JOB DESCRIPTION

Background:

The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the empowerment of Women (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.

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

In Viet Nam, UN Women contributes to the development objectives of Viet Nam’s Socio-Economic Development Plan and the National Strategy for Gender Equality. Its Country Strategy Note for 2022-2026 is aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (CF) 2022-2026 and is supporting Viet Nam’s fulfilment of Gender Equality commitments under The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), and the promise of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda to “leave no one behind”. The key priorities of UN Women in the 2022-2026 period are:

1. By 2026, people in Viet Nam, especially those at risk of being left behind, will benefit from and contribute to safer and cleaner environment resulting from Viet Nam’s effective and gender responsive mitigation and adaptation to climate change, disaster risk reduction and resilience building, promotion of circular economy, the provision of clean and renewable energy, and the sustainable management of natural resources.
2. By 2026, people in Viet Nam, especially those at risk of being left behind, will contribute to and benefit equitably from more sustainable, inclusive and gender-responsive economic transformation based on innovation, entrepreneurship, enhanced productivity, competitiveness, and decent work;
3. By 2026, people in Viet Nam, especially those at risk of being left behind, will have benefited from and have contributed to a more just, safe and inclusive society based on improved governance, more responsive institutions, strengthened rule of law and the protection of and respect for human rights, gender equality, and freedom from all forms of violence and discrimination in line with international standards.

Gender Equality Law amendment

Gender Equality Law (GEL), an important legal document, was promulgated in 2006. This was the first time that the concept of gender equality had been formally stipulated in a normative legal document in Viet Nam: “Gender equality is the fact that men and women have equal status and roles, are given conditions and opportunities to enhance their capacity for development of the community and the family and to equally enjoy the fruits of that development (article 5, clause 3). This definition has since become the foundation for the formulation, revision and improvement of legal documents, policies, strategies and programmes on or pertaining to gender equality in Viet Nam. Supporting the empowerment of women and affirming that women are equal to men in all spheres of life continues to be an important goal of social economic development in the country. Since then, Viet Nam developed and implemented the National Strategy on Gender Equality 2011–2020 and 2021–2030, as well as relevant national plans of action, programmes and projects to implement GEL in all thematic areas.

Since Viet Nam implemented the GEL, it has maintained a positive reputation as a country where women enjoy formal equality under the law, have comparatively high workforce participation and access to economic opportunity, and ever improving health and higher education attainments. After 18 years of GEL implementation, with the global and regional changes on commitment on gender equality and with the recent impact of the COVID-19 on gender equality, the law has shown gaps and shortcomings. Since 2021, the former Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs – now Ministry of Home Affairs – the State Management Agency for Gender Equality Law, has requested and advocated for the GEL amendment due to the gaps and shortcomings in its 15-year implementation. However, up to now, the law amendment proposal has not been implemented yet. The government still required MOHA to conduct further review and research to strengthen evidence for the law amendment proposal.

MOHA is requested to submit a GEL review report which provides evidence for achievements as well as gaps and challenges in the GEL by the end of this year. In this context, UN Women is looking for a national gender expert to provide technical inputs to the development of the GEL implementation review report that MOHA is drafting.

Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work

The successful performance of the incumbent will effectively contribute to the development of knowledge on gender legislation development and provide recommendations to strengthen gender equality laws and policy in Viet Nam.

The consultant is expected to work closely with technical team of Department of Youth Affairs and Gender Equality during the development of the GEL implementation review report, with following tasks:

1. Review existing reports related to the GEL review
   • Review existing reports, studies and data on 15 years of GEL implementation conducted by UN Women and other partners.
   • Review other relevant legal documents on gender equality, as well as international commitments (CEDAW, SDGs, BPfA, etc.).
   • Support DYAGE in analyzing reports from provinces and ministries on the implementation of the current Gender Equality Law (2006)
2. Conduct gap analysis
   • Together with DYAGE, identify achievements, gaps, and shortcomings in the GEL implementation based on national and international standards.
   • Assess how emerging issues (e.g. new government priorities, global/regional gender equality commitments) are addressed or missing in the current law.
3. Provide technical inputs to the GEL implementation review report
   • Provide written inputs on achievements, challenges, and lessons learned. Ensure that review findings and recommendations are consistent with Viet Nam’s legal framework and international obligations
   • Develop evidence-based recommendations for improving the GEL and aligning it with current and future gender equality priorities.
   • Identify areas for amendment, in discussion with DYAGE.
   • Present findings and recommendations to MOHA, UN Women, and other relevant stakeholders if requested.

Deliverables

Tasks and Deliverables	Expected due date and payment
Review existing reports related to the GEL review A synthesis report summarizing findings from existing studies, data, provincial/ministerial reports, and international commitments (CEDAW, SDGs, BPfA, etc.), highlighting key lessons and implications for GEL implementation	15 September 2025
Conduct gap analysis A gap analysis report identifying achievements, gaps, and shortcomings in GEL implementation, including assessment of emerging issues and comparison with international and regional gender equality standards.	15 October 2025
Provide technical inputs to the GEL implementation review report A technical inputs paper containing evidence-based recommendations, proposed amendment areas, and draft written contributions to the official GEL implementation review report, supported by a presentation of findings to stakeholders (if requested).	30 November 2025

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based consultancy. The consultants will be requested to attend meetings and workshops related to the work.

As part of this assignment, the consultant is required to travel to attend workshop outside Ha Noi. Work related travel of UN Women’s consultants are considered as official mission and will be arranged by UN Women, in line with UN Women’s Consultant Contract Policy, UN Women Duty Travel Policy and UN-EU cost norm.

Competencies :

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

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 Values and Competencies Framework:

Functional Competencies:

• Excellent analytical, research, and drafting skills.
• Ability to synthesize complex information into clear, evidence-based findings and recommendations.
• Strong facilitation and presentation skills for engaging with government, UN, and civil society stakeholders.
• Familiarity with Viet Nam’s legal and policy context on gender equality is highly desirable.
• Strong communication skills in English; knowledge of Vietnamese is an asset

Required Qualifications

Education and Certification:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in social sciences, gender studies, public policy, international development, or a related field.

Experience:

• At least 15 years of professional experience in gender equality, law/policy analysis, or public administration.
• Proven experience in legal and policy review, preferably in relation to gender equality legislation or women’s rights.
• Strong knowledge of international frameworks on gender equality (CEDAW, SDGs, Beijing Platform for Action, ILO conventions, etc.).
• Demonstrated track record in preparing analytical reports, gap analyses, and policy recommendations.
• Prior experience working with government agencies, UN bodies, or international organizations on gender-related legal and policy reforms.

How to Apply

Interested candidates are requested to submit electronic applications no later than 05 Sept 2025 Ha Noi time via the E-recruitment system of UN Women uploaded with the following required documents

• Personal CV or P11 (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)
• 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.

Statements :

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.

Diversity and inclusion:

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.)

 

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.