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.

shaping the social media platforms to promoting girls’ leadership and voice in political and public spaces.

General elections in Sierra Leone will be held mid-2023. However, there still exists deep gender imbalances in the country’s political context. From prejudices against women’s leadership to political and traditional barriers that continue to threaten women’s political participation and inclusion. The political space in Sierra Leone is male dominated. Out of 146 MPs in the current parliament, only 13 are women. In the 2018 general elections, there was only one-woman candidate vying for the presidential seat and one contesting as a running mate. According to research, when women are able to exercise political leadership, there are gains not just for women and girls but for the whole of society.

Recently, the Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE) Act of 2022 was assented into law. The passage of the act is a welcome development that seeks to advance women’s rights in Sierra Leone. The law requires public and private employers to reserve 30% of jobs for women, including leadership positions. It also stipulates that 30% of candidates put forward by any political party for parliamentary and local elections must be women. Additionally, it extends maternity leave to 14 weeks, mandates equal pay, and grants women equal access to financial support and training opportunities

UN Women would like a graphic designer to support in with visual documentation of their work in women’s political participation

Report to UN Women Project Manager, the consultant is responsible to produce original / high quality graphic design materials to disseminate the work of UN Women. The materials will follow UN Women branding and graphic guidelines and will be used to improve/develop the design and layout of publications and communication products

The expert is expected to work in close consultation with the Project  Managers and team at UN Women 

• meetings with UN Women Programme Team  will be necessary to agree on deliverables, actual materials to be delivered may be worked on at the location of the expert’s choice and delivered via email;
• Copyright and ownership - All materials produced and other intellectual property will be solely owned by UN Women Sierra Leone. Any material provided to the expert will remain the property of UN Women Sierra Leone

Expected deliverables

• Graphic design/layout for UN Women  handouts: project brochure, sub-project brochures, project fact sheet, privacy policy, external report and folders among others;
• Graphic design/layout template for web-project sites and web articles;
• Printing packages (all layout and design files, including pre-press for the printing house and web-versions) for publications and other communication products, such as reports, brochures, handbooks, leaflets, charts, photographs, posters, folders, etc.;

Duration The contract will be effective for 20 working days from signing of the contract.

Working arrangements Institutional Arrangements

· The consultant will liaise, interact, collaborate/meet staff at UN Women and partners.

· UN Women will support the consultant in the following: Access to all reports and data relevant to the assignment.

These will include donor reports, project documents and donor reports; Support and assistance to gain access to relevant stakeholders for consultations to the extent possible.

Functional Competencies

Plans and produces quality results to meet established goals;

· Generates innovative, practical solutions to challenging situations.

· Demonstrates substantive and technical knowledge to meet responsibilities and post requirements with excellence.

· Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities.

 · Responds positively to critical feedback and differing points of view.

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.

Education:

· Graduate degree in a relevant discipline (Journalism, Mass Communication or Marketing, Arts, or similar)

Experience:

· Minimum of 5 years’ experience in graphic production from start to published/printed product with knowledge of printing.

 processes (offset and digital) and color management

· Strong theoretical and practical background in graphic design, including the use of design software such as Adobe

Design Premium, In-Design, CorelDraw, Final Cut HD, web design tools such as Dreamweaver and Flash, etc.

 · Clear and mature style of design, demonstrating an understanding of the communication requirements of United

 Nations.

· Good understanding of new and evolving technologies and digital platforms.

· Knowledge of standard software packages, including MS Office– MS Access–MS Visio – Adobe Acrobat;

· Working experience in development or environment is desirable.

· Web design, page layout and design. Core skills

· Ability to conceptualize, plan and execute innovative ideas.

· Displays open, co-operative behavior with other team members.

· Remains calm and in control, and good humored even under pressure.

· Responds positively to critical feedback and differing points of view;

· Sets priorities, produces quality outputs,

· Meets deadlines and manages time efficiently.

· Excellent oral and written skills.

· Must be able to translate between science/tech and international development.

· Excellent communication skills organized (dealing with many stakeholders)

 · Planning/organizational skills Language Requirements Excellent command of English.

Language:

• Fluency in oral and written English is required.