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 Fiji Multi-Country Office (MCO) is based in Suva, Fiji and works alongside over 20 other UN agencies in the region and 14 countries and territories across the Pacific Region. [1]Under its Strategic Note (SN) 2023 – 2027, UN Women Fiji MCO focuses on delivering on four interlinked programme areas underpinned by UN Women’s Strategic Plan 2022 in line with international normative frameworks:

• Governance and Participation in Public Life.
• Women’s Economic Empowerment.
• Ending Violence against Women and Girls.
• Climate Action/Humanitarian Action and Resilience

Ending Violence Against Women and Girls

Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) is a central barrier to gender equality and a cause of widespread violation of human rights across the Pacific[2]. To respond to the rates of violence in the Pacific, UN Women has developed a comprehensive elimination of violence against women and girls (EVAWG) programme which takes a transformative approach to prevent violence against women and girls at multiple levels (regional, national and community), and to ensure survivors have access to quality response services. The approach to preventing and responding to VAWG also takes into account the context of the Pacific, which requires an integrated approach to addressing VAWG across the humanitarian – development nexus.

The Fiji MCO EVAWG programme is one of the largest UN Women EVAWG programmes globally. The most substantial programme under UN Women’s EVAWG programme is the Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls (hereafter, Phase I) which is an ambitious, five year joint programme, with UN Women, the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, which brings together governments, civil society organizations (CSO), communities and other partners to change the social norms that allow violence against women and girls to continue; to ensure survivors have access to quality response services; and to support national and regional institutions to meet their commitments to gender equality and prevention of violence against women and girls.

The Pacific Partnership has completed its first phase of implementation (2018 – 2023) and is expanding into Phase 2 (2023 – 2027). The Pacific Partnership Programme Phase 2 is funded primarily by the Government of Australia, the European Union (EU) and UN Women.

Phase II builds on the achievements of Phase I and of the Spotlight Initiative Pacific Regional Programme (2019-2023), which are comprehensive, multi-faceted programmes, grounded in an aligned theory of change. The Action is informed by the lessons and key recommendations of the Pacific Partnership Phase I Mid-Term Evaluation and the Spotlight Initiative Mid-Term Assessment. It expands on Phase I results and wide-ranging regional and national partnerships. It will complement and ensure harmonization with other GE programmes in the region, including the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) “Pacific Women Lead” and other major initiatives on GE and EVAWG.

The overall objective of the Phase II action is to promote GE and prevent VAWG in Pacific Island Countries and territories (PICTs). Elements of the Phase II will be delivered over four years in target PICTs through activities that contribute to four key outcomes:

• Outcome 1: Regional and national political leadership ensures EVAWG legislation and policies are in line with international standards and translated into implementation and action.
• Outcome 2: Favorable social norms, attitudes and behaviors are promoted at the individual, family, community, and societal levels to prevent VAWG.
• Outcome 3: Women, girls and children who experience violence (including before, during and after emergencies), have access to coordinated and high quality, essential services (health, police and justice, social services) to recover from violence and perpetrators are held to account.
• Outcome 4: Women’s rights groups, autonomous social movements and relevant civil society organizations (CSOs), including those representing youth and groups facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination/marginalization, influence and advance progress on GE, women’s empowerment and EVAWG.

Reporting to the EVAW Programme Specialist, the EVAW Specialist will support EVAW team in implementing, and managing UN Women’s EVAWG interventions under their portfolio. The EVAW Specialist works in close collaboration with a diverse technical team across six countries, Pacific regional team members, operations team, UN Women HQ and ROAP technical EVAWG staff, Pacific Island governments, CROP agencies, civil society, and multi and bi-lateral donors ensuring successful UN Women programme implementation and strategic and sound technical advisory services.

[1] Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu

[2] The Situation of Women in Fiji, Governments 2nd, 3rd and 4th report to the CEDAW Committee

Duties and Responsibilities

Provide substantive technical input and advisory services on policy driven programme processes and interventions to prevent and respond to violence against all women and girls before, during and after emergencies:

• Under the overall technical supervision and quality assurances of the EVAWG Technical Advisor OiC /Team Leader, serve as one of the experts on VAWG prevention and response for UN Women’s EVAWG Programme, including expertise before, during and after humanitarian emergencies, providing technical advisory services and substantive advice on policy and programme development based on knowledge of good practices and evidence-based approaches;
• Support the design and formulation of programme proposals, initiatives and interventions on primary prevention, essential services and normative efforts in close collaboration and equal partnership with partners;
• Facilitate innovative strategies to end VAWG at the humanitarian-development-peace nexus inclusive of linkages with women’s economic empowerment, women’s leadership, humanitarian preparedness and response;
• Monitor trends and issues related to EVAWG, especially at the humanitarian-development-peace nexus;
• Identify programmatic areas for support and interventions within EVAWG;
• Draft inputs to country strategy documents, programme/ project proposals, briefs, policy dialogue and other documents related to EVAWG;
• Provide technical inputs to and support periodic consultations with key stakeholders, women leaders, human rights experts and UN partners to gather inputs on programme design, as necessary.

Support EVAW team in the implementation of the EVAWG programme and interventions:

• In coordination with the Programme Management Specialist, Regional EVAWG Coordinator and Country EVAWG Coordinators, finalize annual workplans and budget and manage their implementation for six priority countries;
• Oversee, monitor and assure quality control in the substantive implementation of EVAWG interventions under the programme through budget and operational management;
• Support the EVAE team in the technical implementation of the programme/ project; provide technical advice; ensure synergies with other teams;
• Facilitate partnership management, including review of implementing partner financial and narrative reports, co-design processes, partnership brokering and engagement;
• In coordination with the Programme Management Specialist, support the overall research and evaluation plan and portfolio for the EVAWG programme.

Oversee technical assistance and capacity development to project/programme partners:

• Ensure UN Women’s strategic and technical support to government counterparts, civil society, CROP/regional agencies and UN agencies through direct involvement and provision of advanced technical assistance and advisory services;
• Provide technical advice and inputs to partners, policy processes and strategic initiatives; oversee the provision of technical guidance by the EVAWG country coordinators to national stakeholders;
• Support the development of targeted programme and policy initiatives such as national primary prevention of violence interventions, climate change related efforts, disability and SOGIESC inclusion;
• Provide partners with advanced technical assistance, training and capacity development initiatives.

Manage the monitoring and reporting of the programme:

• Draft corporate and donor report sections specific to EVAWG;
• Provide oversight for corporate results-based management inputs from countries.

Knowledge building and communication efforts:

• Identify best practices and lessons learned to guide programme improvement and strategy planning;
• In coordination with the EVAWG Technical Advisor OiC, EVAWG Programme Management Specialist, and EVAWG Communications and support in the development of knowledge management strategies and methodologies and products on EVAWG.

Institutional Arrangement

The selected consultant will report to and work under the direct supervision of the EVAW Programme Specialist a UN Women staff member.

The consultant will need to work very closely and cooperatively with EVAW country focal points in the Pacific region.

Duration of the Work

The duration of this assignment will be for 4 months work assignment, as with a possible start date from August 31, 2024, until December 31, 2024.

Duty Station

Suva, Fiji and the consultant is expected to be based at the Fiji Multi Country Office.

Performance Evaluation

The Consultant’s performance will be evaluated based on timeliness, responsibility, initiative, communication, accuracy, and quality of the products delivered.

Financial Arrangements

Payments will be disbursed to the consultant on a monthly basis, upon submission and approval of monthly reports, including the progress on the scope of the consultancy aligned to the “Descriptions of Responsibilities and Scope” section of the ToR, timesheets and certification by the NAP Program Manager that the services have been satisfactorily performed.

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 knowledge and skills application of EVAWG programming and policy making across primary prevention, essential services and emergency preparedness/response;
• Excellent analytical, programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills;
• Strong knowledge of Results Based Management;
• Ability to synthesize program performance data and produce analytical reports to inform management and strategic decision-making;
• Ability to identify and analyze trends and opportunities to progress EVAWG and gender equality priorities;
• Ability to lead formulation of strategies and their implementation, including provision of technical support and advice.

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.
• A project/programme management certification (such as PMP®, PRINCE2®, or MSP®) would be an added advantage.

Experience:

• At least 5 years (with Master’s degree) or 7 years (with a first-level university degree) of progressively responsible experience at the national or international level in design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of ending violence against women and girls (EVAWG) interventions and programmes;
• Demonstrated technical expertise in VAWG programming and implementation;
• Demonstrated technical expertise in forwarding national and/or regional policies or protocols on EVAWG (e.g. national action plans, VAWG legislation, multi-sector service delivery, national GBV Administrative/GBV IMS data etc);
• Experience coordinating and liaising with government agencies and/or donors is an asset;
• Experience working in the Pacific is an asset;
• Experience working in the UN System is an asset.

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required.

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.

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.)

How to Apply:

• 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)
• UN Women 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.