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.

Since 2001, UN Women (UNIFEM) has been providing continues support to partners in Georgia to increase meaningful participation of women in peace and security processes. Under the current country program and in line with UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2021-2025, UN Women supports the Government of Georgia to develop and implement National Action Plans for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions on Women, Peace, and Security #1325 (2000) et al. and to achieve targets of the nationalized SDG 5 and 16.

Women’s involvement in cybersecurity is increasingly recognized as a crucial component of the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda, which aims to address the disproportionate impact of cyberthreats on women and girls, including – online harassment, stalking, and exploitation. Integrating cybersecurity into the WPS agenda enables a more comprehensive approach to addressing gender-based violence, both offline and online. By implementing the measures to prevent and respond to cyber threats targeting women, the WPS agenda contributes to creating safer digital spaces and promoting women’s rights in this area. Integrating women’s cyber needs and priorities into cybersecurity initiatives contributes to the long-term sustainability of peace and security efforts.

The intersection of cybersecurity and women’s rights necessitates sustained attention and action to create a safer digital space for women globally. Continuous gender-focused research and cybersecurity initiatives, including the multidisciplinary academic studies are essential for understanding the specific impact on women within the Georgian context and implementing effective strategies to mitigate existing and emerging threats and challenges.

Promoting multidisciplinary academic research through the student conference and facilitated discussion will contribute to advancing gender equality and equity and women’s rights within the cybersecurity infrastructure in Georgia. By bringing the insights from fields such as social and political studies, law, technology, etc. the experts and students together can comprehensively examine the multifaceted challenges faced by women in the cybersecurity domain in the country. The conference on “Gender Dimensions of Cybersecurity” therefore will enable a deeper understanding of the societal, cultural, and institutional factors contributing to gender disparities in the field, thereby facilitating the development of more effective and innovative strategies and interventions of policymakers, respective government authorities and legislators to promote gender equity and inclusivity in policy and practice, as well as will increase the research interest within the academia in the field.

UN Women in Georgia, with generous support of the UK Integrated Security Fund (UKISF) is implementing a project “Accelerating implementation of Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Georgia” contributing to the enhancement of women’s full, direct and meaningful participation in peace and security processes and increasing Government of Georgia’s accountability to implement the Women, Peace and Security agenda in Georgia and meet its obligations undertaken on the international, regional and local levels.

The project aims to effectively implement the Women, Peace, and Security agenda and its four strategic pillars of prevention, protection participation and relief and recovery in Georgia. Protecting women and girls from the harms of cyber threat is crucial amidst the new risks posed by emerging modern technologies. The WPS Focal Pints Network Meeting organized by UN Women Headquarters in 2023 in Bucharest, Romania, dedicated the panel on Women in Cyber, emphasizing the importance of mainstreaming gender in cybersecurity. Based on the recommendations of the mentioned network meeting regarding, inter alia, promoting academic research on this subject, the cooperation with Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) was initiated in the project framework to conduct a bilingual student conference on “Gender Dimension of Cybersecurity”.

The conference will provide platform for students to present their research, ideas, and perspectives on the intersection of gender and cybersecurity. Moreover, it will allow the space for a discussion with experts of the field regarding the gender dimensions of cybersecurity. Potential employers will be invited to participate in the event, which will enable the students to identify internship and employment opportunities in respective positions. By bringing together diverse stakeholders, including academia, government, civil society, private sectors and international organizations, we aspire to foster collaboration and drive positive change in addressing gender disparities and promoting a more inclusive and safe cybersecurity infrastructure and landscape.

In light of the above, UN Women intends to hire a total of three (3) national consultants to oversee and manage the organizational aspects of the student conference; Namely, to collect, review, and evaluate abstract submissions from student participants, ensuring adherence to academic standards and thematic relevance; and to provide recommendations for the selection of abstracts for presentation at the conference and for publishing in the peer-review journal of TSU. The work to be performed by the national consultants is spelled out in the section below.

The consultants will be reporting to Program Analyst, Women, Peace and Security Program, UN Women, and will be supported by Project Analyst, Women, Peace and Security Program, UN Women, who will be the point of contact on the contract and payment issues.

Duties and Responsibilities

Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work

(Per consultant)

1. Collect, review, and evaluate abstract submissions from student participants, ensuring adherence to academic standards and thematic relevance (5 working days in total)
2. Select abstracts for presentation at the conference and for publication in the TSU peer-review journal, based on the predetermined criteria (2 working days in total).

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based consultancy.

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:

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

FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES:

• Excellent analytical and research skills.
• Strong understanding of and commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment
• Excellent writing skills.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Proficiency in IT skills demonstrated.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in in exact and natural sciences, social sciences, humanities or a related field is required.
• Alternatively, certification in human rights and gender equality, in combination with 3 years of working experience could be accepted in lieu of Master’s Degree.

Experience:

• At least two years of academic background in the field of computer science, gender equality, security studies, social sciences, and/or humanities.
• Experience of membership in at least two student conference committees at higher educational institutions.
• At least two years of experience of academic research, peer-review of academic papers.
• Professional background in human rights and gender equality would be an added advantage.

Languages:

• Fluency in Georgian and English is required.

How to Apply;

• Personal CV & 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) ?

How to Submit the Application:

• Download and complete the UN Women Personal History Form (P11) – https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment/application-process
• Merge your UN Women Personal History Form (P11), CV and Motivation 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.

Notes:

• UN Women retains the right to contact references directly. Due to the large numbers of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.

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.).