Background

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.

The UN Women Multi Country Office (MCO) – Caribbean covers 22 countries and territories in the English and Dutch speaking Caribbean, which are part of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Strides towards gender equality in the countries covered by the MCO have resulted in gains for women and girls in the Caribbean, relating primarily to high education rates, and increases in employment rates. However critical gaps remain, including the understanding of what is gender equality and why working towards its realisation is integral to countries’ advancing their development to ensure no one is left behind.

UN Women MCO – Caribbean stands behind women’s equal participation in all aspects of life, focusing on five strategic priority areas – expanding women’s voice, leadership and participation; ending violence against women and girls; strengthening women’s full participation in conflict resolution and peace processes; enhancing women’s economic empowerment; and making gender equality central to national development planning and budgeting including climate change and disaster resilience. Developing knowledge products in these areas are a critical element in UN Women MCO- Caribbean’s programme.

The MCO has developed very strong knowledge products and tools over the tenure of the last strategic note, which contributed directly to the MCOs reputation as the knowledge broker on gender equality and women’s empowerment in the Caribbean. The tools and products tie the normative framework to clear actions governments and civil society can take to implement more gender equitable programming and policies. The MCO’s programming highlights the importance of continuing to develop these tools and products and outlines a clear strategy for ensuring the accessibility and promotion of these tools to key actors.

The consultant will be reporting to the Communications Advocacy Analyst (Barbados) who will ensure close coordination with the programme officers as it relates to the specific report, brief or publication and will be the point of contact on the contract and payment issues. The consultant will be under the overall supervision of the UN Women MCO – Caribbean Representative.

Duties and Responsibilities

The consultant is expected to complete the content (including copy) edits for UN Women reports, policy briefs, infographics, toolkits among a wide range of knowledge products. These tasks include research, writing, editing, and proof-reading materials ranging from complex publications to substantive technical documents in accordance with the UN Women and partner publications’ guidelines.

Description of Responsibilities /Scope of Work

The consultant is expected to:

• Research, restructure and rewrite if required;
• Proofread and copyedit;
• Ensure consistent style and formatting throughout the document;
• Ensure all footnotes, sources, references are complete and consistent;
• Thoroughly review annexes (people consulted, bibliography, etc) as per UN publication guidelines;
• Prepare a complete Table of Contents and Acronyms if needed;
• Proofread designed layout files to ensure completeness.

Competencies

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity and Fairness
• 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:

https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment/application-process#_Values

Functional Competencies

• Advanced knowledge and expertise in graphic design
• Creative flair and originality
• Attention to detail.
• High level of motivation, ability to show initiative and work independently
• Demonstrated ability to multitask under pressure and to meet strict deadlines.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Certification:

• Advanced University degree in English, Journalism, or other Social Sciences related field.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• At least 5 years’ experience with editing and proof-reading of social and/or economic policy-related reports, publications and other programme documents is required. Examples of work are to be provided.
• At least 5 years’ experience in report writing and editing of national or international development and/or other UN agency documents is required.
• Experience working on issues related to women’s empowerment and gender equality is desirable.
• Experience working with the UN, working in development or a humanitarian environment is desirable.
• Experience working within the Caribbean context is an asset.

Languages:

• Fluency in oral and written English is required.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

• The consultancy will be home-based with no travel required.
• The consultant will be engaged for a maximum of 150 working days within the period, 18 March 2024 to 28 February 2025.

Remuneration

• The consultancy fee will be negotiated before contracting. Each payment will be based on a predefined and formal agreement between UN Women and the consultant and will be disbursed based on satisfactory completion of agreed deliverables.
• The remuneration for this contract type is an all-inclusive fee, the organization will not be liable for additional cost or benefits. Hence, it is the responsibility of the consultant to take out adequate medical insurance for the duration of the contract and it is recommendable that the policy includes coverage for COVID-19 related illness. The medical coverage should be international when the contract requires missions or international assignment.
• If selected for this consultancy, proof of medical coverage should be presented within the first two months of the contract.

Hardware, Software, And Communication

• The consultant must be equipped with a fully functional laptop, which must run at least Windows 7. The consultants must be reasonably accessible by email and telephone (preferably mobile). The use of reliable, internet-based (Skype or equivalent) is required.

Statement of Confidentiality

• The consultant contracted will be required to sign a statement of confidentiality and freedom from any conflict of interest with potential future contractors with respect to the TORs and work that they will be delivering.

How to Apply

• Submit a Personal CV (no longer than 5 pages) and an updated and signed UN Women P11 Form

The UN Women P11 can be downloaded from: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.doc

• A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page)
• Minimum of three (3) client references that include the name of the contact person, title, and contact information.
• A Portfolio should be provided (No longer than 10 pages – samples of latest work from different projects/institutions including but not limited to reports, policy briefs, information, and advocacy guides/briefs; technical publications etc.)

Other:

Submissions to UNDP Jobs are limited to a maximum of 10 MB, virus-free or corrupted contents to avoid rejection, and no more than 1 email transmission. All applications must be submitted through UNDP jobs. Please do not send applications to UN Women staff as they will not be accepted.

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.)