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.  

One of the key areas of UN Women work in Ukraine is Women, Peace and Security (WPS). UN Women supported the state institutions with development of a National Action Plan for Implementation of UNSCR 1325 on WPS for 2021-2025 (NAP 1325, adopted in October 20201, and amended December 2022), and continues providing technical support in its implementation.  

UN Women supports the consolidated efforts of the Parliament, Government, women’s groups and civil society organizations (CSOs) to meet the state commitments on gender equality and women’s rights, including Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), UNSCR 1325 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), through governance and gender-responsive security sector reform processes. 

Reform of the national defense sector is one of the priority national reforms under the Strategy for Sustainable Development. The Government implements the National Security Strategy2, adopted on 16 December 2022, as well as the National Military Security Strategy of Ukraine3, adopted on 25 March 2021, which aims to achieve the national security and defense priorities, the reforms envisaged by the Association Agreement between Ukraine and EU, as well as partnership with NATO. It also includes gender equality provisions for the first time, ensuring (inter alia): equal opportunities for women and men in full realization of their potential; effective implementation of state policy on ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men; and zero tolerance to sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination.  

The Law (No 2523-VIII) amended the Statute of the Internal Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) and the Law of Ukraine 'On Military Service and Military Duty'4 in order to allow women to be assigned to 24-hour military duty on an equal basis with men. In addition, all officer and sergeant positions now are available to women in the Armed Forces, subject to compliance with legislation on childhood and maternity protection.  

Russia's full-scale invasion in Ukraine in February 2022 created new challenges and needs to protect the rights of women and girls and ensure their equal and full participation in security processes. To support the MoD in responding to the new challenges and further integrating and implementing commitments to gender equality and women's empowerment, including the WPS agenda, UN Women will provide expert advice through the national WPS Expert to further institutionalize the WPS agenda within the MoD and its coordination bodies. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall direct supervision by the UN Women Programme Specialist, and under the technical guidance of the Deputy Minister of Defense, the WPS Expert will provide technical support to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine by conducting legal analysis of the legislation on gender equality in the AFU in line with international standards and public international law, including NATO guiding principles on gender equality and the Women, Peace and Security commitments.   

The assignment will include but not be limited to the following deliverables developed and agreed in coordination with the MoD:  

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel 

• This is an office-based consultancy (a full-time presence).  

• As part of this assignment, upon the prior UN Women approval, WPS Expert might be requested to go on a working mission. If it is necessary for better performance of the assignment UN Women will arrange travel and these expenses will be covered separately to the consultant based on UN travel policy and applicable daily subsistence allowance rates.  

• UN Women will provide the WPS Expert with background materials related to the assignment. 

• The consultant is expected to work using her/his own computer and phone. 

Financial arrangements 

• Payments will be provided after the WPS Expert submits narrative reports on the results of the deliverables and their approval by UN Women. The report on the deliverables should be submitted in English. Supporting documents may be submitted in Ukrainian with an informal translation into English. 

• The level of remuneration will be established based on the UN salary scale. 

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:  

• In-depth understanding of national and international legal frameworks on the WPS agenda, gender equality, anti-discrimination in the workplace, gender-based violence and conflict-related sexual violence in the context of the defense sector.  

•  Proficiency in analyzing gender-responsive policies and providing strategic guidance.  

• Analytical skills, report writing strong negotiation skills to navigate complex policy environments and drive consensus among stakeholders. 

• Strong interpersonal skills to build alliances, negotiate partnerships, and drive collaborative advocacy efforts. 

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Certification: 

• Master’s degree or equivalent in public administration, law, human rights, gender equality, management, economy, social sciences or other related areas is required.  

• BA degree in combination with additional 2 years of relevant experience can be accepted in lieu of MA degree 

Experience: 

• Minimum 2 years of experience in national and international legal frameworks on women, peace and security, gender equality, anti-discrimination in the workplace, gender-based violence and conflict-related sexual violence in the context of the defense sector;

• Experience providing technical support to state authorities is required; 

• Experience with UN agencies will be considered as an asset;  

• Proven knowledge of gender equality and women’s empowerment frameworks.  

Languages: 

• Fluency in verbal and written English and Ukrainian is required.

All applications must include a completed and signed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.doc

Applications without P11 may be treated as incomplete and may not be considered for further assessment.

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).