Antecedentes

UN-Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works on SDG 5 indicator 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. Placing women’s rights at the center of all its efforts, UN-Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

Under the UN-Women Regional Office for the Arab States (ROAS) Regional Strategic Note (2022-2023), Outcome 7.1 - Arab States accelerate the implementation of global and regional gender norms and standards with quality comparable data particularly on the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the Sustainable Development Goals and the Cairo Declaration for Arab women – UN-Women,  in partnership with ESCWA, UNDP and UNFPA created the Gender Justice and Equity Before the Law initiative which delivers a regional monitoring tool on the quantitative status of gender responsive legislation across 18 Arab States. The first regional dashboard of 18 countries was produced in 2019 covering 27 indicators across multiple sectors and was further expanded to 74 indicators in 2022. One indicator refers to judges i.e. ‘Do women and men enjoy equal rights and access to hold public and political office (legislature, executive, judiciary)?’. Responses from Member States provide a quantitative overview across the region on the progress/stagnation or regression in the number of female judges.

Additionally, UN-Women has supported the League of Arab States to undertake a comprehensive update of the League of Arab States Cairo Declaration, 2023 which includes data and indicators on the quantitative number of women judges. 17 Member States from the region provided national data on this indicator which will be of benefit to this assignment. For example, from the Tunisia country profile, the associated indicator reads:

“Women's participation in power and decision-making positions has been strengthened by at least 30% during periods of peace, conflict and thereafter

The Judicial Authority: According to the Survey data, the percentage of female judges as of 2019 was nearly 36.1%, and in the Public Prosecution office it was nearly 48.9%.”

The mission of UNODC is to contribute to the achievement of global peace and security, human rights, and development by making the world safer from crime, drugs, corruption, and terrorism, in line with UNODC Strategy 2021-2025. This Strategy for the next five years will equip UNODC to deliver effectively, efficiently, and with accountability, elevating our support to Member States to build just, inclusive, and resilient societies that leave no one behind. 

UNODC activities in the Middle East and North Africa region are undertaken by UNODC Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa (ROMENA) under the framework of the Regional Framework for the Arab States (2023-2028), in alignment with the objectives set by UNODC Strategy 2021-2025. The Regional Framework articulates six focus areas for guiding UNODC-implemented programming at the regional and national levels: 1) A balanced approach to drug control; 2) Strengthening the response to organized crime; 3) Combating trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants (TIP/SOM); 4) Action against corruption and financial crime; 5) Preventing and countering terrorism and violence; and 6) Strengthening crime/violence prevention and criminal justice. UNODC ROMENA has identified six key accelerators that are being mainstreamed throughout UNODC programming in all the focus areas, with the objective of taking advantage of the opportunities in the region to unleash its potential in advancing towards the 2030 Sustainable Agenda. UNODC ROMENA has pinpointed ‘Women and girls’ as one of these accelerators and is therefore committed to building on existing efforts and identifying new opportunities to harness the potential of women and girls as partners and agents of change as well as enabling improved access to gender-sensitive justice, health, and protection services, in alignment with the UNOV/UNODC Strategy for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (2022-2026), which sets out how the Office will support Member States to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

UNODC’s Global Judicial Integrity Network was launched in 2018, with the aim of assisting judiciaries across the globe in strengthening judicial integrity and preventing corruption in the justice sector, in line with Article 11 of the United Nations Convention against Corruption.  Gender-related judicial integrity issues, including unequal gender representation, have been among the priority areas for the Network’s efforts since its launch.

In April 2021, the General Assembly adopted 10 March as the International Day of Women Judges 2021 with GA resolution 75/274 of 2021, which highlighted the work of the Global Judicial Integrity Network of UNODC to incorporate women’s representation issues into judicial systems.

UNODC celebrated the first International Day of Women Judges on 10 March 2022. On the occasion of this day, UNODC organized a high-level event to celebrate women and gender champions in the judiciary and law enforcement, where it launched the “Women in Justice/for Justice” initiative.  This initiative also contributes to achieving SDG Target 16.7 which calls for ensuring responsive inclusive participatory and representative decision-making at all levels, including the justice sector where to date women are still acutely underrepresented.

The issue of women’s equal access and participation in the public sphere is enshrined in the CEDAW Convention and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action as a fundamental right, moreover it responds to both the requirement and the contemporary urgency of an inclusive, peaceful, and sustainable world in direct relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Specifically, article 7 of the CEDAW Convention deals with women’s equal and inclusive representation in decision-making systems in political and public life, and Article 8 calls on all States Parties to take appropriate measures to ensure such access.

UNODC’ and UN Women’s work respond to the UN principle of Leave No One Behind (LNOB) and align with the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS) to ensure that their work is meaningfully inclusive. Furthermore, all UN-Women interventions are aligned to UN Women’s women and girls’ empowerment and disability strategy and all UNODC interventions align with the UNOV/UNODC Action Plan on Disability Inclusion.

UNODC and UN-Women have now come together to collaborate on an initiative that encompasses calls to action to advance women’s representation and leadership in the justice sector, promote integrity and gender-responsive criminal justice, further build on the existing knowledge base to support responses, and celebrate UNODC’s “Women in Justice/for Justice” leaders through awareness raising campaigns.

The incumbent will work directly under the lead of a Gender and Governance Expert, an international consultant to be recruited by UNODC and UN-Women for the same contract dates. UN-Women's Regional Governance and Political Advisor will be the lead focal point for this work, in close collaboration with the Arab States Regional Gender Statistician, under the direct supervision of the Deputy Regional Director. On the UNODC side, the incumbent will work under the overall guidance of the Regional Representative and the direct supervision of the Deputy Regional Representative of the Regional Office in the Middle East and North Africa (ROMENA) in Egypt. The consultant will also perform his/her functions in cooperation with, and under the guidance and support of the UNODC ROMENA Gender Focal Point, as well as relevant staff at UNODC headquarters.

To facilitate smooth coordination between the incumbent, the lead international consultant, and UNODC and UN-Women, a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) comprising relevant UNODC and UN-Women staff will be formed to oversee the work of the incumbent and of the lead international consultant through regular meetings to provide feedback and approve the various deliverables.

In the context of the above, the purpose of the assignment is to support the lead Gender and Governance Expert with the production of a statistical and analytical report on women in the judiciary in the MENA region with the objective of 1) Monitoring gender representation and having an overview of female representation within the judiciary in MENA countries; 2) Identifying enablers, challenges, and disparities that may exist for female judges; 3) Providing evidence-based conclusions and findings to advocate for gender equality and promote diversity in the judiciary, and to serve as a baseline for future activities. The report will also present concrete and actionable recommendations for policymakers, judicial institutions, and women's rights organizations to increase gender balance in the judiciary and to improve national policies and strategies in the region. 

More specifically, and in line with UNODC and UN-Women mandates and areas of expertise, the proposed assignment will aim to answer the below-guiding questions:

1. What is the current status of gender representation in the judiciary across MENA countries, and how does it compare to international trends, benchmarks, and standards?
2. What are regional and national commitments and indicators of success in this regard (in national plans) and how do they compare to international standards?
3. What critical enablers exist at the country level to support the advancement of gender parity in the judiciary, with a focus on advancing parity at the highest level?
4. What are the barriers and challenges that women face in pursuing a career in the judiciary in the MENA region, including with regard to recruitment, promotion, and retention?
5. Are there legal and institutional frameworks or specific mechanisms in place that promote gender equality and women's empowerment within the judiciary, how well are they resourced, and how effectively are these frameworks implemented?
6. To what extent have the Concluding Observations prepared by the CEDAW Committee or other treaty bodies resulted in improvements in the legislative, judicial, and administrative measures on GEEW in the MENA?
7. How do cultural and societal norms impact the participation and advancement of women in the judiciary, and what strategies can be employed to address these challenges?
8. What are the experiences and perspectives of female vs male judges and prosecutors in MENA countries regarding workplace culture, discrimination, and opportunities for professional development?
9. Are female judges and prosecutors in MENA countries more or less aware than their male counterparts of legal changes (in the last 48 months) that end discrimination against women/ or constitute a regression in gender equality and women’s empowerment (i.e. changes in labor laws, penal code, etc)?
10. Are there specific areas of the judiciary, such as family courts or sharia courts, where female representation is particularly lacking or prominent, and if so, what are the implications?
11. What successful strategies and promising practices have been employed in MENA countries or elsewhere to increase female representation and promote gender equality in the judiciary, and how can they be adapted for regional contexts?
12. What role can judicial institutions, legal education, collaboration with civil society, and professional associations play in promoting gender balance in the judiciary, and how receptive are they to implementing gender-inclusive policies?
13. What impact does gender balance in the judiciary have on legal decision-making, access to justice, and the overall perception of the judiciary's legitimacy in MENA countries?
14. How can evidence-based data and research findings on gender representation in the judiciary be effectively utilized as advocacy tools to influence policy changes and promote diversity within the legal profession in the MENA region?
15. How are women machineries advocating for women’s empowerment in the MENA region, and what are best practice examples of advocacy and monitoring the implementation of legal and institutional frameworks in the MENA region?  

Deberes y responsabilidades

• Specific tasks to be performed by the Consultant:

Guided by the aforementioned research questions, the consultant will support the lead Gender and Governance Expert in completing following tasks:

Research Plan Development:

• Support the lead Gender Expert in developing a robust research plan that outlines the methodology, stakeholders, and project timeline;
• Support defining the research approach, including a literature review as the initial step;
• Support the selection of interviewees or survey participants based on clear criteria ensuring diverse representation;
• Detail data collection strategies for both primary and secondary data, emphasizing quality control, data management, and risk mitigation;
• Address ethical considerations, including informed consent, data protection, and interview confidentiality;
• Identify a sample of 8 countries maximum in the region to be included in the study by considering the representation of countries with high population sizes as well as those with low population sizes. 

Data Collection Tools:

• Support the creation of tailored data collection instruments, such as questionnaires, interview guides, and checklists, aligned with the research plan.

Research Report Drafting:

• Support the preparation of an initial research report covering:
  • The impact of female representation in the judiciary;
  • Entry into the judiciary and related challenges and opportunities;
  • Statistical data and percentages by country, compared to global data and trends;
  • National priorities as related to gender equality and women’s empowerment in the judiciary by country;
  • Data analysis across different judiciary levels, as well as by court type and cases handled within each country;
  • Qualitative analysis of legal and institutional frameworks, the impact of cultural and societal norms, the impact of gender balance in the judiciary on legal decision-making, and the experiences and perspectives of female and male judges;
  • Identification of enablers, barriers, and challenges, including during admission, promotion, and retention;
  • Examination of challenges faced by women, including women with disabilities, in their professional roles vs those faced by men;
  • Highlighting promising and practical practices;
  • Formulating evidence-based and actionable recommendations.

UNODC and UN-Women Feedback Integration:

• Participate in the regular Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meetings;
• Carefully review and incorporate the TAC’s feedback and suggestions into the final research report to align with UNODC and UN-Women requirements.

Competencias

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

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in statistics,  Economics, Demography, or related social sciences discipline is required;
• A first-level university degree in similar fields in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• A minimum of ten (10) years of experience in the area of qualitative and quantitative research is required;
• Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills and ability to liaise and communicate effectively are required;
• Experience with publications in the fields of social research, criminal justice, and international law is desirable.

Language:

• Fluency in English and Arabic is required;
• Knowledge of French is an advantage.

Application Information:

• All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from http://www.unwomen.org/about-us/employment;
• Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment;
• UN Women will only be able to respond to those applications in which there is further interest.

Note:

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality, and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW, and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

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)