Background

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. 

Asia and the Pacific 

Through the regional office in Bangkok and several country and multi-country offices, UN Women builds on a long history of support to governments and women’s movements in Asia and the Pacific. UN Women’s programs in Asia and the Pacific focus on ending violence against women, humanitarian action and disaster risk reduction, women’s economic empowerment, CEDAW and women’s human rights, peace and security, governance and HIV/AIDS. For more information about UN Women in Asia and the Pacific, please visit the official website. 

Ending Violence Against Women and Girls

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  

Many policies and programmes to address violence have focused on responding to violence and mitigating its impact after the violence has occurred. Nevertheless, access to justice for survivors of violence remains elusive, with a significant number of women and girls reporting negative and discriminatory experiences with law enforcement and the justice system, dissuading them from reporting violence. More attention, efforts and funding need to focus on preventing violence from occurring in the first place, by addressing the root causes and harmful social norms that contribute to and perpetuate VAWG. Negative and harmful notions of masculinities and social norms that accept violence need to be challenged and must be replaced by norms promoting gender equality, respect and non-violence.   

Storytelling can be a powerful tool for advocacy and to promote positive gender norms. Storytelling is common across cultures. It allows people to connect with each other through shared experiences in stories, and can sometimes be possible to explore themes and topics that may otherwise be hidden or stigmatized, including women’s experiences with violence. Storytelling can not only bridge the gap between policymakers and the realities of women and girls across the region, but can have an impact on advocacy for social change, by challenging mainstream narratives, diversifying perspectives, and strengthening a sense of community. Further, storytelling can be an empowering process, providing women and girls with an opportunity to strengthen their voice, insight, and agency by sharing their experiences, opinions, and recommendations.  

In June 2023 UN Women organized a live storytelling event in Bangkok, Thailand. The event showcased the personal narratives of four women storytellers from across the region who shared their experiences regarding four different topics: sexual violence, LGBTQ+ discrimination, domestic violence, and women’s sexual and reproductive health and knowledge.  

In this context, the UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific seeks to hire a consultant as a Media/Publicist Specialist to disseminate and create visibility for the stories amongst the general public in Asia and the Pacific.
 

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the EVAW Unit, and in consultation with the regional communications and partnerships teams, the Media and Publicist Specialist is to secure consistent and strategic media placements that advance UN Women’s efforts in promoting gender equality and combating violence against women and girls nationally, across Asia and the Pacific region, and internationally.

1. Story Placement and Dissemination in Media:

• Develop a comprehensive dissemination plan for storytelling event stories, UN Women resources, and 16 days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence messaging.
• Initiate and establish partnerships with key regional media outlets for the dissemination of the storytelling event stories
• Place and disseminate content in various media outlets across the region, including radio, TV streaming services, news, magazines, social media channels, podcasts, and with influencers.
• Provide technical and creative input to enhance the impact of media placements related to Gender-Based Violence issues.
• Ensure alignment with UN Women's work and messaging in all disseminated content.
• Conduct regular follow-ups to maximize media coverage and secure story placements.
• Coordinate and arrange media appearances for storytellers if appropriate, and possibly UN Women spokespersons.

2. Follow-Up, Media Monitoring, and Trends Analysis:

• Monitor media releases and measure outreach impact through media analytics and audience reach metrics.
• Prepare a final media outreach report, including implemented media releases, audience reach, and impact, including documentation of media placements.
• Provide a post-activity report with recommendations, including insights into emerging media trends and potential areas for improvement in future campaigns.

3. Development of Media Materials

• Craft compelling, tailored content for various media outlets, considering their unique requirements and audiences. Content may include press releases, op-eds, feature articles, etc.
• Develop persuasive media pitches for the storytelling event stories, UN Women resources, and 16 Days of Activism messaging.
• Craft pitches designed to capture the interest of media outlets and enhance the likelihood of successful placements.
• Coordinate with content creators to ensure UN Women brand and messaging consistency across platforms.
• Assist in developing a risk management strategy and act swiftly to manage UN Women's public image.

4. Media Relations:

• Develop and maintain relationships with media companies/outlets, journalists, bloggers, and influencers who focus on gender issues, human rights, and social justice.
• Create a database of contacts across the Asia Pacific region, encompassing media companies/outlets, journalists, editors, producers, influencers, activists, and organizations with potential interest in featuring content about women’s issues and violence against women.
• Identify new media outlets and platforms that align with UN Women's objectives and initiatives including radio stations, TV channels, podcasts, magazines, newspapers, and other relevant platforms. Ensure that the database includes key points of contact within these media entities.

Expected deliverables and timelines

Duration of Assignment and Duty Station

The consultant will be engaged over the period of October 2023 – April 2024. Deliverables from the consultant will be reviewed and approved by the EVAW unit manager before they are considered final. The consultant will be home-based and working remotely for the UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

Supervision

The consultant will be supervised by the Ending Violence against Women Manager at the UN WOMEN Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

Competencies

Core Values:

·       Respect for Diversity

·       Integrity

·       Professionalism

Core Competencies:

·       Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues

·       Accountability

·       Creative Problem Solving

·       Effective Communication

·       Inclusive Collaboration

Functional Competencies:

• Excellent analytical skills
• Strong technological and animation skills
• Strong inter-personal skills, communicate effectively with staff at all levels of the organization;
• Ability to work in a highly pressured and multicultural environment.

Schedule of Payments

Payment is to be made upon satisfactory submission of deliverables with attached documentation of each.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

• Master’s degree in communications, Journalism, Public Relations, or a related field.
• A first-level university degree in combination with seven additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience

• Five years of professional experience in media relations, public relations, publicity or a related field.
• Proven track record of securing media placements in reputable outlets.
• Strong understanding of gender equality issues and the UN Women’s mission.
• Familiarity with international media landscapes in Asia, including the Republic of Korea, the Republic of the Philippines, the Kingdom of Thailand, and beyond.
• Proficiency in using media and social media as a PR tool.

Language requirement

• Fluent in English; proficiency in other Asian languages is an asset.

Evaluation

Applications will be evaluated based on the cumulative analysis:

• Technical qualification (100 points);

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 interviews.

Submission of application 

The submission package includes: 

• Cover letter outlining relevant work experience.
• Completed UN Women Personal History form (P11) which can be downloaded from https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2022-07/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form-en.doc
• Examples of media placements they have secured, and media assets produced.

UNW Statement on Diversity and Inclusion

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 submissions will not be considered.*