Consultant on Ending Violence against Women

Background

Background/Context

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. Through its programmes and projects, UN Women is providing technical assistance to governmental and non-governmental partners in the implementation of the international and national commitments to women’s rights and gender equality, it facilitates networking and exchange of good practices and advocates for women’s rights and gender equality in all areas of life.

In line with its Strategic Plan and Biannual Work Plan 2024-2025, UN Women Serbia works under the impact area of achieving life free from violence for all women and girls. Since 2024, the UN agencies (UNDP, UNICEF, UN Women, UNFPA) and the Government of Serbia started the implementation of the joint SIDA funded project “Ending Violence, Empowering Change”. The project is building on the results achieved through the phase III, with the aim to ensure that: the legal-strategic framework regarding gender equality is implemented consistently and evenly throughout Serbia, institutional and organizational practices contribute to gender equality and are sensitive to specific needs of women and girls from vulnerable groups, and that harmful practices and attitudes that lead to gender inequality, discrimination and violence against women and girls are tackled. The project will tackle the main issues related to prevention and protection of women and girls-survivors of domestic violence, support economic and career empowerment, accelerate the process of Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 and the implementation of international commitments and recommendations, particularly CEDAW and Istanbul Convention. The project will be implemented through four components corresponding to the four key results: 1) Transformed Gender Attitudes and Roles; 2) State institutions and CSOs ensure effective prevention and improved access to gender sensitive quality services for survivors of domestic violence; 3) Women and girls’ empowerment and skills development lead to equitable access to economic and political opportunities; and 4) Legal and Cultural Transformation for Gender Equality.

As part of its activities, UN Women will support strengthening of the institutional capacities of the provincial institutions and networks to improve effective response to domestic violence, intimate partner violence and gender-based violence. The objective of this assignment is to support the efforts of the Provincial Protector of Citizens (Provincial Ombudsman) in improving capacities of the members of the Network ‘Life without violence’ and to support implementation of the Network Strategic plan. 

The consultant will be reporting to UN Women Project Officer, and will be supported by the Project Officer, who will be the point of contact on the contract and payment issues.

Duties and Responsibilities

Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work

Working under the overall supervision of UN Women Project Officer and in continuous cooperation with the Provincial Ombudsman, the Consultant is expected to conduct the following: 

• Identify the main topics of relevance, develop agenda and training material for organization of training sessions for students and for representatives of the media on the territory of the AP Vojvodina on gender equality, stereotypes, gender-based violence against women – institutional and legal response, and media reporting on violence against women.
• Conduct one day training session in person in Novi Sad for students of the University in Novi Sad, in particular the Faculty of Philosophy, department for journalism and the Faculty of Law for students members of the legal clinic.
• Conduct one day training session in person in Novi Sad for media representatives on the territory of the AP Vojvodina.
• Submit a written report on the trainings conducted, including training evaluations and recommendations for follow up activities on areas where the participants knowledge and skills should be strengthened.
• Based on the inputs provided by the Provincial Ombudsman, identify the main topics of relevance, develop agenda and training material for organization of specialized training sessions on gender-based violence for representatives of institution(s) that is part of the Network ‘Life without violence’. Training sessions to be defined based on the needs assessment currently conducted by the Provincial Ombudsman.
• Conduct two one-day training sessions in person in Novi Sad for representatives of institutions that are part of the Network ‘Life without violence’ (i.e. police officers, prosecutors, judges).
• Submit a written report on the trainings conducted, including training evaluations and recommendations for follow up activities on areas where the participants knowledge and skills should be strengthened.
• Provision of expert assistance in developing the agenda and concept for the Working meeting of the Coordinating team within the Network ‘Life without violence’.
• Review the existing Strategic plan of the Network and identify status in implementation of measures, key issues, and indicative priorities as inputs for a new plan that should cover period 2025-2026.
• Moderating the working meeting of the Coordinating team.
• Submit a written report on the working meeting conducted, including identification of recommendations on areas where the participants knowledge and skills should be strengthened.
• Submit report of the Strategic plan review with identification of status in implementation, key issues, needs and indicative priorities as inputs for a new plan.
• To report to UN Women on implementation of activities. 

Deliverables

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based consultancy.

As part of this assignment, there will be a maximum of 5 trips to the Novi Sad for trainings delivery and meeting with the Provincial Ombudsman. Also, the working meeting for Coordination team members will be organized outside of the Novi Sad (precise location to be decided during assignment) so this will require for the consultant to travel as well. All travel expenses will be covered by UN Women.

Competencies

Core Values: 

• 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 

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies:  

FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES: 

• Excellent knowledge of gender equality and gender-based violence against women.
• Ability to communicate sensitively, effectively, and creatively across different constituencies.
• Good communication, presentation, and networking skills.
• Ability to be strategic and analytical.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Certification:

• University degree (Bachelor’s degree) in political science, international relations, law, sociology, or other related social sciences. Advanced university degree (Master’s Degree or higher) would be considered an advantage.

Experience:

• At least 5 years of demonstrated experience and expertise in the field of prevention and combating violence against women and girls and specific forms of VAWG.
• At least 3 years of relevant experience and expertise in strategic development and implementation of trainings.
• Experience in working with governmental and independent institutions.
• Experience in working with international organizations would be considered an advantage.

Languages:

• Fluency in written and oral Serbian is required.
• Fluency in written English is required.

Selection matrix  

The qualification of the individual is evaluated based on the following qualification evaluation criteria:

How to Apply 

• Personal CV or P11 (P11 can be downloaded from: )
• A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page)

How to Submit the Application: To submit your application online, please follow the steps below:

• Download and complete the 
• Merge your UN Women Personal History Form (P11) and Cover Letter into a single file. The system does not allow for more than one attachment to be uploaded.
• Click on the Job Title (job vacancy announcement).
• Click ‘Apply Now’ button, fill in necessary information on the first page, and then click ‘Submit Application;’
• Upload your application/single file as indicated above with the merged documents (underlined above).
• You will receive an automatic response to your email confirming receipt of your application by the system.

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, 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 to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel 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.)