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.
UN Women has been working in Lebanon since 2015 through its triple mandate, encompassing normative support, UN system coordination and operational activities to mobilize urgent and sustained action to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls and support the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Operational activities have prioritized advancing womenโs leadership and political participation, women and peace and security and economic empowerment with changing discriminatory gender norms as a cross cutting area of work.
Under the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) programme, UN Women supports the government of Lebanon in the implementation, reporting, monitoring and evaluation of progress achieved under the National Action Plan (NAP) on United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on WPS, which was endorsed by the government of Lebanon in 2019 for the period 2019-2023. The NAP on UNSCR 1325 focused on supporting i) the security and defense sectors in developing and implementing gender equality policies; ii)removing discrimination against women in laws and iii) promoting womenโs role in peace building, recovery, transitional justiceand mediation efforts. In addition, UN Women Lebanon supports the efforts of national womenโs rights organizations andcommunity based organizations (CBOs) to seek truth, foster collective remembrance and ultimately, move towards reconciliationaround the legacy of the civil war.
Furthermore, the NAP on UNSCR 1325 provides the national framework guiding UN Womenโs support to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). UN Womenโs collaboration with the LAF dates back to 2019 and complements UN-system wide efforts to support the LAF to strengthen Lebanon's critical security functions amidst the multiple crisis. Specifically, in response to national priorities, UN Women has provided technical support to LAF to mainstream gender equality issues within the LAF Strategic Vision, including supporting the LAF Gender department.
Description of Responsibilities /Scope of Work
Under the supervision of the UN Women Representative and the guidance of the Head of the LAF Gender Department and the UN Women Programme Management Specialist, UN Women seeks to recruit a Legal Advisor to provide technical capacity building to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) on the recently developed internal policy on Anti-Sexual Harassment and Domestic Violence (ASH/DV).
Building on the ASH/DV policy previously developed with the support of UN Women, the Legal Advisor will design and deliver tailored training sessions aimed at strengthening institutional understanding, ownership, and implementation of the policy across relevant units of the LAF and with external partners.
In close coordination with the Head of the LAF Gender Department and UN Women, the Legal Advisor will:
Provide technical guidance to the LAF Technical Committee to support the integration of ASH/DV policy considerationsinto the LAF Code of Conduct; Deliver a capacity-building session for senior leaders and members of the Technical Committee on the content, scope, and operationalization of the ASH/DV policy; Conduct a workshop targeting security sector Gender Focal Points and representatives of civil society organizations working with the military and security agencies in Lebanon, focusing on the implementation of the LAFโs ASH/DV policy and its coordination mechanisms.All activities should be implemented in alignment with national and international legal frameworks, including the Lebanese Constitution, Law No. 205 on โCriminalizing Sexual Harassment and Rehabilitation of its Victims,โ and the LAF Gender Mainstreaming Strategy, as well as with the commitments under CEDAW, the Beijing Platform for Action, and UNSCR 1325 (2000) and its subsequent resolutions.
The consultant will ensure that the trainings are participatory, gender-responsive, and adapted to the institutional context of the LAF, contributing to building a culture of accountability, prevention, and zero tolerance for sexual harassment and domestic violence within the institution.
Consultantโs Workplace and Official Travel
This is a home-based consultancy, with frequent visits to UN Women office and LAF Gender Unit office.
Competencies :
Core Values:
Integrity; Professionalism; Respect for Diversity.Core Competencies:
Please visitย this linkย for more information on UN Womenโs Values and Competencies Framework:ย
Functional Competencies:
Demonstrated knowledge in International and Lebanonโs legal framework with focus on GBV. Demonstrated knowledge in developing sexual harassment policies. Experience working with State Institutions. Technical credibility in gender-related issues. Rapport building. Political tact. Experience in workshop development and deliveryRequired Qualifications
Education and Certification:
Masterโs degree (or equivalent) in cin legal studies, political studies or a related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. A certification on gender studies and/or issues would be an added advantage.Experience:
At least 10 years of progressively responsible work experience in legal consultancies is required. Experience in drafting laws or policies, and development of related workshops material is required. Experience in developing human rights/ women rights policies and procedures for government institutions is desirable. Excellent analytical skills with strong drive for results and capacity to work independently. Excellent communication and writing skills.Languages:
Fluency in English and Arabic is required.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.
ย