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.

The Fiji Multi Country Office (MCO) covers 14 Pacific countries, with field offices/presence in 6 countries, and five ‘focus countries’ (Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Samoa). Each field presence is led by a national Country Programme Coordinator. UN Women, in partnership with Pacific Islands Governments, regional organizations, CSOs, donors and UN agencies, focuses on delivering within four interlinked programme areas:

  • Ending Violence against Women and Girls (EVAWG);
  • Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE);
  • Gender and Protection in Humanitarian Action; and
  • Governance and Participation in Public Life (GPPL)

Ending Violence Against Women and Girls

Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) is a central barrier to gender equality and a cause of widespread violation of human rights across the Pacific[1]. To respond to the rates of violence in the Pacific, UN Women has developed a comprehensive elimination of violence against women and girls (EVAWG) programme which takes a transformative approach to prevent violence against women and girls at multiple levels (regional, national and community), and to ensure survivors have access to quality response services.  The approach to preventing and responding to VAWG also takes into account the context of the Pacific, which requires an integrated approach to addressing VAWG across the humanitarian – development nexus. The Fiji MCO EVAWG programme is one of the largest UN Women EVAWG programmes globally. The most substantial programme under UN Women’s EVAW programme is the Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls (hereafter, Phase I) which is an ambitious, five year joint programme, with UN Women, the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, which brings together governments, civil society organizations (CSO), communities and other partners to change the social norms that allow violence against women and girls to continue; to ensure survivors have access to quality response services; and to support national and regional institutions to meet their commitments to gender equality and prevention of violence against women and girls.

The Pacific Partnership has completed its first phase of implementation (2018 – 2023) and is expanding into Phase 2 (2023 – 2027). The Pacific Partnership Programme Phase 2 is funded primarily by the Government of Australia, the European Union (EU) and UN Women.

Phase II builds on the achievements of Phase I and of the Spotlight Initiative Pacific Regional Programme (2019-2023), which are comprehensive, multi-faceted programmes, grounded in an aligned theory of change. The Action is informed by the lessons and key recommendations of the Pacific Partnership Phase I Mid-Term Evaluation and the Spotlight Initiative Mid-Term Assessment. It expands on Phase I results and wide-ranging regional and national partnerships. It will complement and ensure harmonization with other GE programmes in the region, including the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) "Pacific Women Lead" and other major initiatives on GE and EVAWG.

The Phase I of the Pacific Partnership Programme supported the development and launch of the National Action Plan (NAP) to Prevent Violence Against All Women and Girls 2023 – 2028 (Fiji NAP), with UN Women as a technical partner to the Government of Fiji. With ongoing support from the Government of Australia, UN Women will continue targeted support for the Fiji NAP from 2023 to 2027. Furthermore, Fiji NAP will be evidence-generating and evidence-driven with a comprehensive monitoring, evaluation and learning framework that aligns with best practice on research and analysis on VAWG, builds on existing national and global evidence, and accurately assesses progress towards key outcomes.

The Fiji NAP sets out a whole-of-country and whole-of-population approach with five key strategies (strategic pillars) to comprehensively address violence and commits to work strategically across 13 key influential settings in Fiji to address VAWG holistically in all aspects of public and private life: Education Sector; Universities, technical and vocational colleges; Workplaces and corporations; Sports and recreation spaces; Arts ; Health and Social services; Faith based contexts; Media, advertising and entertainment; Public spaces, transport, infrastructure; Legal, justice and corrections; Informal sector; Disciplined Forces; Traditional institutions and entities.

UN Women Fiji MCO is looking for an international consultant to provide dedicated EVAWG technical support to the NAP Coordination and Implementation Unit (Unit) which is hosted inside UN Women MCO. The Unit is made up three staff seconded from MWCPA and works closely with Government of Fiji implementing ministers and stakeholders to advance the delivery of interventions across the thirteen settings to prevent violence against women and girls.

[1] The Situation of Women in Fiji, Governments 2nd, 3rd and 4th report to the CEDAW Committee

Duties and Responsibilities

Consulting and coordinating closely with stakeholders, including with the NAP Coordination and Implementation Unit, MWCPA, NAP Secretariat and Technical Working Group, The Fiji Bureau of Statistics, and other key NAP EVAWG civil society actors to ensure NAP implementation is transparent, consultative and participatory. This includes, organizing consultations, meetings and other relevant activities, as needed.

Management of the technical firms and consultants commissioned to deliver the forthcoming Community Attitudes to Violence Against Women and Girls in Fiji study (CAS) and the Social Norms Behavioral Change Campaign. This includes:

  • Technical input and advice into the procurement and selection of firms, led by the NAP Project Manager and PPPEVAWG Programme Specialist.
  • Technical review and quality assurance of outputs delivered under the CAS and campaign contract to ensure alignment with the ToR and NAP objectives;
  • Prepare progress updates and presentations, as necessary, to MWCPA, the NAP Secretariat and Technical Working Group and other stakeholders on the CAS and Social Norms Behavioral Change campaign to ensure is well socialized and implemented in a transparent and consultative manner.
  • Coordinate, synthesize and manage feedback from the NAP Secretariat and Technical Working Group on key deliverables and work closely with technical firm to coherently address written inputs.
  • Act as the conduit between the technical firms and the NAP Unit, MWCPA, Fiji Bureau of Statistics, NAP Secretariat and Technical Working Group, and the Fiji Women’s Criss Centre. This includes preparation of technical briefings necessary to these and stakeholders to ensure that the objectives of the CAS and campaign is well understood, socialized and implemented in a transparent and consultative manner.

Provide EVAWG technical advice and to the NAP Unit on other related NAP interventions to ensure activities are evidence based, contextualized, sustainable, resource-able and strongly aligned to NAP strategic policy objective to prevent VAWG.

Strengthen EVAWG technical capability within the NAP Unit to the MWCPA VAWG Prevention Technical Specialist secondee through: day to day guidance and mentoring; inputs into NAP Unit led documents; and conduct capability building sessions to the NAP Unit, where needed.

Institutional Arrangement

 

The selected consultant will report to and work under the direct supervision of the EVAW Programme Specialist, a UN Women staff member, in close coordination with the NAP Program Specialist and Monitoring and Reporting Officer. The consultant will need to work very closely and cooperatively with the three Government staff seconded to the NAP Unit, particularly the MWCPA VAWG Prevention Technical Specialist secondee, whom the consultant will mentor.

As noted above, this position/consultancy will work closely and develop strong relationships with the NAP Secretariat and Technical Working Group, MWCPA and other ministries and key civil society stakeholders.

This position will need to work closely with the NAP Monitoring and Reporting Specialist (to be based in Suva).

The consultant will also manage the technical firms engaged to deliver a Community Attitudes Survey, social norms behavioral change campaign, and monitoring, evaluation and learning deliverables.

The EVAW Programme will cover with travel cost. Travel to and from duty station will be covered by UN Women in line with UN Women Duty Travel Policy.

Duration of the Work

The duration of this assignment will be for 4 months work assignment, as with a possible start date from August 31, 2024, until December 31, 2024.

Duty Station

Suva, Fiji and the consultant is expected to be based at the Multi Country Office.

Performance Evaluation

The Consultant’s performance will be evaluated based on timeliness, responsibility, initiative, communication, accuracy, and quality of the products delivered.

Financial Arrangements

Payments will be disbursed to the consultant on a monthly basis, upon submission and approval of monthly reports, including the progress on the scope of the consultancy aligned to the “Descriptions of Responsibilities and Scope” section of the ToR, timesheets and certification by the NAP Program Manager that the services have been satisfactorily performed.

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: 

  • Understanding and knowledge in the EVAWG thematic area; substantive knowledge on GBV/GBViE response and prevention, administrative data, intervention research;
  • Excellent communications skills,
  • Ability to write clear and convincing policy analysis and ability to advocate with senior representatives from government and other partners and provide policy advice in the context of global initiatives;
  • Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills;
  • Ability to establish and foster strong relations with government counterparts, UN agencies, donors, and NGO partners;
  • Good knowledge of UN Women, especially in the Pacific and the UN system.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Certifications:

  • Master’s degree or equivalent in social sciences, human rights, gender/women studies, law, international development, or a related is required.
  • A first-level university degree with 2 additional years of progressively responsible experience at the national and/or international level may be accepted in lieu of Master’s degree.

Experience and Skills:

  • At least 5 years (with Master’s degree) or 7 years (with first-level university degree) of proven experience working in drafting national level policies and/or papers in the area of Ending violence against women and girls.
  • Minimum 3 years’ developing policies and frameworks for the prevention and ending of VAWG.
  • Experience in providing technical advisory services on EVAWG and gender equality that is tailored and pragmatic for Government and producing clear, well-articulated written and verbal advice.
  • Experience working in low and   countries, preferably in the Pacific
  • Strong interpersonal skills and experience working with diverse group of people with sensitivity and inclusivity, including effective communication.

Language and other skills:

  • Fluency in verbal & written English is required.

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.

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.)

How to Apply: