National Consultant for Market Vendors Associations Constitutions

Job Posting Organization:
UN Women, established in July 2010, is dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. It operates globally, with a mission to eliminate discrimination against women and girls, empower women, and achieve equality between women and men. The organization works in collaboration with over 20 UN agencies across 14 Pacific Island countries, including Fiji, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu, focusing on various program areas such as ending violence against women and girls, women's economic empowerment, and governance. The UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office (MCO) specifically guides gender equality efforts in the Pacific region, aligning its strategies with the UN Pacific Sustainable Development Framework and the 2050 Blue Pacific Strategy.

Job Overview:
The National Consultant will play a crucial role in reviewing and updating the constitutions of existing market vendors associations (MVAs) and developing new constitutions for emerging MVAs in the Solomon Islands. This position is integral to the Markets for Change (M4C) project, which aims to promote gender equality and economic empowerment among market vendors, particularly women. The consultant will conduct a comprehensive desk review of existing constitutions, engage with stakeholders to gather input, and ensure that the revised and new constitutions reflect the needs of the vendors while complying with local regulations. The consultant will also facilitate stakeholder consultations and present proposed revisions at Annual General Meetings for formal adoption, ensuring that the associations remain accountable and effective advocates for their members.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conduct a comprehensive desk review of the constitutions of the existing MVAs (Auki, Buala, Gizo, Honiara, and Munda) to assess their strengths and weaknesses.
• Engage with each existing MVA to gather input on potential constitutional revisions, ensuring alignment with vendor needs.
• Present proposed revisions at Annual General Meetings or extraordinary full members meetings for formal adoption by MVA members.
• Finalize and submit the updated constitutions to the Company Haus, Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labor and Immigration for official registration.
• Collaborate with local stakeholders to draft new constitutions for the emerging Malu'u and Seghe MVAs, incorporating vendor feedback.
• Organize consultations with market vendors in Malu'u and Seghe to gather input on the drafts.
• Finalize and submit the new constitutions to the Company Haus for formal establishment and registration.
• Prepare reports on the review and revision process, ensuring all documents are written in English and returned to UN Women in electronic format.

Required Qualifications:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Law, Legal Studies, International Law, Social Science, International Development, or a related field. A first-level University Degree with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.
• At least five years of progressively responsible experience in general legal practice and drafting legal documents (or seven years with a first-level degree).
• Experience in the legal environment, gender work, project/programme formulation, implementation, coordination, monitoring, evaluation, and donor reporting.
• Proven expertise in gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.
• Experience in facilitating workshops and conducting research/consultation.
• Knowledge of local governance systems and issues associated with fresh markets in the Solomon Islands.
• Strong presentation and facilitation skills, with the ability to organize meetings and conduct assessments/reviews under tight deadlines.

Educational Background:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in relevant fields such as Law, Legal Studies, International Law, Social Science, or International Development. A first-level University Degree combined with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.

Experience:
The position requires at least five years of progressively responsible experience in legal practice and drafting legal documents, or seven years with a first-level university degree. Candidates should have experience at the national and/or international level in legal environments, gender work, and project/programme management.

Languages:
Fluency in English, both verbal and written, is required. A good command of Pidgin (oral) is considered an asset. Proficiency in office IT applications and internet research is also necessary.

Additional Notes:
The consultancy is home-based, with the National Consultant required to reside in Honiara. The total duration of the contract assignment will be up to 150 working days within a six-month period, effective from 1 April 2026 until 2 November 202

• UN Women will cover travel costs for six provincial missions, including flights and Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) for travel outside Honiara. However, transportation costs within Honiara will not be covered, and no DSA or relocation costs will be provided for this position. The consultant's performance will be evaluated based on timeliness, responsibility, initiative, communication, accuracy, and quality of deliverables.