Advocacy and Coordination Consultant

Job Posting Organization:
UN Women, established in July 2010, is the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. It was created as part of the UN reform agenda to consolidate resources and mandates for greater impact on gender equality and women's empowerment. UN Women merges and builds on the work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system that focused on gender equality. The organization operates globally, supporting UN Member States in setting standards for achieving gender equality and working with governments and civil society to implement laws, policies, and programs. UN Women has a presence in 25 countries in East and Southern Africa through twelve country offices and a program presence, as well as support to the UN Country Team where it does not have an office. The organization focuses on five priority areas: increasing women's leadership and participation, ending violence against women and girls, engaging women in peace and security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security processes, enhancing women's economic empowerment, and integrating gender equality into national development planning and budgeting. UN Women also coordinates the UN system's work in advancing gender equality, particularly in the context of the East and Southern Africa region, where it addresses issues such as violence against women and girls, economic empowerment, and the rights of marginalized groups.

Job Overview:
The Advocacy and Coordination Consultant will play a crucial role in supporting the implementation and coordination of advocacy strategies under the ACT Programme, which aims to eliminate violence against women and girls (VAWG) through transformative feminist action. The consultant will facilitate communication and collaboration among partner organizations, ensuring that activities align with the regional advocacy agenda. This role involves supporting documentation, monitoring, and knowledge-sharing to enhance the efficiency and impact of ongoing advocacy initiatives. The consultant will work closely with the ACT Regional Coordinator and partner organizations to ensure that advocacy efforts are coherent and impactful, without duplicating existing strategic leadership provided by partners. The consultant will also be responsible for developing communication products, tracking progress of advocacy initiatives, and supporting the strengthening of feminist movements across the region.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The consultant will be responsible for several key areas, including:

• Strategic Coordination and Partnership Support: Facilitating regular coordination among ACT partners and broader EVAWG stakeholders, ensuring effective communication of updates, sharing of resources, and identifying collaboration opportunities.
• Advocacy and Technical Support: Planning and implementing regional and country-level advocacy initiatives, preparing advocacy briefs, and engaging with various stakeholders to advance ACT advocacy priorities.
• Strategic Communications and Visibility: Leading the development and implementation of communication plans, producing high-quality communication products, and coordinating dissemination of program achievements.
• Monitoring, Results Documentation and Learning: Tracking progress of advocacy activities, documenting outcomes and lessons learned, and consolidating reports for internal learning and external communication.
• Knowledge Management and Feminist Movement Strengthening: Supporting partners in developing knowledge products, facilitating exchanges of good practices, and contributing to the development of advocacy resources.
• Convening and Stakeholder Engagement: Planning and organizing consultations, webinars, and workshops, and preparing meeting reports and recommendations.
• Capacity Strengthening and Partner Support: Providing technical guidance to partners on coordination mechanisms and facilitating peer learning among ACT partners.

Required Qualifications:
The position requires an advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Gender Studies, Communications, International Relations, Development Studies, Social Sciences, Public Policy, Human Rights, or a related field. A first-level university degree in one of these fields, combined with two additional years of relevant professional experience, may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree. Candidates must have a minimum of 2 years of progressively responsible professional experience in advocacy, strategic communications, program coordination, knowledge management, or related areas. Experience working on gender equality, women’s rights, and ending violence against women and girls is essential. Candidates should also have experience coordinating multi-stakeholder initiatives and developing advocacy and communication products for diverse audiences.

Educational Background:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in relevant fields such as Gender Studies, Communications, International Relations, Development Studies, Social Sciences, Public Policy, or Human Rights. Alternatively, a first-level university degree in one of these fields, combined with two additional years of relevant professional experience, may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 2 years of progressively responsible professional experience in areas such as advocacy, strategic communications, program coordination, and stakeholder engagement. Candidates should have experience working on gender equality and women’s rights, as well as experience coordinating initiatives involving women’s rights organizations and civil society. Experience in developing advocacy and communication products, organizing consultations and workshops, and documenting program results is also required. Desirable experience includes working with feminist movements and previous professional experience with the United Nations or international development organizations.

Languages:
Fluency in English is required for this position. A working knowledge of another UN language is considered an advantage, enhancing the candidate's ability to engage with diverse stakeholders and contribute to the organization's global mission.

Additional Notes:
The consultancy is expected to last for 4 months, with the consultant reporting to the ACT Programme Regional Coordinator. Weekly check-ins and progress updates will be conducted to ensure alignment with ongoing advocacy activities. UN Women is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and adheres to a zero-tolerance policy on conduct incompatible with its aims and objectives, including discrimination and harassment. Selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.