Background

In this role as the global voice and advocate for gender equality and the empowerment of women, UN Women must deliver to an ambitious agenda as a centre of excellence on knowledge, partnerships, advocacy, and social mobilization, as well as a convener, thought leader and champion of gender equality and women’s empowerment.

UN Women’s Civil Society Division plays a key role in helping to drive commitment and action on gender equality, women’s rights and women’s empowerment through its partnership and engagement with civil society across the globe. The crucial contribution of civil society organizations in the advancement of gender equality, women’s empowerment and women’s rights, the role of civil society and the women’s movement as partners, supporting UN Women’s leadership, is seen as fundamental in the full realization of gender equality, women’s rights, and women’s empowerment. UN Women has a unique and critical role in engaging civil society and partnership building with women’s organizations as stakeholders to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment and the Civil Society Division helps drive this partnership.

The Civil Society Division also aims to support the implementation of the UN Women Strategic Plan 2022-2025 and promote the rights of women and girls globally through strategic and innovative partnerships with intersectional and intergenerational civil society partners. To appropriately align with the Strategic Plan, Civil Society Division has developed a Strategic Note that reflects the divisional vision and prioritizes the strengthening of multistakeholder allyship models with civil society at the core, to contribute to a networked, people-centred multilateral system that more effectively supports the rights of women and girls including women human rights defenders, especially in response to global coordinated pushback against human rights and gender equality.

In this context[SC1] [JAWC2] , UN Women is developing a pushforward strategy that aims to reaffirm the international community’s strong commitment to gender equality and increase awareness of and capacities to replicate good and innovative practices to pushforward for gender equality and human rights and uphold democratic institutions across diverse contexts that are being undertaken by a range of actors, including women human rights defenders, civil society, youth, parliamentarians and public servants at different levels of government, the United Nations, and other stakeholder groups.

Under the overall direction of the Director and Deputy Director of the Civil Society Division, the consultant will work with UN Women to produce a concise summary table mapping 1) actors working to counter pushback and their activities, and 2) knowledge products on countering pushback to collate main findings and recommendations, particularly those addressed to the multilateral system/UN.

The consultant will work closely alongside a programme specialist in the Civil Society Division to ensure clarity of direction and alignment with objectives of UN Women’s pushforward strategy.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop a research plan including the definition of key concepts (i.e., anti-gender pushback, pushforward, etc.).
• Conduct a desk review of actors (including UN entities, government agencies, international, regional and national NGOs, philanthrophies) undertaking activities to counter the anti-gender, anti-rights pushback including research, policy advocacy, capacity building and supporting civil society actors and human rights defenders across regions. Data to be collected through consulting online databases, academic journals, grey literature, civil society- and human rights defender-led digital forums, social media.
• Consult with partners as needed to gather more information on their respective strategies, advocacy and/or related publications related to countering pushback.
• Consult with UN Women Regional and Country Office personnel to gather information on the impact of pushback in their respective regions and the multi-stakeholder actors in their networks that are working to counter it.

Produce two concise mapping documents and a summary of key findings therein (details below).

Deliverables:

• Produce two concise mapping documents:

1. A table mapping actors working to counter anti-gender, anti-rights pushback and their relevant activities; and
2. A table mapping knowledge products on countering pushback to collate their main findings and recommendations.

• Produce a concise summary of key findings from the mapping(s), delineating potential entry points for partnerships with UN Women and the broader UN system in this arena.

Competencies

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
• Accountability
• Creative Problem Solving
• Effective Communication
• Inclusive Collaboration
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Leading by Example

FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES:

• Strong knowledge of gender equality and women’s rights issues.
• Demonstrated ability to interact effectively with partners, especially women’s rights organisations.
• Excellent writing and analytical skills.
• Knowledge and understanding of UN system and familiarity with inter-governmental processes, and especially of UN Women’s mandate.
• Excellent IT skills, including databases, extranet and office software packages.

Required Skills and Experience

• Master’s degree or equivalent in international human rights law, women’s studies, gender studies, social sciences, international relations, or a related field is required.
• At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in human rights research or similar background.
• Experience in gender equality and women’s empowerment.
• Experience working with civil society organizations, international institutions and donors.
• Experience working in the UN system is an asset.

Language:

Fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is desirable.