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. 

UN Women South Africa Multi-Country Office (SAMCO) is based in Pretoria, South Africa and serves five countries: South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, and ESwatini.

Generation Equality is a civil society centered, multi-stakeholder global movement for gender equality, convened by UN Women in partnership with civil society and youth. The Generation Equality Forum brought together hundreds of diverse stakeholders in Mexico City, Mexico in March 2021, and in Paris, France from 30 June – 2 July 2021. The outcomes of the Generation Equality Forum are: 1) Compelling feminist multi-lateral Global Acceleration Plan for gender equality 2) Launch of the Action Coalitions 3) Catalytic, bold commitments towards the Action Coalitions. 

Action Coalitions are global, innovative, multi-stakeholder partnerships that will mobilize governments, civil society, international organizations, and the private sector to: 

• catalyze transformational change in the lives of women and girls by leveraging the power and efficacy of collective action; 
• drive an inclusive, cohesive, and impactful global movement and community of practice; 
• sustain increased public & private investment through new and expanded commitments for gender equality; 
• deliver irreversible and quantifiable results for women and girls, in line with the Global Acceleration Plan and in service of the SDGs. 

There are six thematic Action Coalitions, one of which is Economic Justice and Rights (EJR). Each Action Coalition features a multi-stakeholder group of Leaders which drive the work of the Coalition. Due to the covid-19 pandemic, the work of the EJR Action Coalition’s 17 Leaders has been largely conducted virtually, with rare occasions in which in-person interaction has occurred. While the Action Coalition has enjoyed many achievements since its conception, there are significant drawbacks to virtual work, especially for a Coalition consisting of many different stakeholder types from all over the globe.

The EJR Action Coalition will hold an in-person Leaders retreat from 3-5 May 2023 in Tshwane, South Africa. This is an important opportunity for the Leadership Structure to come together for the first time to:

1. Advance key substantive workstreams, share information and engage in learning among the Leaders of the Economic Justice and Rights Action Coalition.
2. Provide a space for Leaders of the Economic Justice and Rights Action Coalition to build relationships and opportunities for partnerships, collaboration and collective action.
3. Tour and experience commitments in action and engage with commitment makers and local partners in South Africa. 

In UN Women, the work on Action Coalitions is carried out by a Secretariat, which works under the direction of UN Women’s senior and executive management. The work of the Economic Justice and Rights Action Coalition is housed in the Women’s Economic Empowerment section and driven by a Thematic Lead, a Programme Analyst and a Partnerships Analyst. 

Objectives of the assignment:

UN Women is hiring a Consultant - Retreat Facilitator who will support the design, execution and follow-up of the three-day Economic Justice and Rights Action Coalition retreat under the supervision of the Thematic Lead, Economic Justice and Rights.

Scope of Work:

The consultancy will involve meetings, review of materials and review of additional inputs to familiarize oneself with the Generation Equality process and Action Coalition. The consultant will use this knowledge along with their skillset to draft a detailed facilitation plan for the three-day retreat. The consultant will join the duration of retreat in-person and execute the facilitation plan, while creating an inclusive and dynamic space. The consultant will receive notetaking support from UN Women. After the retreat the consultant will review notes and draft a retreat summary, including any action points that arose, along with input from the UN Women team.

The duties and responsibilities include:

• Pre-Retreat planning meetings with the UN Women Team and Leadership Structure to design the agenda, ideas and feedback on goals, structure, content and use of facilitation techniques;
• Attend the dry run for the retreat;
• Moderate discussions held in the different sessions of the Retreat held from 3-5 May according to the briefings/guidance given by the UN Women Team and planning team, providing objective facilitation for all three days;
• Steer dialogue and engagement towards the expected objectives of the retreat;
• Support the creation of a space that is engaging and dynamic for participants and embraces the values of the Action Coalition – inclusivity, feminist leadership, co-leadership, systems change, respectful cooperation, collaboration as equals;
• Daily debrief with the UN Women Team for each day of the Retreat during its duration;
• Contribute to the Retreat summary document and follow-up reflections/recommendations.

Deliverables:

1. A facilitation plan comprising of a comprehensive moderation approach and content of a moderation plan for each agenda item;
2. The facilitator will be expected to deliver a successful three-day Retreat that responds to the agenda and achieves the set objectives;
3. A comprehensive summary of key discussions, considerations for further development and action points.  

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.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and  Competencies: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf

Functional Competencies:

• Substantive knowledge and experience related to current policies and practices in the thematic area of women’s economic empowerment, with a keen understanding of macroeconomic issues as an asset;
• Substantive knowledge and familiarity on the Beijing Platform for Action, the Sustainable Development Goals, Generation Equality and other associated global processes;
• Extensive experience designing retreats and facilitating in inclusive ways that support groups to achieve strategic goals;
• Proven track record of producing engaging transformative dialogues;
• Experience working with a wide variety of stakeholders, such as civil society organizations, youth organizations, governments, international organizations, philanthropy and the private sector, preferably with experience navigating conversations within a multi-stakeholder partnership context;
• Demonstrated skills in building consensus within groups around key issues and supporting them to resolve key questions;
• Experience creating spaces that value feminist leadership, diversity and inclusivity;
• Ability to facilitate in English;
• Excellent oration skills.

Education:

• Minimum of a master's degree preferred, in economics, development, international development or other relevant field, with expertise in feminist economics as a major asset.
• Certified Facilitator desirable.

Experience:

• At least 8 years of experience working on gender equality, economics and international development.
• Relevant experience in facilitating strategic retreats and meetings.
• Knowledge and experience working with multi-stakeholder partnerships.
• Familiarity with the UN system and UN Women’s mandate.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in oral and written English is required.
• Knowledge of the other UN official working language is an asset.

Note:

Please note that applications without a completed and signed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

UN Women Personal History form (P-11) can be downloaded from http://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment

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, colour, 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. 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, colour, 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.

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.)