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.
In the pursuit of equality and justice, addressing the unique challenges women face within legal systems is imperative. Discrimination, gender-based violence (GBV), and systemic biases persist, hindering the realization of women's rights. The Justice4Her Project aims to enhance the capacity of justice actors and institutions to build a more inclusive and responsive justice system. It seeks to break down barriers, empower women and girls to assert their rights, and promote good governance, respect for human rights, justice, and the rule of law in Uganda.
The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Programme Specialist, Access to Justice.
The project focuses on two key outcomes:
- Justice Supply Side: Improved disposal of GBV cases across selected High Court Circuits (Masaka and Gulu).
- Justice Demand Side: Increased use of accessible, quality essential GBV services by women and girls at risk or experiencing violence.
Strategic Communications for GBV Prevention:
Strategic communication is a cornerstone of the Justice4Her Project, aimed at increasing awareness and utilization of GBV services (prevention, response, and management) while promoting zero tolerance to GBV within communities.
Community Engagement
Community engagement is critical to ensuring that:
- Communities are aware of GBV crimes and understand the legal and court processes involved in handling such cases.
- Victims know the available support services.
- Communities play an active role in GBV prevention and reintegration of victims without promoting secondary victimization or stigmatization.
Currently, community engagement activities, such as open days and radio talk shows, are irregular. These platforms provide an opportunity for courts to engage more systematically with communities through deliberate and sustained efforts.
Victim-Centered Services:
Delivering victim-centered GBV services requires:
- Raising community awareness about victim support services and court processes.
- Encouraging community involvement in GBV prevention and reintegration efforts.
- Building strong accountability systems to support victims and hold perpetrators accountable.
- CEDOVIP (Center for Domestic Violence Prevention).
- FIDA (U) (Uganda Association of Women Lawyers).
- Justice Centers Uganda (JCU).
- Uganda Law Society (ULS).
- Uganda Media Womenโs Association
- Communication for Development Uganda
Role of Media:
The media is a critical ally in combating GBV, with the power to influence communities through positive and ethical reporting. Leveraging media platforms can amplify messages about GBV prevention, justice accessibility, and the importance of community involvement.
Through strategic communication, consistent community engagement, and collaboration with the media, the Justice4Her Project seeks to transform Ugandaโs justice system into one that is inclusive, responsive, and supportive of women and girls. This approach not only addresses systemic barriers but also fosters a culture of zero tolerance to GBV, empowering communities to collectively create safer environments for all.
Description of Responsibilities /Scope of Work:
The consultant will develop a communications strategy which outlines theย framework for building and enhancing the communication, branding, and visibility of the Women's Access to Justice Project.ย Under the supervision of the Programme Specialist Access to Justice, the consultant will undertake the following tasks:
Phase 1: Desk Review
Review the following documentation: Justice4Her project documents, Strategy for the Fast-Track Mechanism for Effective for Management of GBV Cases, Options Paper for the Management of GBV in the Judiciary, Service Delivery Standards and Procedures for Delivering Quality Integrated Justice Services for Survivors of Violence Against Women and Girls, Navigation Guide of the Criminal Justice System for Survivors/Victims of Gender-Based Violence, Evaluation of the Access to Justice Project, Communication strategies for the Judiciary, Uganda Police Force (UPF), Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Uganda Law Society (ULS), and Justice Centers Uganda (JCU).
The review should identify gaps in current communication efforts, assess the effectiveness of past strategies, provide insights into key communication needs and opportunities and provide a summary of the reviewed documents.
Phase 2: Consultations
The consultant will conduct consultations with, but not be limited to, the following primary and secondary stakeholder groups. The consultant will prioritize these groups based on their role in the implementation and impact of the communication strategy. The consultant will recommend the most effective methods for collecting the necessary information to develop a comprehensive communication, branding, and visibility strategy for the Justice4Her project. The strategy will aim to enhance awareness of GBV services and promote a zero-tolerance approach to GBV.
Generally, the exercise is expected to be participatory with a dialogue driven approach. It is anticipated that a blend of techniques such as in-depth interviews, observation, critical incident analysis and focus group discussions will be used as proposed and mutually agreed upon by the consultant and implementing team.
Primary Stakeholders:
- GBV survivors and witnesses (for firsthand insights).
- Grassroots organizations and community leaders (for on-the-ground realities and community-driven approaches).
- Selected NGOs working on GBV and Access to Justice, including:
- High Court Judges and Registrars in Kampala, Masaka, Gulu, and Nebbi (directly involved in GBV case management).
- Resident State Attorneysย in Kampala, Masaka, Gulu, and Nebbi (actively handling GBV cases).
Secondary Stakeholders:ย These include groups whose involvement will help align the strategy with systemic priorities and ensure broader advocacy and visibility efforts. The consultant will engage these stakeholders to ensure the strategy is aligned with the broader context.
Government Institutions:
- Public Relations Officers of the Judiciary, Uganda Police Force (UPF), Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), and Uganda Prisons Service
- Access to Justice and Governance Secretariat
- Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD)
UN Agencies:
- UN Women
- UNICEF
- UNFPA
Development Partners:
- Austrian Development Agency (ADA)
- Embassy of the Netherlands
- European Union Delegation (EUD)
- International Development Law Organization (IDLO)
Media Representatives:
- Journalists and media houses for ethical reporting and awareness campaigns
Phase 3: Strategy Development
Develop a communications strategy thatย provides a roadmap for building a recognizable and impactful project focused on womenโs access to justice. The strategy should indicate target audiences, brand identity, key messages, communication channels, visibility initiatives, metrics to assess the effectiveness of communication and branding efforts. The strategy should also have an implementation plan with a timeline and assign responsibilities for executing the strategy.
Phase 4: Strategy Validation
- Conduct a validation workshop and refine the communication strategy.
- Submit a final report on the communication strategy with recommendations from the validation workshop for approval.ย
- Submit the final communication strategyย
ย Expected Deliverablesย ย No. ย Deliverable Expected Due Date Allocated % i) Inception report with methodology and work plan 4th July 2025
30%
ii) Stakeholder engagement report 25th July 2025 ย iii) Draft communication strategyย 19th August 2025 50% iv)Final strategy document and validation workshop
5th September 2025 20%Consultantโs Workplace and Official Travel:
This is a home-based consultancy and UN Women will provide the consultant with the space and access to institutional documents as necessary, to undertake the assignment. The consultant will be facilitated to travel to undertake consultations.
Competencies :
Core Values:
- Integrity;
- Professionalism;
- Respect for Diversity.
Core Competencies:
- Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
- Accountability;
- Creative Problem Solving;
- Effective Communication;
- Inclusive Collaboration;
- Stakeholder Engagement;
- Leading by Example.
Please visitย this linkย for more information on UN Womenโs Values and Competencies Framework:ย
Functional Competencies:
- Deep understanding of gender dynamics and the specific challenges faced by women and girls.ย
- Ability to integrate gender-sensitive and inclusive messaging into all aspects of the strategy
- Ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams.
- Strong stakeholder engagement and facilitation skills to collaborate with a wide range of actors, including NGOs, government agencies, and community leaders.
- Skills in planning, budgeting, and monitoring the implementation of communication initiatives.
- Ability to deliver high-quality outputs within tight deadlines.
- Innovative approaches to reaching target audiences through traditional and modern communication channels.
Required Qualifications
Education and Certification:
- Master's degree or higher in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, International Development, Gender Studies, Law, or a related field.
- A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience:
- At least 5 years of professional experience in designing and implementing communication strategies, preferably in the development sector.
- Experience working on gender-focused projects, access to justice initiatives, or similar fields.
- Expertise and experience in developing and implementing strategic communication plans.
- Experience in digital communication tools, social media platforms, and multimedia content creation.
Languages:
- Fluency in written and spoken English.
- Knowledge of any other UN official is an asset.
Statements :
In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.
Diversity and inclusion:
At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates,ย and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age,ย ability, national origin,ย 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 toย UN Womenโsย policiesย and proceduresย andย theย standardsย of conduct expected of UN Women personnelย 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.)
Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.
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- Journalists and media houses for ethical reporting and awareness campaigns