Consultant for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment

Job Posting Organization:
UN Women was established in July 2010 as part of the UN reform agenda to enhance gender equality and women's empowerment globally. The organization merges the efforts of four previously distinct parts of the UN system, namely DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW, and UNIFEM, to create a unified entity focused on these critical issues. UN Women operates in 42 countries across the Asia-Pacific region, addressing various challenges related to gender equality and women's empowerment, including discriminatory social norms and practices. The organization aims to eliminate discrimination against women and girls, empower women, and achieve equality between genders as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action, and peace and security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security. The Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) plays a crucial role in supporting UN Women’s offices and UN Country Teams in 24 countries, overseeing three non-physical presence offices, and engaging in intergovernmental support, women's leadership, and political participation, among other areas.

Job Overview:
The consultant will work under the supervision of the Regional Coordination Specialist, providing technical support to ROAP units and country presences on intergovernmental and normative processes. This role involves building partnerships with various stakeholders, including governments, inter-governmental bodies, civil society, and the private sector. The consultant will also support resource mobilization efforts and knowledge-building initiatives. The position requires a strong understanding of gender equality and women's empowerment issues, as well as the ability to engage effectively in normative processes at regional and global levels. The consultant will be responsible for drafting policy documents, providing advisory support, and facilitating capacity-building efforts to ensure meaningful engagement in intergovernmental processes.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide high-quality technical and policy advisory support to Regional Office management in support of UN Women’s normative mandate. This includes drafting policy documents, briefs, and strategic papers, identifying areas for support, and providing quality control for regional and country-level interventions.
• Support ROAP units and partners on gender equality and women's empowerment (GEWE) related normative commitments, including through Human Rights treaty body reporting mechanisms and multi-stakeholder initiatives. Act as the focal point for normative work and engage in intergovernmental/multi-stakeholder fora.
• Provide substantive support to ROAP management and country presences on UN inter-agency coordination activities, including analyzing and researching the political, social, and economic situation in the region.
• Manage knowledge-building efforts by identifying best practices and lessons learned, preparing briefs on cooperation with key partners, and developing analytical knowledge products.
• Submit monthly progress reports outlining work completed during the reporting period, including guidance, presentations, and other outputs.

Required Qualifications:

• Education: A Master's degree (or equivalent) in Human Rights Law, International Development, Gender, or Political Sciences is required. A first-level university degree combined with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree. A project/program management certification is an added advantage.
• Experience: A minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in supporting normative intergovernmental processes, with technical and capacity-building experience in gender and/or human rights of women. 3-5 years of experience at the national or international level in design, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of development projects is required. Experience in the UN System and partnership building with development stakeholders is desirable.

Educational Background:
The position requires a Master's degree or equivalent in relevant fields such as Human Rights Law, International Development, Gender, or Political Sciences. A first-level university degree may be accepted with additional qualifying experience. A project/program management certification would be beneficial.

Experience:
The consultant should have at least 5 years of progressive experience working in support of normative intergovernmental processes, with a focus on gender equality and women's empowerment. Experience in technical capacity building in these fields is essential, along with 3-5 years of experience in project design, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation at either the national or international level. Familiarity with the UN System and experience in partnership building with various stakeholders is also desirable.

Languages:
Proficiency in English is required for this position. Knowledge of another UN official working language would be considered an asset, enhancing the consultant's ability to engage with diverse stakeholders and contribute to the organization's goals.

Additional Notes:
This consultancy is office-based in Bangkok, Thailand, with the expectation of working 20 days a month. The consultant will receive a monthly rate upon satisfactory completion of tasks summarized in monthly reports. UN Women will cover travel and related visa and terminal fees for the Thailand duty station, while accommodation costs will be the responsibility of the selected consultant. The consultant may be required to travel outside the duty station, with travel arrangements prepared separately by UN Women. The application process requires a letter of interest, a list of professional references, and relevant writing samples.