Background

Statistics that adequately reflect the lived realities of women and men, girls and boys are indispensable tools for developing evidence-based policies and interventions to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment. Such statistics help understand the issue being addressed, shed light on areas where progress is made, provide evidence of what works and what does not work, and reveal gaps where further efforts are needed. In the past two decades there have been calls for the enhancement of the collection and use of data on violence against women (VAW). As a result, measurement of VAW is high on the international, regional and national agendas. Several recent global developments have put the need for prevalence data on VAW and associated factors high in the agenda: From the identification of a set of nine core VAW indicators by the Friends of the Chair group presented to the Statistical Commission in 2011; to the Agreed Conclusions of the 57th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) held during March 2013 that reiterated the need to improve the evidence base on VAW; to the publication in 2014 of the UN Guidelines for Producing Statistics on VAW; to the inclusion of indicators to measure VAW in the SDGs global indicator framework. Furthermore, it is well recognized that in order to develop effective legislation, policies and programmes and for allocation of budgets to prevent and respond to VAW, it is important to establish an understanding of the extent, nature, causes and consequences of the problem in a particular setting. There remains a significant gap of quality reliable up-to-date data that are collected in line with existing methodological, ethical and safety standards. Comparability of data across countries has improved as national VAW data collection efforts are increasingly using similar standard definitions and approaches. Yet, comparability remains a challenge, especially to produce regional and global estimates. Given these limitations, it is of utmost importance to advocate for the use of data collection methods that are well-tested and well-established and provide internationally comparable, high-quality data. One of the main challenges in implementing VAW prevalence surveys is that these require specific technical capacities, knowledge and experience. Hence, it is critical to strengthen national capacities on VAW data collection, analysis, dissemination and use in line with globally agreed standards as a key pillar in addressing VAW data gaps. 

In response to calls for the enhancement of the collection and use of data on VAW, UN Women and WHO joined forces to deliver a Global Programme on Strengthening Methodologies and Measurement and Building National Capacities for VAW Data, funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO). The goal of the Joint Programme is to ensure quality comparable data on different forms of VAW are available and collected over time to address national data gaps, and use data to inform policy and programmes to end VAW, as committed under the SDGs, CEDAW, and the Beijing Platform for Action.

To support the achievement of the goal, there are three expected outcomes:

1. Measurement and methodologies for VAW data collection and use are strengthened and disseminated, including for national, regional and global monitoring and reporting requirements for SDG target 5.2 indicators;
2. Capacity of national institutions to collect VAW data in line with globally agreed standards is increased; and
3. National data on VAW are collected, made accessible and used for advocacy, policy and programming to end violence against women and girls.

This 5-year Joint Programme (2018-2022) brings together the distinct and complementary experience and expertise of UN Women and the WHO, both of whom already contribute to the elimination of VAW in general and the increased availability of quality VAW prevalence data in particular. It is implemented in close collaboration and coordination with other actors contributing to this field particularly UNFPA, UNSD, UNODC, UNICEF and with the engagement of other stakeholders.

The Joint Programme has reached its mid-way. In order to support the Joint Programme’s participating agencies – UN Women and WHO – to strategically, effectively, and efficiently meet the programme’s goals within the given remaining duration, a midterm reflection exercise is needed and critical to identify achievements, gaps, challenges, and accelerators for delivering the Joint Programme’s commitment by 2022 and sustain its impact beyond the life of the programme. This reflection exercise also comes at an opportune time to provide critical inputs to the development of the next UN Women’s Strategic Plan and WHO’s General Programme of Work.

Duties and Responsibilities

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:

·        Strong knowledge of gender equality and women’s rights issues

·        Excellent level of conceptual and analytical capacity

·        Ability to work in a multicultural environment and in a team

·        Demonstrated organizational skills and ability to establish priorities and work independently

·        Ability to write in a clear and concise manner and to communicate effectively in English

·        Demonstrates use of initiative and ability to make appropriate linkages in work requirements

·        Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback

·        Meets deadlines for delivery of products or services

·        Able to work virtually, using communication technologies

·        Strong interpersonal skills

·        Proven skills in desktop computer softer such as Microsoft Word, Excel and Power Point

Required Skills and Experience

Education and certification

• Advanced degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in international development, public policy, public administration, public health, women’s/gender studies, social sciences or other similar/ related disciplines;

Experience

• A qualified practitioner in the field of gender equality and ending violence against women and girls with at least 15 years’ work experience in developing, designing, implementing, and monitoring policies and interventions on violence against women prevention and response;
• Experience and knowledge on VAW data collection, analysis, reporting, and use;
• Experience in monitoring, reporting and evaluation, and programme reflection exercise;
• Experience of working with UN Women or other UN agencies, particularly in joint programmes and joint programming;
• Experience in conducting research and analysis, conducting interviews and focus group discussions, drafting reports, and providing strategic and practical recommendations on a tight schedule and in coordination with and input from multiple programme partners; and
• Experience in facilitating visioning, planning, and strategizing dialogues and exercises with multi-stakeholders.

Language requirements

• Fluency in English (oral and written) is required;
• Knowledge of another UN language will be a strong asset.