Background:
The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the empowerment of Women (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.ย
Placing womenโs rights at the center of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member Statesโ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.ย
In Viet Nam, UN Women contributes to the development objectives of Viet Namโs Socio-Economic Development Plan and the National Strategy for Gender Equality. Its Country Strategy Note for 2022-2026 is aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (CF) 2022-2026 and is supporting Viet Namโs fulfilment of Gender Equality commitments under The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), and the promise of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda to โleave no one behindโ. The key priorities of UN Women in the 2022-2026 period are:ย
- By 2026, people in Viet Nam, especially those at risk of being left behind, will benefit from and contribute to safer and cleaner environment resulting from Viet Namโs effective and gender responsive mitigation and adaptation to climate change, disaster risk reduction and resilience building, promotion of circular economy, the provision of clean and renewable energy, and the sustainable management of natural resources.ย
- By 2026, people in Viet Nam, especially those at risk of being left behind, will contribute to and benefit equitably from more sustainable, inclusive and gender-responsive economic transformation based on innovation, entrepreneurship, enhanced productivity, competitiveness, and decent work;ย
- By 2026, people in Viet Nam, especially those at risk of being left behind, will have benefited from and have contributed to a more just, safe and inclusive society based on improved governance, more responsive institutions, strengthened rule of law and the protection of and respect for human rights, gender equality, and freedom from all forms of violence and discrimination in line with international standards.ย
Legal and policy framework on gender equality and gender mainstreaming in legislation reformย
Viet Nam has made notable progress in strengthening its legal and policy framework for gender equality and has been recognized in various international forums for these efforts. In its 2015 review, the CEDAW Committee welcomed recent legislative reforms that advanced gender equality, including amendments to the Constitution (2013), the Land Law (2013), and the Law on Vietnamese Nationality (2014). Since then, the importance of integrating gender analysis into the legislative process has gained greater visibility. The Law on Promulgation of Legal Normative Documents (2015) introduced a provision requiring law-drafting agencies to apply gender mainstreaming in the development of legal documents. While challenges remain in implementation, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) reported that 40 out of 111 legal documentsย adopted since 2015 met the gender equality requirementโan encouraging achievement in a five-year period. This progress was also acknowledged as a key success by the independent review of the National Strategy on Gender Equality 2011โ2020.
The 2013 Constitution clearly prohibits gender-based discrimination and affirms the Stateโs commitment to ensuring equal rights and opportunities for all genders. However, this constitutional guarantee is not consistently reflected in subsequent legislation. A review of key sectoral and procedural laws enacted since 2014 revealed that fewer than half include anti-discrimination clauses based on sex. Notable examples with such provisions include the Civil Code (2015), Law on Elections (2015), Law on Access to Information (2016), Law on the Press (2016), Law on Children (2016), and the Law on Social Insurance (, amended in 2024). Meanwhile, Viet Nam has been encouraged to revise laws that reinforce gender stereotypesโfor example, the Law on Marriage and Family (2015) and the Law on Children (2016), both of which include gendered assumptions about domestic roles. Moreover, comprehensive legal protections against discrimination on grounds such as race, ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and age are still lacking, limiting the legal systemโs capacity to address intersectional forms of gender-based discrimination.
Despite some positive steps, the current legal framework still falls short in addressing the full range of gender-related issues. Although Law on Promulgation of Legal Normative Documents (2015, amended in 2020, and 2025) requires conducting gender impact assessment. However, it is not a mandatory requirement, as result, several important laws have not yet ensured gender mainstreaming or the differentiated needs of women and men. These include the Law on Environmental Protection (2014), Law on Forestry (2017), and various taxation laws. Additionally, the Law on the Press (2016) does not prohibit gender-discriminatory or stereotypical content, although such a provision exists in the Law on Advertising (2012). The Law on Statistics (2015) also lacks a requirement for state agencies to produce sex-disaggregated data. When drafted in gender-neutral terms, these laws often overlook the differing experiences, needs, and access of women and men, leading to unintended inequalities. For example, women may be excluded from tax incentives designed primarily for large businesses or high-income earners.
There are also inconsistencies in the application of gender mainstreaming requirements across legislation. While the Gender Equality Law (2006) mandates gender mainstreaming in the development of all laws, the Law on Promulgation of Legal Normative Documents (2015) limits this requirement to cases where legislation is deemed directly related to gender equality. A review commissioned by MOLISA also noted that gender-neutral language is sometimes used to circumvent meaningful gender analysis. Furthermore, the Gender Equality Law currently applies only to legal normative documents, not to broader policies or strategies.ย
In this context, to support for further strengthening gender responsive legislation development, UN Women in collaboration with Ha Noi Law University is organizing an international conference on gender mainstreaming in legislation and policy development.ย
The conference aims to:
- Promote dialogue and exchange of international and national experiences, good practices, and lessons learned in integrating gender perspectives into legislative and policy-making processes;
- Highlight progress made by Viet Nam in strengthening its legal and policy framework for gender equality, including implementation of gender mainstreaming provisions in the Law on Promulgation of Legal Normative Documents (2015) and Gender Equality Law (2006);
- Identify remaining gaps and challenges in legal and policy frameworks that hinder substantive gender equality and the realization of constitutional guarantees against gender-based discrimination;
- Explore strategies to promote more systematic and meaningful gender analysis in drafting, revising, and implementing legislation and policies, including addressing intersectional forms of discrimination;
- Generate actionable recommendations to strengthen the gender responsiveness of Viet Namโs legal and policy system, aligned with international human rights standards such as CEDAW and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
UN Women is looking for a legal expert consultant (who will serve as team leader) to support to UN Women and Ha Noi Law University the prepration and organization of the above mentioned international conference. The team leader take lead in provide technical advices on conference content, agenda and speakers, while the team member will be responsible for coordinating administrative arrangements for the conference.
Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work
The successful performance of the incumbent will effectively contribute to the development of knowledge on gender responsive legislation development and provide recommendations to strengthening gender mainstreaming in law and policy development in Viet Nam.ย
The consultant team is expected to work closely with each other. Team leader will take lead in provide technical advices on conference content, agenda and speakers, while the team member will be responsible for coordinating administrative arrangements for the conference.
In particular, the consultant is expected to complete the following tasks:
Tasks Legal expert as Team leaderย 1. Inception and planning- Participate in an inception meeting with UN Women and Ha Noi Law University to clarify objectives, scope, roles, and responsibilities.
- Develop a detailed work plan and timeline for technical deliverables.
- Advise on the conference structure, thematic sessions, and agenda to align with the objectives.
2. Background Review and Technical Inputs- Review relevant national and international literature, laws, policies, and practices on gender mainstreaming in legislation and policy development.
- Identify key issues, gaps, and opportunities to be addressed at the conference.
3. Call for Papers- Design the call for papers, including themes, submission guidelines, and selection criteria.
- Review and evaluate submitted abstracts and full papers in consultation with UN Women and Ha Noi Law University.
- Provide technical feedback to authors on accepted papers to ensure quality and relevance.
4. Speakers and Content Development- Identify and recommend suitable national and international speakers and panelists.
- Provide guidance to speakers on presentation topics to ensure relevance and quality.
- Review and provide technical inputs to all conference materials, ensuring they reflect gender-sensitive and rights-based approaches.
- Refine the conference agenda based on the confirmed papers, speakers and moderators.
5. Conference Delivery- Organize pre-conference briefing with speakers and moderators.
- Moderate or facilitate key sessions, as agreed.
- Ensure technical accuracy and coherence of presentations and discussions.
6. Conference Proceedings- Oversee the compilation and editing of accepted papers into a conference proceeding.
- Ensure proceedings meet academic and professional standards and are ready for publication/dissemination.
The national consultant team will work closely with UN Women Programme Management Specialist and Ha Noi Law University throughout this process.ย
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:
- Technical credibility in gender mainstreaming in legislative development.
- Excellent negotiation skills
- Strong analytical and interpersonal skills;ย
- Strong oral and written communication skills.ย
- Excellent drafting, editing and presentation skills.ย
Education and Certification:
โข Advanced university degree (Masterโs or equivalent) in law, gender studies, public policy, international development, or a related field.
Experience:
- At least 15 years of progressively responsible experience in gender equality, legal and policy analysis, and/or gender mainstreaming in legislation and policy development.
- Demonstrated experience in organizing or contributing to high-level conferences, policy dialogues, or academic forums.
- Proven record of conducting technical reviews, drafting analytical papers, and producing high-quality publications.
- Familiarity with Viet Namโs legal and policy framework on gender equality and relevant international human rights standards, including CEDAW and the SDGs.
- Experience in working with government agencies, academic institutions, and international organizations.
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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