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. Women’s leadership and political participation is one of UN Women’s primary areas of work as mandated in its inception, recognizing the integral role of women in strong and stable democratic processes. Through its Leadership and Governance section, UN Women works to implement Output 4 of the Entity’s Strategic Plan 2018-21 “More women of all ages fully participate, lead and engage in political institutions and processes”. To promote the leadership and participation of women in all levels of decision-making processes, UN Women works with a range of stakeholders including women leaders and aspiring candidates, national parliaments and parliamentarians, political parties, media, civil society organizations, and electoral management bodies, in coordination with UN partner Entities, through a wide range of interventions which include: i) support gender responsive legal reforms, and institutional processes to advance women’s participation and representation (including initiatives to address violence against women in politics); ii) build capacities of women leaders and aspiring candidates; iii) promote change of gender norms through advocacy and outreach initiatives targeting communities, political leaders and the media; iv) and support women leaders in gender responsive political institutions. UN-Women Nigeria Country Office works to support women’s political participation and empowerment, among other priorities. In coordination with national institutions, UN partners and civil society, UN-Women Nigeria CO has identified key targeted interventions to increase women’s representation in decision making at all levels within the current electoral cycle ahead of 2019 general election. UN-Women Nigeria CO is now seeking the services of an international consultant, to support the coordination of this programming area of work. Under the supervision of the UN Women Representative in Nigeria, the international consultant will provide the technical support and coordination required to effectively implement the women’s political participation programme in coordination with key partners and stakeholders on the ground. |
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the supervision of the UN Women Representative in Nigeria, and in close cooperation with programme staff, the international consultant will provide the technical support and coordination required to implement the women’s political participation (WPP) portfolio ahead of 2019 elections. To achieve this objective, the consultant will undertake the following tasks:
KEY DELIVERABLES:
|
Competencies
Core Values and Guiding Principles
Functional competencies
|
Required Skills and Experience
REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
Education:
Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) Political Science, Sociology, International Relations, or relevant field and/or equivalent practical experience
Experience:
At least 7 years of experience integrating gender equality and political participation and representation; including proven experience integrating gender equality and electoral cycle, women’s political participation, and gender based electoral violence mitigation
Sound knowledge of international standards on human rights, women’s rights and related instruments
Experience with UN Intergovernmental processes including those related to women’s empowerment, gender mainstreaming and gender equality
Experience working with multi-stakeholder organizations is essential: governments, CSOs, and the UN/ multilateral/bilateral institutions.
Experience in programme design and results-based management
Experience with UN electoral assistance processes
Language: Fluency in oral and written English is required