Background

The Republic of Serbia is a signatory to a number of important and binding international documents, which guarantee the equality of men and women and prohibit gender-based discrimination, including the Council of Europe’s Social Charter, the European Convention on Human Rights, the  Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention) and the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). 

The national legal and policy framework for the advancement of women’s rights and gender equality  encompasses the Constitution of Serbia (enacted in 2006), which endorses equality for women and men; the National Policy of Equal Opportunities (article 15); the  Gender Equality Law (2009) which stipulates state responsibilities to actively pursue policies of equal opportunities; and the key national document in the area of gender equality National Strategy for Gender Equality 2016-2020, with its respective Action Plan that was adopted following the Evaluation of the National Strategy for Gender Equality for the period 2010-2015. Besides the overarching policy and legal framework, there are different sector-specific policies that are important for advancing gender equality in respective areas, inter alia, employment, social protection, education, electoral laws and health.

UN Women Programme Office in Serbia works towards selected development results in the framework of several projects to effectively coordinate and promote accountability for the implementation of gender equality commitments and advancing gender responsive policies and budgeting in Serbia.

Voice and participation of women and girls with disabilities in Serbia is not strong to ensure that their views and opinions are reflected in policies and practices that have an impact on their lives.

Multiple and intersectional discrimination with compounded gender stereotypes hinder women with disabilities participation, access to justice and protection against violence and abuse. In Serbia, women with disabilities are underrepresented in decision-making roles and do not have sufficient opportunities to establish or join organizations that can represent their needs as women, and persons with disabilities and strengthen their voice. Furthermore, women with disability, especially those who are deprived of legal capacity and are placed in institutions, are often exposed to various forms of violence and treatments without their consent.

To address the specific needs of women and girls with disabilities and empower them to take part in the decision-making processes, UN Women is implementing a joint UN project ‘Autonomy, Voice and Participation of Persons with Disabilities in Serbia’. Under Pillar II of the Project, UN Women is working on promotion of structural change to strengthen the integrity and autonomy of women with disabilities through enhancing partnerships and changes of norms and procedures.

Within this context, the UN Women office in Serbia is seeking a Gender Mainstreaming Associate, who will be responsible for the implementation of UN Women activities under Pillar II, under the overall supervision of Gender Specialist/Head of Office based in Serbia. The Gender Mainstreaming Associate will liaise with government officials, civil society organizations, donors, and other UN Agencies for ensuring successful UN Women programme implementation.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

  • Project Support
  • Finance and Administration
  • Other support

Description of Functions:

Project Support

  • Provide support for timely and adequate implementation of activities according to the project work plan;
  • Provide programme and administrative support in the preparation of project work plans, budgets, and proposals on project implementation arrangements.
  • Maintains ongoing contact and close communication with partners, including government, civil society organizations, international organizations, UN agencies, and donors;
  • Assists in monitoring and evaluating the performance of partners under contracts/agreements with UN Women;
  • Provides support to implementing partners to manage activities, provide technical support and expert advice to implementing partners and key stakeholders on specific issues related to the project scope and support for capacity development;
  • Hold consultations with the project partners and other stakeholders such as line ministries, Serbian European Integration Office, Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction Unit and women's organisations, to ensure timely information about the project implementation;
  • Provide guidance to implementing partners to ensure full compliance with operational UNW rules and regulations in terms of procurement, human resources, and finance.

Finance and Administration

  • Support timely implementation of all project activities and monitor the proper use of funds per signed agreements and work plans;
  • Assist in managing the activities’ financial resources in accordance with UN Women rules and regulations;
  • Support the procurement, travel and other logistic procedures related to the project (preparing ToR for the consultants, collecting offers, preparing travel authorization, travel claims, and related logistics).

Other support

  • Provide programmatic and technical support to UN Women Serbia on gender mainstreaming;
  • Report on a regular basis to UN Women Gender Specialist/Head of Office in Serbia to ensure coordination, linkages, and synergies between all areas of work carried out by UN Women’s office in Serbia;
  • Support building partnerships at the country level, and in collaboration with the UN Women Office, coordinate with the relevant stakeholders as deemed necessary.

Impact of Results:

The key results have an impact on the project success, more specific, on implementing, monitoring and reporting of activities, progress and achievements.

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: http://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/about%20us/employment/un-women-employment-values-and-competencies-definitions-en.pdf

Functional Competencies

  • Knowledge of Results Based Management
  • Ability to gather and interpret data, reach logical conclusions and present findings
  • Good knowledge of technical area
  • Good organizational skills and ability to pay close attention to detail.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and cetrification:

  • Completion of secondary education required.
  • University degree in gender studies, management international relations, political sciences, social sciences, or others is an asset.

Experience:

  • At least 7 years of experience in the international development;
  • At least 3 years of experience in the field of gender equality and empowerment of women;
  • Experience in providing advisory and technical support to the implementation of project/advocacy activities in gender equality and human rights;
  • Experience in working with multi-discriminated groups of women will be considered as an advantage;
  • Prior work experience with UN is highly desirable;
  • Understanding of Serbia normative framework, government and non-government working on gender equality in Serbia.
  • Knowledge of MS Office software applications required.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English and Serbian both verbal and written, is required.

Application Procedure:

The following are steps for on-line application:

Special consideration:

  • As this position is under Service Contract modality, only applications of applicants with Serbian nationality or valid working permit in Serbia will be considered for the vacancy.

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.