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.

One of the key components of the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda is the integration of its principles into formal education, particularly at the higher education level. This focus on academic institutions is crucial. By embedding the WPS agenda into curricula, universities can ensure that youth is equipped with a nuanced understanding of the complex intersections between gender, conflict, and peace. Moreover, promoting the WPS agenda at the academic level fosters a culture of research and scholarship around these critical issues. Universities can become hubs for multidisciplinary and innovative research that examines the implications of gender in conflict and peace contexts.

In the framework of the UN Women project “Accelerating the Implementation of Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Georgia” supported by the UK Government, initial compilation of articles for the new edition of the textbook “Conflict, Gender and Peace” was developed to be included in the curriculum of the higher education institutions. The textbook was first prepared in 2003 with the support of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the initial draft of the new edition was developed in 2021. Since preparing the initial draft of the textbook – “Conflict, Gender, and Peace” in 2021, significant advancements in the understanding of WPS agenda have underscored the necessity for an updated textbook. Hence, the forthcoming textbook seeks to reflect the developments by integrating new research and perspectives on women’s contributions to conflict prevention and peacebuilding, as well as to refine the existing compilation of the articles and align them with academic textbook format. Thus, the National Consultant is expected to revise, update and edit the textbook “Conflict, Gender, and Peace” to reflect recent advancements in the WPS scholarship, incorporating new research and perspectives in this field.

Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work

The National Consultant is expected to carry out the following responsibilities:

1. Conduct a comprehensive review of recent research and publications related to WPS to identify key themes, findings, and gaps that need to be addressed in the updated textbook
2. Refine the existing compilation of articles, ensuring they are relevant and aligned with the overall objectives of the textbook
3. Edit and format articles to meet academic standards, ensuring consistency in style and presentation
4. Draft new chapter(s) and/or articles to ensure alignment with the latest developments in the field
5. Implement feedback from UN Women and finalize the textbook accordingly.

Deliverables

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based consultancy, with no possibility of travel outside of duty station.

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 drafting and writing skills to produce and present concise and analytical discussion papers
• Technical credibility in policy research
• Business acumen
• Integrity
• Partnership building

Required Qualifications:

Education and Certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in sociology, international development, social sciences, gender studies or other related areas is required.
• A first-level university degree in combination with seven additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years (7 years with bachelor’s degree) of professional experience in Women, Peace and Security and/or Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment related issues
• Proved experience in writing scholarly articles on gender equality issues and/or working on the textbooks of formal educational institutions
• Proved knowledge of state of gender equality in Georgia

Languages:

• Fluent in Georgian
• Proficient in English, both written and spoken