sensitive to the different cultural contexts within the Asia Pacific region and should provide a convincing case for media actors to engage more in efforts to hold perpetrators of harmful narratives accountable.

Deliverables

3.     Institutional Arrangement

The consultant will work under the supervision of the EVAW Regional Programme Manager of the UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. The consultant is expected to give regular progress updates on each of the deliverables and be available for discussion with the UN Women ROAP staff. After the submission of each draft version of the deliverables, the consultant is expected to incorporate the comments and feedback received by UN Women ROAP and Country Offices into the final versions. 

Competencies

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
• Accountability
• Creative Problem Solving
•  Effective Communication
• Inclusive Collaboration
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Leading by Example

Functional Competencies:

• Strong background in gender and media and/or violence against women
• Strong technical expertise and experience in designing, producing and facilitating trainings on gender-related topics
• Ability to work independently and meet tight deadlines in a high-pressure environment

Required Skills and Experience

• Master’s degree in the field of international development, international relations, gender studies, journalism, media studies, social science, or other related area.
• Bachelor’s degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of Master’s degree.
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience working on gender and media and/or violence against women.
• Strong technical expertise and experience in designing, producing and facilitating trainings on gender-related topics
• Proficiency in English with excellent writing skill
• Experience working on media and VAWG in Asia and the Pacific would be an asset.
• Good understanding of social, political and cultural context in Asia and the Pacific is an asset.

Evaluation

Applications will be evaluated based on the cumulative analysis. 

• Technical Qualification (100 points)

Technical qualification evaluation criteria:

The total number of points allocated for the technical qualification component is 100. The technical qualification of the individuals is evaluated based on the following technical qualification evaluation criteria:

Only the candidates who have attained a minimum of 70% of total points will be considered as technically qualified candidates who may be contacted for validation interview.

Submission of application  

Submission package includes:

• Cover letter outlining relevant work experience.
• P11 https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.doc
• Work samples for writing skill

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)

*Please note, the UNDP application system allows only one attachment. If you submit your application through the UNDP application system, please combine all the required documents in one file before uploading on the job site. Applicants with incomplete submission will not be considered.*