UN WOMEN Jobs - 76522- Gender and Prosecution Expert

Gender and Prosecution Expert

Advertised on behalf of

UN WOMEN

Location :

Mogadishu, SOMALIA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

28-Feb-2018

Application Deadline :

14-Jan-18 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

90 days (in a period of 6 months from January -June 2018)

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

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. 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.

UN Women’s programming in Somalia focuses on three key areas; strategic coordination and technical advice to promote gender equality, women’s access to justice and women’s political empowerment. The main objective of UN Women’s engagement in Somalia is to improve security and human rights for women and girls. In particular, it aims to support women to become active actors in the provision of security and resources for peace, rather than solely be seen and treated as victims. This requires a holistic approach, in which women are facilitated to be integrated into peace, security and justice approaches, including through increased political participation, access to justice and services and participation in peacebuilding and reconciliation processes;

The Somalia Joint Rule of Law Programme is the first UN Joint Programme developed under the United Nations Multi-Partners Trust Fund (UNMPTF) in Somalia. Aligned to the priorities and principles spelled out in the Somali Compact and now the National Development Plan (2017-2020), the Joint Rule of Law Programme aims at supporting the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and responding to the ISF towards achieving some of its objectives under the Rule of Law and Access to Justice Pillar. The Joint Rule of Law Programme actively engages nine UN entities and agencies operating in Somalia (UNSOM, UNDP, UNODC, UNOPS, UN Women, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNHCR, OIM) at diverse levels of programme support and implementation;

Within such framework, UN Women plays a catalytic role for the effective integration of gender and the coordination of all gender-related activities, providing strategic, advisory and technical support to all ROL JP partners;

UN Women, as part of its approach and methodology within the unique political and social context and situation of the Somalia and in order to advance women’s access to equitable justice have been implementation targeted interventions on women’s access to justice through the Somalia Joint Rule of Law Programme (2015-2017);

UN Women Somalia is currently supporting the process of the establishment of specialized services that address SGBV and capacity development of the justice and security sectors in Somalia through a process of institutionalizing systems, policies, procedures and mechanisms related to the protection and empowerment of women victims of violence as well as well as to women's access to equitable justice;

The Somaliland and Puntland Offices of the Attorney General established a dedicated Prosecution Unit for crimes relating to sexual offences aimed to increase Women’s Access to Justice. The establishment of these dedicated Units contributed significantly to the implementation of gender-responsive justice;

Given the enormous challenges faced by women and girls in accessing justice and protection of their interests in the formal justice system, the establishment of the Specialized Prosecutorial Unit with competent personnel equipped with the necessary specialized background knowledge and experience has been recognized as key to operational effectiveness and institutional credibility which responds to the specific needs of women and girls in accessing justice and to ensure protection and justice to victims of sexual and gender based violence through specialized expertise and services. Furthermore, the specialized prosecutorial units institutionalize and upgrades the work and responsibilities of prosecutors specialized on SGBV cases. UN Women also supports the specialized units with the development of institutional structure and Standard Operating Procedures;

Within this framework, UN Women under the Somalia Joint Rule of Programme is seeking to recruit a Gender and Prosecution Expert to support the capacity building of the specialized prosecutors in Somaliland and Puntland. This assignment falls within the framework of the UN Joint Rule of Law Programme, Ministry of Justice and the Offices of the Attorney General mission to establish specialized services to investigate and prosecute SGBV crimes and ensuring equal access to justice for all.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

The consultancy will focus on the following main areas

Duties and Responsibility:

Under the direct supervision of the UN Women ROL Programme Specialist and in close collaboration with the Attorney Generals in Somaliland and Puntland, the Gender and Prosecution Expert will support the institutionalization of the SGBV Specialized Prosecutorial Units and the capacity building, guidance, mentoring and technical support to strengthen the institutional capacity of the units to delivery gender-responsive justice services to victims of sexual and gender based violence;

The Gender and Prosecution Expert will be responsible for the following tasks and deliverables;

Support the institutionalization and the capacity building of the SGBV Specialized Prosecutorial Units;

Support the development of institutional capacities of the Specialized Prosecution Unit through provision of technical and legal expertise including specialized trainings, on-job trainings and mentoring sessions to the specialized prosecutors in investigation and prosecution of SGBV cases, including interviewing of the victim, preparation and presentation of the case;
Develop a training manual on effective prosecution responses to violence against women which includes best practices on prosecution of sexual offences in post conflict settings and practical recommendations to assist and guide the work of the specialized prosecutors and future prosecutors;
Support the development of two-year detailed action plan for the specialized unit through consultative discussions;
Conduct needs assessment of Specialized Prosecutorial Units and provide regular trainings to increase the capacity of the Specialized Prosecutors based on the conducted needs assessment while identifying measurable handover milestones to ensure sustainability;
Support the establishment of a gender responsive monitoring and service quality assurance system/ mechanisms to ensure that victims of SGBV are provided with appropriate and due diligent services;
Support the establishment of a data base for SGBV cases based on international human rights standards and with ensured confidentiality;
Provide advice and technical assistance in specific cases to individual or groups of prosecutors;
Advice AGO and specialized units on possible strategies, processes for increasing institutional gender responsiveness.

The selected candidate will provide regular in-house capacity building sessions in Hargeisa and Garowe and is expected to be in Somalia for at least 70% of the assignment period;

Expected Deliverables

The Consultant will be responsible for delivering the following;

Detailed work-plan for the assignment and monthly reports of progress/results achieved;
Detailed 2-year work plan for the specialized prosecutorial units;
A training manual on Effective Prosecution Responses to Violence Against Women;
Capacity building and mentoring plan developed and delivered based on work plan;
3 training sessions in Hargeisa and Garowe for the Specialized Prosecution Unit;
At least 1 individual or group mentoring session per month for Prosecutors in Hargeisa and Garowe;
Regular communication with Specialized Prosecutors to provide advice in identified criminal cases;
Data base and monitoring mechanism for data collection for SGBV cases established based on international best practice.

Competencies

CORE COMPETENCIES

Ethics and Values: Demonstrate and safeguard ethics and integrity;
Organizational Awareness: Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment;
Development and Innovation: Take charge of self-development and take initiative;
Work in teams: Demonstrate ability to work in a multicultural, multi ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds;
Communicating and Information Sharing: Facilitate and encourage open communication and strive for effective communication;
Self-management and Emotional Intelligence: Stay composed and positive even in difficult moments, handle tense situations with diplomacy and tact, and have a consistent behavior towards others;
Conflict Management: Surface conflicts and address them proactively acknowledging different feelings and views and directing energy towards a mutually acceptable solution;
Continuous Learning and Knowledge Sharing: Encourage learning and sharing of knowledge;
Appropriate and Transparent Decision Making: Demonstrate informed and transparent decision making.

FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES

Proven ability to mentor legal professional preferable prosecutors;
Proven ability to design and implement institutional reform plans from a gender-sensitive / gender-responsive perspective, particularly for the justice sector, with a demonstrated ability to promote change;
Ability to provide technical advice in regards of the prosecution of sexual violence;
Ability to develop and maintain strong partnerships with legal professionals.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

At least a A degree in law

Experience:

Minimum of 7 years’ experience as a prosecutor with specific focus on SGBV crimes particularly in conflict and post conflict settings;
Strong experience in providing technical support and trainings for legal professionals;
Proven experience in capacity building for gender justice particularly design and implementation of training plans and training materials for justice actors;
Relevant experience from Somalia/countries with Sharia law or knowledge of Sharia law;
Excellent communication skills required.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English (oral and written);