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, in partnership with the African Union Commission (AUC), the Africa Commission on Human and Peopleโs Rights (ACHPR) and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), is commissioning the development of a flagship report titled \"State of Womenโs Rights in Africa\". This report aims to offer a comprehensive and evidence-based assessment of the current status of womenโs rights across the continent, highlighting legislative, policy, and implementation gaps and potential challenges, as well as progress, innovations, and opportunities.
The implementation of the Maputo Protocol has advanced considerably since its adoption in 2003, with 44 African Union (AU) Member States having ratified the instrument, thereby committing to the promotion and protection of womenโs rights across the continent. Notable progress has been registered in areas such as legal reforms addressing gender-based violence, the elimination of harmful practices, and womenโs political participation. Nevertheless, critical challenges persist in translating these commitments into practice, particularly in relation to womenโs economic empowerment, access to land and property rights, and comprehensive reproductive health services. Some states have also entered official reservations, which further weakens the full application of Protocol provisions. Gaps in resources, data collection, and accountability mechanisms continue to hinder the full realization of the Protocolโs provisions, underscoring the need for strong political will, sustained investment, and robust monitoring.
Litigation has emerged as an important avenue for advancing womenโs rights across Africa, with courts at national and regional levels increasingly called upon to interpret and enforce commitments under the Maputo Protocol and other human rights instruments. Nonetheless, the use of litigation remains limited, often constrained by weak enforcement of judicial decisions, limited access to legal aid, and the persistence of parallel customary and religious legal frameworks. Strengthening access to justice, ensuring effective domestication of regional commitments, and enhancing accountability mechanisms are therefore critical to consolidating the role of litigation as a tool for the realization of womenโs rights.
The report will serve as an advocacy tool to inform decision-makers, guide policy development, and strengthen accountability for gender equality and womenโs rights in Africa. The report positions itself as a tool to address persisting challenges and to guide strategies on the way forward. While significant achievements have been made, it is important to recognize that, despite the existence of several important and useful instruments to uphold womenโs human rights, much remains to be done to ensure their effective domestication and implementation.ย
The purpose of this consultancy is to develop, coordinate, and draft the State of Womenโs Rights in Africa Report, which is in line with the agreed structure and content. The consultant will build on the foundational work completed by the previous consultant and will follow the existing drafted report outline. The consultant will work closely with the AUC, UN Women, ACHPR, OHCHR, and key experts to ensure a high-quality, analytical, and rights-based publication.ย
The consultant will be reporting to the monitoring, reporting, and evaluation specialist and will be supported by a coordination analyst and assistant who will be the point of contact on the contract and payment issues.
Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work:
In the development of the report, the consultant will undertake the following responsibilities:ย
Workplan and Timeline Development: develop a clear and detailed workplan and timeline for the reportโs development in coordination withย the AUC, UN Women, ACHPR, OHCHR. Data Review and Gap Identification: review existing primary and secondary data provided by the collaborating partners, identify data gaps and areas requiring further clarification or expansion. Targeted Data Collection: undertake additional data collection to fill identified gaps using appropriate methods such as surveys, interviews, focus group discussions, desk reviews, and data mining. Data Analysis: apply both quantitative and qualitative analysis methods (e.g., descriptive statistics, thematic analysis, content analysis) to draw evidence-based insights on gender equality and womenโs rights across Africa. Comparative Analysis: conduct comparative assessments between countries, regions, or thematic areas to highlight trends, best practices, and key challenges. Stakeholder Engagement:ย liaise with AU human rights organs and mandate holders identified in the report outline, and engage relevant subject matter experts to provide technical inputs, including analytical contributions and opinion pieces for inclusion in the report. Consultations with Institutions and Civil Society: engage gender machineries, national and regional human rights institutions, academic and research bodies, and civil society organizations to ensure data accuracy and comprehensiveness. Assessment of Legal Frameworks: examine implementation milestones and challenges related to the Maputo Protocol and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, including recommendations for ratification, domestication, and enforcement. Recommendations Development: formulate clear, actionable, and evidence-based recommendations to support AU Member States in advancing gender equality and women's rights, drawing on literature reviews, program assessments, and jurisprudence. Facilitate Validation Process: support the organization and facilitation of a validation process with Member States, AU organs, civil society, and other stakeholders to finalize the report.Deliverables:
A detailed inception report that builds on, and revises where needed, the work completed to date, including the existing data collected by the AUC, UN Women, ACHPR, OHCHR, as well as the foundational work of the previous consultant. Theย report should confirm the consultantโs understanding of the assignment and outline how they will use the existing data and report outline. It should include:ย
Inception Report: which includes detailed workplan, methodology, and timeline for report production. Data Review Summary: report summarizing reviewed data and identified gaps. Data Collection Brief: outline of additional data collected, including sources and methods used. Analytical Report: detailed analysis of findings using qualitative and quantitative methods. Comparative Analysis Section: dedicated chapter or annex presenting comparative findings across regions or themes. Stakeholder Engagement Summary: documentation of engagements with AU bodies and experts, including contributions received. Consultation Summary Report: summary of key insights from engagements with national/regional stakeholders and civil society. Legal Framework Analysis: section assessing the status of Maputo Protocol and Beijing Declaration implementation. Recommendations Section: practical, evidence-based recommendations for Member States. Validation Workshop Report: summary of feedback and refinements made following stakeholder validation.Data Integration and First Draft Reportย
Develop a comprehensive first draft of the State of Womenโs Rights in Africa Report, building on the existing data collected byย the AUC, UN Women, ACHPR, OHCHR, as well as the initial work completed by the previous consultant. This draft should incorporate all thematic content, expert reflections, data analysis, and preliminary recommendations for review and consultation. It should follow the agreed report structure and reflect a rights-based, analytical approach.
Validation Workshops
Organized a virtual validation workshop (either 2 or 3) to share the preliminary findings, gather feedback and receive additional inputs from key stakeholders, including the AUC, UN Women, ACHPR, OHCHR, civil society, and subject matter experts.
Final Reportย
Produce a final version of the report that integrates feedback from validation workshops and consultations. The final draft should be ready for publication and dissemination, reflecting inputs from all key partners and stakeholders, and aligned with the agreed structure and quality standards.
Summary Report
A 2-page executive summary report of the final report. This should highlight key findings, statistics and actionable recommendations, in a clear, concise and reader-friendly format suitable for high-level advocacy and dissemination. Deliverables Expected completion time (due day)ย Inception Reportย November 10 2025 Draft Reportย December 10 2025 Final report and summaryย January 20 2025
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:
Research and Analytical Skills Technical Expertise in gender equality and human rights, including womenโs rights Excellent Writing and Communication Skills Stakeholder Engagement and FacilitationRequired Qualifications:
Education:ย
Masterโs degree or equivalent inย gender,ย policyย analysis,ย law,ย humanย rights, international relations,ย orย otherย social science areasย isย required.ย A first-level university degree in combination with twoย additionalย years of qualifyingย experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.Experience:
Minimumย 10ย (ten)ย yearsย ofย professionalย writingย experienceย relatedย toย genderย equality,ย women'sย empowerment, women'sย rights,ย andย humanย rightsย inย generalย atย national,ย regionalย andย internationalย level. ย Minimum of 5 (five) years of experience of working with or within the international or regional human rights mechanism. Demonstrated experience with working in the African region. Demonstrated expertise in gender equality frameworks, AU instruments (e.g. Maputo Protocol), and intersectional feminist approaches. Proven experience drafting high-level policy reports for AU, UN, or regional bodies.Languages
Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French or any other AU official language is desirable.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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