Background

The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) grounded in the principles of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, is dedicated to advancing Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE). Placing women’s rights at the centre of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates the endeavors of the United Nations system to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translated into tangible actions worldwide. UN Women provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and initiatives, as well as building impactful partnerships with civil society and other relevant stakeholders, through their commitments fortified by adherence to the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 (2000) on Women Peace and Security (WPS) agenda.

UN Women in partnership with Global Affairs Canada (GAC), the Republic of Korea, and the United Kingdom, is implementing the regional project, “Empowering Women for Sustainable Peace: preventing violence and promoting social cohesion in ASEAN” (The project). The project aims to support select ASEAN Member States to advance and strengthen Women Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, including through preventing violence against women and girls and promoting social cohesion in the region. The project will ultimately contribute to the achievement of gender equality through inclusive and sustainable peace and development in the region. Although the project 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.

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, nine additional resolutions on 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.

The decade-old conflict in the Southern Thailand border provinces of Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and four districts of the neighbouring Songkhla which has re-emerged and is increasingly violent since 2004 has forced a great number of citizens to live out their lives under the spectre of violence. It has also hampered socioeconomic and human development in the region and women and other marginalized groups 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. The underlying problems are complex, sensitive, and multi-dimensional. Major factors generally considered as causes of the insurgency include historical background, ethnicity, religion, identity, and culture, including people’s desire to seek the recognition of their unique identity. Despite the fact that the insurgency might have calmed down and the violence has continued to decrease, there are still on-going tension and threats.

The Royal Thai Government (RTG) has mainstreamed WPS issues into the existing national tools and instruments on security, justice and development and also developed the Measure and Guideline on Women, Peace and Security in 2017. In addition, the Coordination Center for Children and Women in the Southern Border Provinces (CCCW-SBP) was established in 2019 by the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center (SBPAC) in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS), and in partnership with UN Women. The CCCW-SBP coordinates the implementation of the Measure and Guidelines on Women Peace and Security and to address the needs of women and children. In 2020, the Sub-Committee on Advancement and Monitoring of the Implementation of the Measure and Guideline on Women, Peace and Security was established to monitor the implementation of Measure and Guideline on WPS and to advance WPS agenda in the country. However, as the Measure and Guideline on WPS have a specific duration from 2017 – 2021, which came to an end in 2021, Thailand may need to consider having the Measure and Guideline extended or having a National Action Plan on WPS developed depending upon its needs.

Against this background, UN Women Thailand seeks to hire a national consultant to support the Coordination Center for Children and Women to develop a Women and children Situation in the Southern Border provinces, and support the Ministry of Social Development and Humen Security to develop the English-Thai Glossary of Gender related Terms.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of Programme Analyst (Thailand), the primary role of National Consultant, through a partnership with local stakeholders both government organisations and non-governmental organisations/CSO, includes:

Task 1: Develop a report on Women and children Situation in the Southern Border provinces (including the role of women in WPS advancement in the SBPs).

1. Conduct a desk review of existing relevant documents
2. Conduct preliminary consultations with Coordination Center for Children and Women (CCCW), UN Women, and local stakeholders to identify needs and to develop a draft workplan and inception report (virtual or in person).
3. Draft an inception report which include solid justifications and objectives of the report, and should at least be structured as follows:

• Introduction
• Table of Contents
• Background information (findings from desk review)
• Proposed research design (Description of research methodology and research questions, research tools, reliable analytical framework, scope of analysis, etc)
• Proposed field schedule (Data collection,consultative meetings and in-depth interviews)
• Preliminary list of persons to be interviewed

1. Develop a report of Women and Children Situation in the SBPs. The report should at least be structured as follows:

• Objective and scope
• Context/Background
• Framework/Methodology
• Findings/Key Situations with the specific session of women’s role/progress in WPS
• Conclusions
• Recommendations

Task 2: Develop an English-Thai Glossary of Gender related Terms.

1. Conduct a desk review of existing relevant documents
2. Conduct preliminary consultations with Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS) and UN Women, to to identify needs and design the format/content.
3. Develop an English-Thai Gender Glossary which should be structured as agreed by MSDHS and UN Women.

Expected Deliverables and Timeframe

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 skills;
• Strong knowledge of UN Women processes and systems;
• Strong networking skills;
• Strong interpersonal skills, communicate effectively with staff at all levels of the organization;
• Ability to work in a highly pressured environment.
• Strong research and writing skills, with strong coordinating skills.
• Computer literacy and ability to effectively use office technology equipment, Internet and email.
• Excellent facilitation and training skills

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 combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• At least five years of experience in coordinating a project/programme in the area of peacebuilding and deradicalization in the Southern Border Provinces of Thailand.
• At least five years of experience in providing policy advice and technical assistance on women, peace and security to government institutions.
• Proven experience facilitating high level consultative workshops for Governmental Institutions and CSOs
• Proven experience in conducting research in the area of Women Peace and Security.
• Familiarity with UN agencies, government agencies and/or non-profit organisations in the southern border provinces of Thailand is preferred.

Language:

• Fluency in English and Thai.