National Consultant – Field Coordinator (Thai National only)

Background

Grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, UN Women 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. Placing women’s rights at the centre of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates the efforts of the United Nations system to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. UN Women provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

UN Security Council resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325), unanimously adopted in October 2000, stressed the importance of the equal participation and full involvement of women in all efforts to maintain and promote peace and security. In the years since, seven additional resolutions on women, peace and security (WPS) have been adopted. That created a robust framework for implementing the WPS agenda and reinforced global, commitments, treaties and conventions on women’s rights, including the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

Since the re-emergence of conflict in 2004, women and other marginalized groups in the southern border provinces of Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and some districts of Songkhla of Thailand have suffered the heaviest casualties. Women have been made widows and heads of households but are deprived of their opportunities to earn the necessary income and raise their young families in a secure environment. Those who became widows or have lost their sons in the violent incidents are struggling to gain access to justice in the judiciary process and to reintegrate themselves in the communities.

UN Women in Thailand has been working on Women, Peace and Security since 2012 and from November 2016 has collaborated with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS) and local women’s organizations in implementing and localizing the Measures and Guidelines on Women, Peace and Security to ensure accountability and policy coherence at national and sub-national levels. The National Consultation on Women’s Leadership and Peace and Security in December 2018 organized by UN Women led to the institutionalization of the Coordination Centre for Children and Women in Southern Border Provinces (CCCW-SBP) in July 2019. While supporting the Thai Government in moving forward and rolling out the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security at the national level, UN Women in Thailand actively engages at least 30 local women’s groups in Songkhla, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat to develop joint agendas and advocacy strategies to influence government organizations to apply gender-responsive peacebuilding approaches to public policies. This has widened advocacy space and included marginalized groups in the engagement of social dialogues as a means to resolve tensions, prevent violence within communities and contribute to a peaceful society.

UN Women in partnership with Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and the Government of United Kingdom  is implementing the regional programme, “Empowering Women for Sustainable Peace: preventing violence and promoting social cohesion in ASEAN” which aims to advance the implementation of the WPS agenda in ASEAN, including preventing violence against women and promoting social cohesion in the region. More specifically, the Programme will strengthen the capacities of ASEAN institutions and ASEAN Member States (AMS) on WPS. Although the programme largely focuses on advancing normative frameworks, capacity building and exchange of knowledge and good practices, it encompasses country-level implementation, where synergies between the regional and country-level interventions can be enhanced and leveraged. The programme also aims at strengthening the capacity of Civil Society Organizations with a focus on women organizations and networks to facilitate their participation in decision making processes and responses to implement the WPS agenda.

By establishing a common space where community dialogues, social mobilization and community development initiatives take place, women are able to contribute to fostering peaceful and resilient communities. With increased knowledge and skills, women have transformed their roles from vulnerable or soft targets to agents of change and peace communicators to connect communities with authorities and to promote social cohesion and take initiatives in communities at risk. UN Women in Thaila will continue to support the capacity building and platform of dialogue and knowledge sharing of women and women’s civil society in the southern border provinces to participate in decision making processes and responses to implement the WPS agenda for social cohesion.

Grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, UN Women 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. Placing women’s rights at the centre of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates the efforts of the United Nations system to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. UN Women provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

UN Security Council resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325), unanimously adopted in October 2000, stressed the importance of the equal participation and full involvement of women in all efforts to maintain and promote peace and security. In the years since, seven additional resolutions on women, peace and security (WPS) have been adopted. That created a robust framework for implementing the WPS agenda and reinforced global, commitments, treaties and conventions on women’s rights, including the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

Since the re-emergence of conflict in 2004, women and other marginalized groups in the southern border provinces of Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and some districts of Songkhla of Thailand have suffered the heaviest casualties. Women have been made widows and heads of households but are deprived of their opportunities to earn the necessary income and raise their young families in a secure environment. Those who became widows or have lost their sons in the violent incidents are struggling to gain access to justice in the judiciary process and to reintegrate themselves in the communities.

UN Women in Thailand has been working on Women, Peace and Security since 2012 and from November 2016 has collaborated with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS) and local women’s organizations in implementing and localizing the Measures and Guidelines on Women, Peace and Security to ensure accountability and policy coherence at national and sub-national levels. The National Consultation on Women’s Leadership and Peace and Security in December 2018 organized by UN Women led to the institutionalization of the Coordination Centre for Children and Women in Southern Border Provinces (CCCW-SBP) in July 2019. While supporting the Thai Government in moving forward and rolling out the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security at the national level, UN Women in Thailand actively engages at least 30 local women’s groups in Songkhla, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat to develop joint agendas and advocacy strategies to influence government organizations to apply gender-responsive peacebuilding approaches to public policies. This has widened advocacy space and included marginalized groups in the engagement of social dialogues as a means to resolve tensions, prevent violence within communities and contribute to a peaceful society.

UN Women in partnership with Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and the Government of United Kingdom  is implementing the regional programme, “Empowering Women for Sustainable Peace: preventing violence and promoting social cohesion in ASEAN” which aims to advance the implementation of the WPS agenda in ASEAN, including preventing violence against women and promoting social cohesion in the region. More specifically, the Programme will strengthen the capacities of ASEAN institutions and ASEAN Member States (AMS) on WPS. Although the programme largely focuses on advancing normative frameworks, capacity building and exchange of knowledge and good practices, it encompasses country-level implementation, where synergies between the regional and country-level interventions can be enhanced and leveraged. The programme also aims at strengthening the capacity of Civil Society Organizations with a focus on women organizations and networks to facilitate their participation in decision making processes and responses to implement the WPS agenda.

By establishing a common space where community dialogues, social mobilization and community development initiatives take place, women are able to contribute to fostering peaceful and resilient communities. With increased knowledge and skills, women have transformed their roles from vulnerable or soft targets to agents of change and peace communicators to connect communities with authorities and to promote social cohesion and take initiatives in communities at risk. UN Women in Thaila will continue to support the capacity building and platform of dialogue and knowledge sharing of women and women’s civil society in the southern border provinces to participate in decision making processes and responses to implement the WPS agenda for social cohesion.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of Programme Analyst (Thailand), the primary role of the Women, Peace and Security Field Coordinator includes:

• Provide the situation analysis and technical input on women’s participation in the promotion of social cohesion in the elimination of hate speeches and enhancing women’s economic empowerment in supporting the Government in the initiatives by the Coordination Centre for Women and Children in Southern Border Provinces (CCWC-SBP).
• Update mapping of communities at risks and stakeholders on media and information literacy in promoting social cohesion.
• Support and coordinate with other UN Women’s national consultants to facilitate the review of the Measure and Guideline on WPS or the development of the National Action Plan on WPS.
• Coordinate and maintain regular contact with women’s groups, civil society organizations, community/religious leaders and local government counterparts including CCWC-SBP.
• Travel to communities at risk and prepare monthly field report.
• Assist in facilitating and monitoring UN Women Thailand work in the southern border provinces.

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

Functional Competencies:

• Excellent analytical skills
• Strong knowledge of UN Women processes and systems
• Strong networking skills
• Strong inter-personal skills, communicate effectively with staff at all levels of the organization;
• Ability to work in a highly pressured environment

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree in the field of Political Science, international relations, international development, gender studies, conflict/humanitarian action or other related areas.
• A first-level university degree in similar fields in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Proven experience in coordinating a project/programme in the area of peacebuilding and deradicalization in the Southern Border Provinces of Thailand.
• Knowledge about gender equality and peace and security in the Southern Border Provinces of Thailand is required.
• Skilled with research and communications support related to gender equality, violence against women and access to justice is an advantage.
• Strong research and writing skills, with strong coordinating skills are required.
• Familiarity with UN agencies, government agencies and/or non-profit organizations in the southern border provinces of Thailand is preferred.

Language requirement:

• Fluency in Thai and English is required.
• Knowledge of Bahasa Melayu/Malay is an asset.

Payments:

Payments for this consultancy will be based on the achievement of deliverable and certification that each has been satisfactorily completed. Payment will not be based on the number of days worked but on the completion of each stated deliverable within the indicated timeframes on satisfactory completion of task.

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.)