Job Title:ย Technical Expert, Womenโs Parliamentary Caucus Sindhย
Unit/Office:ย Programme, UN Women Pakistan
Duty Station:ย Islamabad
Contract Modality: National Consultantย
Reports to (Title/Level):ย ย Portfolio Manager EVAW, Governance & Human Rights
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.
Womenโs leadership and political participation is oneย of UNย Womenโs primary areas of work as mandated inย itsย inception,ย recognizingย theย integralย roleย ofย womenย inย strongย andย stableย democraticย processes. Through its Leadership and Governance section, UN Women works to implement Output 4 of the Entityโs Strategic Plan 2018-21 โMore women of all ages fully participate, lead and engage in political institutions and processesโ.ย
To promote the leadership and participation of women in all levels of decision-making processes, UN Women works with a range of stakeholders including women leaders and aspiring candidates, national parliaments and parliamentarians, political parties, media, civil society organizations, and electoral management bodies, in coordination with UN partner entities, through a wide range of interventions which include:
Supporting the formation of Women Parliamentary Caucuses (WPCโs) and effectively supporting their work in legislative reform, political participation and the women leadership agenda. Advancing women parliamentariansโ gender responsive legal reforms and institutional processes to advance womenโs participation and representation (including initiatives to address violence against women in politics). Providing technical expertise to support legislative drafting and policy development along with research and analysis to support informed decision-making. Supporting the development of policies and frameworks for better governance. Promoting transformation of gender norms through advocacy and outreach initiatives targeting communities, political leaders, and the media. Supporting women leadersโ representation and participation in gender responsive political institutions.In this regard, the services of technical experts are required to play an active role in that capacity by being placed at the national and provincial assemblies. The technical expert for Sindh will provide normative support functions, guidance and technical assistance to the WPC as well as enhance engagement with government institutions, sister UN agencies and other development partners in the province around gender equality, the empowerment of women and womenโs political participation.ย
The primary objective of the consultancy is to establish the WPC and strengthen the capacity of Provincial Assembly and parliamentarians through expert guidance, specialized technical support, and policy advisory services. The consultant will facilitate notification and activation of WPC, as well as provide expert advice, strategic guidance, and technical support. He/ She will assist in improving legislative processes, enhancing transparency, and promoting efficient governance mechanisms. The role is designed to enhance the WPCโs capacity to develop, advocate, and monitor gender-sensitive legislation, policies, and programs.
Duties and Responsibilities:
The technical expert will report to Portfolio Manager EVAW, GOV and HR, and will focus on the following areas:
Facilitate the formation and active role of WPC in the provincial assembly. Enhance women parliamentariansโ advocacy and promotion of gender-responsive legal reforms and institutional processes to advance womenโs participation and representation (including initiatives to address violence against women in politics). Ensure provision of technical expertise to support legislative drafting and policy development along with data collection and analysis for informed decision-making. Support research studies and campaigns in collaboration with civil society, to increase inclusiveness and representation of women and socially marginalized groups in the electoral and political process.Overall responsibilities include:
Develop monthly workplan and obtain approval from concerned units. Activate the WPC and support its setting up. Support womenโs political participation agenda and enhance the role of the WPC and women parliamentarians.ย Provide technical advice on gender-sensitive legislative processes, including review and amendment of pro-women legislations/ legal documents. Assist the WPC in the development of policy briefs, position papers, and other advocacy materials to support gender-responsive legislation. Provide strategic advice on improving coordination between the Assembly, development partners, civil society organizations, and the public. Facilitate research on emerging gender issues (globally, nationally and at provincial level) and provide evidence-based recommendations to the WPC. Develop and disseminate knowledge products such as reports, case studies, and best practices related to womenโs political participation and legislative impact. Assist in developing and implementing advocacy strategies to promote gender equality and women's rights within the legislative framework. Represent WPC at provincial, national and international forums, conferences, meetings as required. Provide regular reports on progress, challenges, and recommendations to the Chairperson and members of the WPC. Support the WPC in documenting lessons learned and best practices to inform future initiatives. Maintain regular communication with Chairperson WPC to ensure alignment of activities with the WPCโs strategic objectives. Prepare and present technical reports, policy briefs, and other documents to the WPC and relevant committees.Inputs:
UN Women will provide the Consultant with background information/ material and technical support for implementing the workplan. Work-related travel cost will be paid as per UN Women policies.Duration:
The assignment will last fromย 1 June 2025 to 31 December 2025 (7 Months).ย
Payment Schedule:
The contract will be spread over 7 months. Payment will be made on monthly instalments on submission of monthly certificate of payment.
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:
Will be added separately for each positionEducation:
Masterโs degree in gender, womenโs studies, Psychology, law, social sciences, international development, international relations or other development-related fields. Bachelors with additional 2 years of experience will be considered.ย Experience: Minimum 5 yearsโ experience of working with government departments and/ or civil society on womenโs empowerment and leadership, including experience in making policy frameworks. Substantive knowledge and experience on gender equality and womenโs empowerment at policy level. Experience of developing strategies on awareness-raising, civic engagement and womenโs participation/ leadership in the political sphere. Experience in coordination and advocacy between diverse partners. Good knowledge of the parliamentary system or UN system is an asset. Work experience with political set ups (National/ Provincial Assembly) will be an asset.ย Competencies: Strong analytical, writing and communication skills. Computer skills comprising knowledge of internet tools, Windows, and command of MS Office applications (Word, Excel, Power Point). Knowledge of databases will be an asset.ย Languageย Requirements: Fluency in English and Urdu.ยApplication:
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/2022-07/UN-Women-P11- Personal-History-Form-en.docย Applications without the completed UNWomen P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment. HEC Attested degrees are a prerequisite for employment at UN. During the recruitment process candidates may be required to present HEC attested degrees. Foreign Qualified Candidates: Foreign degree holders shall be required to (i) Present a verification/certification letter from the university verifying the degree & student enrollment, or (ii) Foreign degree Equivalence Letter from HEC.ยStatements :
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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