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. As Libya continues its path of political transition, new opportunities have emerged for women’s public and political participation. At the same time, however, recent studies are indicating that women are experiencing many challenges and barriers to their representation and participation, and one significant but understudied challenge is violence against women in the judiciary system. According to the 2023 Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and Girls, its causes, and consequences, “Women constitute the majority (68 percent) of public defense lawyers in Libya, who are technically part of the judiciary, but they have very low status. The lack of female judges and prosecutors, combined with the prevailing climate of fear that continues to afflict the country, has led to a lack of understanding or resistance to women’s rights among stakeholders within the justice sector, including judges and prosecutors. Efforts are therefore needed to promote a more gender-responsive justice sector to protect women’s rights.” Moreover, findings from a recent female lawyers' training workshop underscored the significant challenges Women Human Rights defenders and, more specifically, Female Lawyers encounter throughout their professional journeys. Based on this result, UN Women Libya will conduct short research on the issues female lawyers face in Libya. This research is expected to contribute to the understanding of women’s role and the challenges they face in the justice sector and provide insight into the legislation and the cultural outlook that limit their participation and access. For this reason, UN Women would like to employ a researcher to lead this delivery. Under the overall supervision of the UN Women Head of Programmes and direct supervision of the WPS Programme Analyst, the International Researcher will provide technical and coordination support to the implementation of a study on Violence Against Women Lawyers in Libya.                                                                                                                                            The researcher will work with a national field coordinator to conduct the study, which will combine qualitative and quantitative research methods, including FGDs/KIIs and surveys. Objective The study will provide a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the violence experienced by Female Lawyers, as well as a contextual understanding of those experiences with the below objectives:
• To measure the extent of the phenomenon of violence against female lawyers in Libya, document and analyze the experiences of female lawyers in Libya, highlighting the challenges they face, and investigate the causes and consequences of violence against female lawyers and its impact on their work and personal lives
• Identify the enabling factors, challenges, and disparities that may exist for female lawyers in public and private bars;
• Assess the role of state authorities, bar associations, attorney general, court security, and other actors in enabling and perpetuating violence against women lawyers in Libya;
• Provide evidence-based findings and outcomes to advocate for the elimination of violence against women lawyers and to serve as a baseline for future activities. The report will also provide concrete and actionable recommendations to policymakers, judicial institutions, and women's rights organizations to improve national policies and strategies on EVAW in Libya.

Duties and Responsibilities

Description of Responsibilities /Scope of Work

-Lead the design and drafting of the Methodology and Inception report
- Conduct desk research and review the existing laws and regulations
- Addressing comments on methodology and data collection tools as per UN Women's feedback
- Oversee data collection, identifying gaps and working with data collectors
- Draft the first draft of the study, address comments, and finalize the complete study
- Draft a 5-pager summary of the study with comments addressed and finalized

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

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies:
https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment/application-process#_Values

FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES:
•Excellent analytical and research skills;
•Strong understanding of and commitment to gender equality and women`s empowerment and it`s policy implications;
•Excellent writing Skills;
•Use Gender-sensitive language;
•Adaptability to include comments and revisions as required.

• Consultant is expected to be equipped with all materials and equipment needed to perform their tasks for example laptop,software etc. 

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Certification:
•Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Law, international law, Constitutional law or public law is required.
Experience:
•10 years of relevant progressively responsible experience at the national or international level in the fields of Rule of Law, Transitional Justice, and Governance is required.
•10 years of relevant progressively responsible experience at the national or international level in the fields of Rule of Law, Transitional Justice, and Governance is required.
•Previous experience in Libya in the legal sector is required.
•Experience conducting research on women's rights and Human rights is an asset.
•Providing high-quality research, including comments and revisions according to the specified deadlines, is an asset.
Languages:
• Fluency in oral and written Arabic and French is required.

• Working knowledge in English is an asset.

How to Apply

Personal CV or P11 (P11 can be downloaded from: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.doc)
• A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page)

• Writing sample

• Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns, or other materials.

Note