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 centre 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.

Women Count is UN Women's global gender data programme, aimed at radically improving how gender statistics are produced, used and shared. It is generously supported by the Governments of Australia, Ireland, Mexico, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States; and the Alibaba Foundation, Alwaleed Philanthropies, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Elizabeth Arden. The Women Count programme has developed a global data hub, which published gender data stories and key reports and publications. Women Count operates within the Research and Data section at UN Women HQ. The Research and Data Section is responsible for leading UN Women’s research and data agenda. Among other work, it produces research including UN Women flagship publications including Progress of the World’s Women and The Survey of the Role of Women in Development.

As the world tries to live with COVID-19, emerge from the current crisis and ‘build back better’, the Research and Data section will launch ‘Plan for Equal’. The Plan will provide a visionary, but practical roadmap for putting gender equality, social justice and sustainability at the center of reconstruction and recovery. It will feed into UN Women’s Generation Equality Forums and Action Coalitions, aimed at accelerating commitments and action on and financing for gender equality.

The Research and Data section is now seeking to enlist a Senior Editor as a consultant on retainer, with the possibility of extension, to assist the Outreach Specialist of Women Count in writing and editing high-impact gender data stories highlighting success stories in implementing the Women Count programme, and other gender data related initiatives, for publishing on UN Women’s gender data portal. In addition, the consultant will provide copyediting and substantive editing support to knowledge products developed by the Women Count programme, and serve as editor for the Research and Data Section’s ‘Plan for Equal’.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Outreach Specialist, the Senior Editor will be responsible for writing and editing a number of high-impact gender data stories to be published on UN Women’s Women Count Data Hub, and provide copyediting and substantive editing support to knowledge products. This includes:

 

  • Writing and editing well-researched and sourced stories in various formats, ensuring that the style and format is consistent with UN Women editorial guidelines and the UN Editorial Manual, as well as ensuring the use of correct gender-sensitive terminology as per UN Women Gender Term Lexicon;
  • Liaising with UN Women colleagues in HQ and field offices for producing the gender data stories, interviewing key informants and gathering quotes, testimonials and any other components required for developing and finalizing stories;
  • Researching and verifying facts and figures included in stories;
  • Editing the Women Count annual donor report;
  • Editing key knowledge products such as statistics plans and national assessments produced by country and regional projects as part of the global programme;
  • Copyediting documents as needed.
  • Develop an editorial style guide for stories published in on the Women Count Data hub.

Further, the Senior Editor will lead the editing of the Research and Data’s Plan for Equal, working with the Report Coordinator. Deliverables include:

  • Copyediting of the text of the upcoming ‘Plan for Equal’ report, ensuring all text is free of errors and aligns with the UN Women Style Guide.
  • Writing and editing the executive summary,
  • Developing a set of key messages to be used for media outreach and talking points
  • Developing a series of web stories and other associated assets.

Competencies

Integrity:

Demonstrates consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct.

Cultural Sensitivity/Valuing diversity:

Demonstrates an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Demonstrating an international outlook, appreciating differences in values and learning from cultural diversity.

Ethics and Values:

Demonstrates / Safeguards Ethics and Integrity.

Organizational Awareness:

Demonstrates corporate knowledge and sound judgment.

Developing and Empowering People / Coaching and Mentoring:

Self-development, initiative-taking.

Working in Teams:

Team player and facilitates team work.

Communicating Information and Ideas:

Facilitates and encourages open communication in the team, communicates effectively.

Self-management and Emotional intelligence:

Creating synergies through self-control. Conflict Management / Negotiates and Resolves Disagreement.

Knowledge Sharing / Continuous Learning:

Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others.

Required Skills and Experience

  • Master’s degree or equivalent in Education in communications, journalism, writing, international affairs or similar
  • 20 + years of work experience in writing website content, digital journalism and editing of UN reports
  • Fluency in writing and communicating in English required; fluency in writing and communicating in French and Spanish are assets
  • Ability to effectively organize, prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment is crucial
  • Familiarity of gender issues and the United Nations is a plus
  • Attention to details and familiar with the latest trends in journalism and writing for international organizations
  • Excellent communication skills with people in diverse, multi-cultural and international environments