Background

UN Women (UNW), 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, the UN Women leads and coordinates the 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.

More than 18 months into the conflict with no end in sight, violent clashes continue between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has resulted in the largest internal displacement in the world with over 50% of Sudan’s population in need of humanitarian assistance. Growing trends of violations against civilian communities, increased reporting of conflict-related sexual violence as a tactic of war, intensification of various forms of gender-based violence, including intimate partner violence, female genital mutilation and child marriage, heightened levels of disease, and now a looming conflict-induced, human-made famine warning for those trapped in conflict areas and hotspots have ensnared the people of Sudan in a cycle of suffering. The needs of conflict-affected women and girls who have experienced gender-based violence (GBV), along with the obstacles faced by their advocates—such as women-led organizations and women human rights defenders—require greater recognition, attention, and support. Humanitarian actors and the international community must prioritize these issues by increasing advocacy, resources, and direct engagement to ensure that survivors receive the necessary care and protection, and that women-led organizations are empowered to continue their critical work.

GBV remains a critical issue affecting women and girls across Sudan. By December 2023, more than 6.7 million women, girls, boys, and men were already in need of gender-based violence (GBV) services, representing a significant rise (more than 100 per cent) from 3.1 million before the conflict started. This figure is likely to be much higher now. Insecurity and violence in areas still in active conflict such as Sennar, Khartoum state, larger Darfur, and Kordofan regions hinder the work of GBV service providers who are unable to adequately support survivors due to the destruction of health infrastructure, and lack of supplies and equipment. Additionally, GBV survivors are unable to seek justice due to the non-functioning of the justice system. Looting targeting the judiciary and others, as well as physical destruction of courts and related infrastructure, have impacted negatively on the administration of justice and the rule of law in many states where conflict has erupted.

UN Women prepared the first Gender Alert for Sudan in September 2024, and is currently procuring the services of a consultant to prepare the second Gender Alert. The Gender Alert will aim to provide a gender analysis of the conflict and crisis that amplifies the intersections of pre-existing patriarchal systems and gender power imbalances that have exacerbated the disproportionate trends of GBV against women and girls, provide analysis on GBV, including the escalation or resurgence of certain forms of GBV, impact GBV has had on women and girls, including how it has affected women and girls’ access to humanitarian aid, their social, economic and political life and the judicial/ legal impediments faced by survivors to access justice exacerbated by the conflict as well as the resourcing gaps for addressing GBV. The alert will highlight the specific trends of targeted violence against specific groups of women and girls, including Sudanese women human rights defenders and female humanitarians and volunteers. It will amplify the voice of GBV survivors and their specific calls for services distinct from the usual and traditional GBV services provided. It will also unravel the consequences of GBV for women-led organisations, services providers along the referral pathways, and identify gaps, capacities, challenges and opportunities available for immediate responses and medium-term interventions.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance of humanitarian team in the UN Women Country Representative, Sudan and the direct supervision of Humanitarian Specialist, the Consultant will undertake the following tasks, duties and responsibilities:

1. Conduct a desk review to compile data available from different sources on GBV, including research/documents produced by different UN agencies, INGOs, NGOs, CBOs, UN agencies, /clusters/working groups, and academia.
2. Conduct semi-structured virtual interviews with key informants, mainly humanitarian actors, including the GBV Sub-Cluster, Protection Cluster and PSEA Network, on GBV trends, gaps, impact, challenges in addressing the problem, and opportunities.
3. Provide recommendation on strategies and opportunities to address the GBV crisis, including linkages with the different humanitarian clusters.
4. Develop a proofread document in English (maximum 15 pages) with full citation of the “Gender Alert and incorporate up to 2 rounds of feedback from UN Women.

Preference should be given to official UN data sources and all sources should be clearly cited using the UN Women publication guidelines (to be provided by UN Women). If interviews with key informants (KI) are used in the report these should also be referenced, with a full list of KI provided in the list of references. All reports shall undergo a plagiarism check and must comply with the UN Women corporate publication guidance, referencing style, language style guidance and editorial guidance.

Deliverables:

The consultant is expected to submit One key deliverable as follows:

1. First Draft – to be produced during the first 10 working day.
2. Final Draft – to be produced at the end of assingment.

Competencies

Competencies

Core Value/Guiding Principles:

• 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 Core Values and Competencies: http://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/about%20us/employment/un-women-employment-values-and-competencies-definitions-en.pdf

Functional Competences:

• Proven research and facilitation skills.
• Outstanding knowledge of gender, women’s rights and the different challenges regarding gender equality, particularly in the humanitarian context.
• Strong communication and presentation skills in English (oral and written).
• Ability to work under pressure and to deliver on time.
• Results oriented, flexible and with problem solving skills; and,
• Strong Communication skills in English (written and oral).
• Experiences in qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, including data collection from diverse stakeholders including GBV survivors
• Cultural sensitivity and ability to engage with vulnerable population, ensuring respectful and ethical story telling
• Strong analytical skills to synthesize information from various sources and provide actionable recommendations
• Ability to work under pressure within teamwork arrangements.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• A master’s degree in Gender/or Women Studies, Social Work, Public Health, Human Rights or International Relations, Development Studies or any other related field.

Experience:

• At least 10 years of relevant experience in humanitarian assistance and gender-based violence in emergencies.
• At least 3 years of relevant experience in research and advocacy development for UN or INGO humanitarian entities, with samples of published work available.
• At least 3 years of proven professional experience in the field of women’s empowerment and gender equality.
• Familiarity with international standards and guidance of GBV across the humanitarian-peace development nexus, including the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) and UN Women’s frameworks is required.
• At least 5 years of previous working experience in a conflict and post-conflict environment.
• Working experience in the Sudan context or in the region will be an added advantage.

Language Requirement:

• Fluency (both oral and written) in English.
• Knowledge of Arabic is an asset.

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)