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.
The Policy, Programme and Intergovernmental Division (PPID) provides global programming and policy support to allow UN Women offices at Headquarters and in all field locations to deliver effective and efficient initiatives to support the implementation of UN Womenโs Strategic Plan 2022-2025 and internationally agreed goals on gender equality and womenโs empowerment, including the Beijing Platform for Action and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. PPID provides intellectual and strategic leadership on normative support and the delivery of integrated policy advice, including through policy analysis and gender mainstreaming. PPID also leverages innovation, knowledge management, and cutting-edge technical expertise to support UN Women programmes and to build the capacity of partners to deliver results on gender equality and womenโs empowerment.
The work of UN Womenโs Ending Violence against Women (EVAW) Section within PPID is focused on a comprehensive approach to ending violence against women that addresses legislation and policies, prevention, services for survivors, research and data, in public and private spaces. Prevention is an integral part of UN Womenโs approach to ending violence against women and the EVAW Section has been expanding this policy and programmatic area of work for the organization.
Under the general supervision of the Chief of Section, the Policy Specialist is responsible for substantially contributing to the area of VAW programming, including on research and data, in order to achieve gender equality and advancement of women. He/she provides technical and policy advice on VAW programming, data and research at country and regional levels, through strategy development, thematic reviews, tools for capacity building and channels for knowledge sharing and prepare documentation for UN normative intergovernmental processes; prepare studies, reports and content for policy advocacy and programming. The supervisor provides overall general direction and oversight on policy issues and effective delivery of jointly agreed annual workplan and helps the incumbent push through particularly difficult and sensitive issues with key stakeholders.
Note: The duty station for the post will be determined at a later stage.
Duties and Responsibilities
Support to Intergovernmental Processes and Policy Development:
Provide substantive inputs in the preparation of position papers and reports for presentation to intergovernmental bodies such as Commission on the Status of Women, Economic and Social Council, the General Assembly and other policy-making organs, as appropriate and prepare analytical summaries of debates, supporting negotiations and analyzing/compiling outcomes;Prepare substantive inputs and coordinate the development of analytical reports related to VAW research and data to contribute to the Secretary-Generalโs mandated reporting to intergovernmental forums;Support the implementation of resolutions, decisions and other directives in relevant areas of focus, including through support to expert bodies created by intergovernmental forums;Develop and maintain strategic partnerships with UN and other global/regional partners and academia, to identify strategic opportunities and strengthen the availability and quality of data on violence;Collaborate with the UN Statistics Division in the global rolling-out of the global VAW indicators;Participate in inter-agency working groups and international fora on VAW data and research to help shape development of global and regional policies, norms and standards and position UN Women in this subject area.Policy advice and Technical Support:
In collaboration with the Section team contribute to the development and adaptation of tools, guidelines and manuals on VAW research and data, for use by UN Women country offices, the UN system, and other partners;Identify and catalyze work in new/ cutting edge areas related to measuring VAW, statistics and indicators and through the initiation of global programmes when relevant, including working with the resource mobilization unit to identify potential funding sources in such areas;Support, including through technical inputs, the development of new global normative and intergovernmental standards;Provide technical inputs into programme documents, country strategies, and knowledge products;Provide thematic inputs and guidance to corporate strategic planning and positioning.Provide policy advice and technical support to COs/ROs.Research, Analysis and Knowledge Management:
Conduct research and data analysis, in collaboration with the Research and Data Section and other thematic sections in the Policy Division, on VAW;Review and support on-going research on VAW and undertake analysis of global, regional and national trends and changes in VAW prevalence data, causes and consequences of VAW, to identify gaps and challenges;Keep abreast of emerging development issues related to VAW research and data to galvanize UN Womenโs analytical capacity to respond;Develop flagship publications on key emerging issues related to measuring VAW and VAW research and data and develop internal guidance notes and briefings on the latest data on VAW;In collaboration with the Section team, contribute to the establishment of global communities of practice that promote collaboration, peer support, consultation and surface innovation, good practices, lessons and needs and opportunities;Engage in existing thematic and gender equality networks to better connect UN Women and partner work and promote learning and innovation.Support to Intergovernmental Processes and Policy Development:
Provide substantive inputs in the preparation of position papers and reports for presentation to intergovernmental bodies such as Commission on the Status of Women, Economic and Social Council, the General Assembly and other policy-making organs, as appropriate and prepare analytical summaries of debates, supporting negotiations and analyzing/compiling outcomes;Prepare substantive inputs and coordinate the development of analytical reports related to VAW research and data to contribute to the Secretary-Generalโs mandated reporting to intergovernmental forums;Support the implementation of resolutions, decisions and other directives in relevant areas of focus, including through support to expert bodies created by intergovernmental forums;Develop and maintain strategic partnerships with UN and other global/regional partners and academia, to identify strategic opportunities and strengthen the availability and quality of data on violence;Collaborate with the UN Statistics Division in the global rolling-out of the global VAW indicators;Participate in inter-agency working groups and international fora on VAW data and research to help shape development of global and regional policies, norms and standards and position UN Women in this subject area.Representation and Advocacy:
Represent UN Women at policy making inter-agency, intergovernmental and international technical and advocacy fora as requested by the Supervisor;Participate in international, regional or national meetings and provide programmatic/substantive expertise on an issue, or hold programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions. Participation in regional or national meetings to be agreed in consultation with relevant Regional or Country Office;Contribute to the development of strategic approaches to policy dialogue, resource mobilization, partnerships, advocacy and outreach;Establish and nurture relationship with academia, research institutes, civil society and experts in Human Rights to expand and share knowledge, exchange views on latest findings, incorporate cutting-edge thinking in UN Womenโs work;Substantively service high-level corporate advocacy, communications and multistakeholder platforms, including through the coordination of convenings and meetings, preparation of quality speeches, talking points, briefs and media/outreach messages for UN senior officials (e.g. UN Women, SG, DSG, USGs, etc).The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organisation.
Competencies
Core Values:
Respect for DiversityIntegrityProfessionalismCore Competencies:
Please visit this link for more information on UN Womenโs Core Values and Competencies: https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment/application-process#_Values
Functional Competencies
Conceptual innovation in the provision of policy advice and technical leadership;Excellent and proven knowledge of gender issues and violence against women and girls;Ability to organize and complete multiple tasks by establishing priorities;Ability to handle a large volume of work under time constraints;Establish, build and sustain effective relationships with clients, demonstrating understanding of clientโs perspective; anticipate client needs and address them promptly.Excellent networking skillsAbility to interact with donors, identify and analyze trends, opportunities and threats to fundraisingAbility to perform qualitative and quantitative policy researchAbility to advocate and provide policy adviceExcellent analytical skills;Ability to write policy papers, speeches, briefings;Strong knowledge of programme development, implementation, results based management and reporting
Required Skills and Experience
Education and certification:
Masterโs degree or equivalent in international development, social sciences, gender/womenโs studies, public policy or other related social science 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.Specialized training in gender equality and violence against women (VAW) would be an advantage.Experience:
A minimum of 7 years of increasingly responsible professional experience at international level in EVAW policy and programming is required.Experience in working with VAW data and research including in designing and analyzing quantitative and qualitative studies would be an asset.Working with the UN would be an asset.Experience working with and building partnerships with governments, donors and civil society organizations internationally and in the field.Language Requirements:
Fluency in English is required.Knowledge of another official UN language is desirable (French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish).Application:
All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.doc. Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.
Note:
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, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, 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 to UN Womenโs policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel 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.