Outreach Coordinator – Women, Peace and Security (3 positions)

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.

Afghanistan is one of the world’s most complex emergencies, and the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Afghan people are grappling with the impact of conflict, poverty, economic decline, and natural disasters. In this context, Afghan women and girls face unique vulnerabilities and require urgent support as gender inequality is interwoven with conflict dynamics and humanitarian needs. It is essential that Afghan women and girls can continue to shape the development of their country, and that their gains are protected. UN Women remains fully committed to supporting Afghan women and girls and to putting them at the center of the global response to the crisis in Afghanistan.

UN Women has been in Afghanistan for two decades. UN Women’s programming approach is informed by analysis of the political, economic and humanitarian situation, risks to and capacities of partner organizations, and needs of Afghan women and girls. UN Women Afghanistan currently has four key programme priorities: (1) Gender in Humanitarian Action, (2) Ending Violence Against Women, (3) Women’s Economic Empowerment, and (4) Women, Peace and Security.

In this dire situation, the unwavering resolve of Afghan women continues to grow, from the simple act of leaving the home, to running businesses and organizing communities to address basic needs and fight for equality. The Afghan women’s movement – inside and outside the country – is organizing visibly and under the radar and forming coalitions and alliances to work together to build a more inclusive Afghanistan. Work continues at the community level to find pathways for a viable future and for building trust between communities and local authorities. This includes efforts to maintain hard fought spaces for independent civil society organizations, and to support and tolerance for conceptions of rights – including women’s rights and gender equality.

The Afghan women’s movement is the thread that runs through every period of Afghanistan’s history. In the face of different forms of exclusion, women’s organizations and leaders have continuously fought for gender equality gains, from starting women chambers of commerce to running landmark campaigns to have the names of women on national IDs. One core demand that has spanned the country’s history is the call for Afghan women to represent themselves in all forums and discussions on Afghanistan’s future. Since 2021, coalitions have been formed to discreetly bring women together across the country. In exile, Afghan women are initiating entities and coalitions around policy windows to advance rights issues, including finding ways to anchor their advocacy in the lived realities of all Afghan women. These coalitions have gained ground as Afghan women inside and outside the country find commonalities in shared objectives – including calling for the direct participation of women in UN-convened Doha meetings.

Against this backdrop, there is a need to create space for Afghan women from all walks of life to explore ways to connect and collaborate around joint policy asks; and to link these asks to ongoing processes. While some network building is underway inside and outside the country, it is often bound to geographic location (e.g., Afghan women in exile in different countries), political affiliations (e.g., historical identity lines), issues (e.g., networks around humanitarian response) or positions (e.g., bringing together women who are anti-engagement vs. those more open to it). UN Women’s convening role is critical to cutting through these siloes and bringing diverse Afghan women together to build inclusive, structural connections to key policy discussions.

The Consultant will report to WPS Programme Manager, with day-to-day supervision by the WPS Technical Coordinator. Upon UNW ACO request, and will support the technical preparation and coordination of an Afghan Women’s Summit that bring together diverse Afghan women inside and outside the country. The Summit aims to facilitate a space for Afghan women inside and the outside the country to strategize and coalesce around key policies issues under discussion by the international community, including feeding into international policy discussions (e.g., Beijing +30); alongside putting the world’s most dire women’s rights crisis back on the international agenda.

Duties and Responsibilities

 

1. Conduct research/analysis to inform consultative processes undertaken by UN Women
   • Conduct background research/analysis to inform consultations/meetings/workshops convened by UN Women;
   • Track contextual developments related to women’s civil society;
   • Review and input into UN Women planning documents related to consultations/meetings/workshops, contributing technical and contextual expertise;
2. Coordinate high-level consultations, meetings and workshops for UN Women Afghanistan
   • Support the drafting of concept notes, agendas, participant lists, meeting minutes/reports for meetings/consultations/workshops;
   • Translate key documents into Dari and/or Pashto as requested;
   • Document all meetings/consultations/workshops using templates provided by UN Women;
   • Facilitate meetings with Afghan women either in-person or online;
   • Lead on all travel and logistics related to meetings (in-person or online), in accordance with UN Women’s internal policies;
   • Maintain all records related to meetings/consultations/workshops;
3. Liaise and conduct outreach with Afghan women
   • Review and input on outreach strategies developed by UN Women;
   • Maintain a database of Afghan women in a specific region;
   • Conduct outreach meetings, as requested;
   • Provide regular updates to UN Women Afghanistan on developments;
4. Other tasks as required
   • This may include various operational, technical, or administrative duties;

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based consultancy with international travel as required. 

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:                                                  

• Technical credibility and expertise on WPS in challenging operational contexts
• Strong writing skills and ability to synthesize data to produce analytical reports and advise strategic decision-making
• Strong policy analysis experience and knowledge of WPS;
• Strong organization skills and ability to pay close attention to detail;
• Ability to lead formulation of strategies and their implementation
• Strong networking skills

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in social sciences, human rights, gender/women’s studies, international development, or a related field is required. · 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 2 years of progressively responsible work experience in development programme/project implementation, coordination, monitoring and evaluation, donor reporting and capacity building is required.
• Experience in the women, peace and security is desirable.
• Experience coordinating and liaising with civil society, government agencies and/or donors is desirable.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems is required.
• Experience facilitating meetings is required.
• Strong organizational skills and experience in organizing meetings (online and in-person) required.
• Ability to work independently and deliver on tight timelines is required.

Languages:

• Fluency in English and Dari and/or Pashto is required.

How to Apply:

• Personal CV or P11 (P11 can be downloaded from: )
• A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page)
• Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns, or other materials.

Application:

• All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from   Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.
• Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply

Note:

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality, and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW, and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Inclusion Statement:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits employ, 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.)