Mission and objectivesUN 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. Established in Seoul in 2022 with support from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family of the Republic of Korea, the UN Women Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality the Center seeks to function as a โknowledge hubโ to facilitate research, education & training, sharing of innovations and lessons learned, networking, and development of multi-stakeholder partnerships for the achievement of gender equality in the Asia-Pacific region. The Centre aims to contribute to operationalizing normative frameworks on gender equality and the empowerment of women, informing innovative approaches to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (โSDGsโ), transforming harmful social norms in the fast-changing and unique social landscape of Asia and the Pacific, and forging partnerships across sectors. The Centerโs office, which opened on 1 November 2022, is located at the Seoul Global Center, and the official opening celebration took place in early December. Since its establishment in late 2022, the Centre has served as a knowledge hub for gender equality, implementing a wide range of initiatives, including partnership-building efforts, research, policy dialogues, and gender training programs. It has its own Naver blog in Korean language as well as its webpages in UN Womenโs Asia-Pacific regional website. The Centreโs working language is English; and it offers an international working environment. The Center has one director, three thematic leads (training, data & research, and external relations), as well as one finance associate and one administrative assistant. Each team is supported by one or two interns who are recruited every six months, and the intern(s) will support the incumbent UNV.
ContextThe UNV will report to the Gender Training Specialist. Under the Specialistโs supervision, the UNV will be responsible for designing, operationalizing, and implementing various capacity development activities for the Centre including trainings and policy workshops targeting at stakeholders in the Asia and the Pacific, including the Republic of Korea on the priority themes of UN Women. The UNV is expected to contribute to the creative formulation and exciting implementation of many exciting initiatives of the Centre and build his/her professional capacities and networks as well.
Task DescriptionWithin the delegated authority and under the supervision of Gender Training Specialist or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the Programme Officer will: Main responsibilities entail operationalizing, and implementing activities for the Center, particularly: โข Participate in technical meetings to prepare for the activities, including the formulation of the concept note, agenda and logistic notes, and technical presentations. โข Prepare and design pre-learning workshop need assessment and draft the draft evaluation report. โข Deploy feedback tools to assess the effectiveness of the capacity development activities. โข Develop supporting materials for the organization of the training and programme activities. โข Attend relevant activities and provide technical and logistic support for the organization of the activities. โข Attend meetings with relevant stakeholders for the implementation of the programme activities. โข Support the development of the communications activities, including the news and press releases, the activity videos for UN Women website and social media. โข Provide logistic support for the implementation of the activities. โข Participate in the staff meetings if needed. โข Support the translation of the documents from English into Korea and via versa. โข Other tasks requested by the Gender Training Specialist to ensure the deliverables for the Annual Work Plan. โข Organization of various regional and international meetings for the Center The UN Volunteer must be highly skilled in multitasking and possess practical expertise in organizing training sessions and policy events to promote gender equality and women's empowerment, as well as supporting event organization for UN Women. Specifically, the UNV should demonstrate creativity and strategic thinking in designing, operationalizing, and implementing diverse capacity development activities, including both domestic and international meetings for the Centre throughout the year. The UN Volunteer will collaborate closely with various Korean stakeholders and UN Women offices in the Asia-Pacific region for the organization of the activities. The UN Volunteer should possess strong technical communication skills, and a deep understanding of Korean stakeholders involved in advancing gender equality. As the Centre is a small team, the UN Volunteer is expected to work closely with other teams and is expected to have an independent, problem-solving mindset, with proactive attitude to overcome any operational challenges along the way, by working closely with all members of the Center. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities: โข Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day); โข Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; โข Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities. โข Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.; โข Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers; โข Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible. Key Performance Indicators: โข As an active [Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality] team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to [Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality] and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including: โข High quality capacity development products on gender equality and the empowerment of women both in English and Korean are designed and produced, under the guidance of [the Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality] as well as the UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific; โข High-impact events such as training, policy workshops and forums on various topics are well organized in close collaboration with Korean as well as international partners and stakeholders; โข Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment โข A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed
Competencies and valuesโข Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to [Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality]; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to [Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality] procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented; โข Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and [Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality] in daily activities and behaviors while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organizationโs interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behavior; does not abuse power or authority; โข Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues; โข Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment. โข Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities; โข Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups; โข Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions โข Resilience: Ability to work in a highly pressured environment, to multi-task, and meet deadlines; โข Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards [Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality]โs mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.
Living conditions and remarksAs this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. Benefits and Entitlements: The purpose of the allowances and entitlements paid to UN Volunteers is to enable UN Volunteers to sustain a secure standard of living at the duty stations in line with United Nations standards without incurring personal costs. The allowances are in no way to be understood as compensation, reward, or salary in exchange for the UN Volunteerโs service. Contingent on specific eligibility criteria, location of the volunteer assignment and contractual type and category, the payment of allowances will begin from the date of Commencement of Service. Monthly living Allowance (per month) is around KRW 3475484.91 Entry Lump Sum (one-time payment) USD 400 Exit Allowance (for each month served paid on completion of assignment) KRW 289623.74 Medical and Life Insurance Coverage Leave entitlements: Annual leave: 2.5 days accrued per calendar month Certified sick leave: 30 days Uncertified Sick Leave: 7 days Learning leave: 10 working days per consecutive 12 months Maternity Leave: 16 weeks Paternity Leave: 10 days