Mission and objectives
UN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide. UN Women supports UN Member States as they set global standards for achieving gender equality, and works with governments and civil society to design laws, policies, programmes and services needed to ensure that the standards are effectively implemented and truly benefit women and girls worldwide. It works globally to make the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals a reality for women and girls and stands behind women’s equal participation in all aspects of life, focusing on four strategic priorities: • Women lead, participate in and benefit equally from governance systems • Women have income security, decent work and economic autonomy • All women and girls live a life free from all forms of violence • Women and girls contribute to and have greater influence in building sustainable peace and resilience, and benefit equally from the prevention of natural disasters and conflicts and humanitarian action. UN Women also coordinates and promotes the UN system’s work in advancing gender equality, and in all deliberations and agreements linked to the 2030 Agenda. The entity works to position gender equality as fundamental to the Sustainable Development Goals, and a more inclusive world.
Context
Year 2024 marks the seventh year since extreme armed violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state prompted a massive influx of Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh. As of September 2024 (according to UNHCR population statistics September 30, 2024), about 1,003,394 Rohingya refugees live in the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, close to half a million of which are women and girls. While during the last seven years, Rohingya refugees have shown resilience and the government and people of Bangladesh have generously hosted them, pre-existing gender inequalities, GBV, and discrimination continue to be perpetuated and exacerbated. Recent reports on the situation in the Rohingya refugee camps show that the security situation is declining, and women’s leadership and decision-making abilities in the refugee camps is lacking. UN Women Sub-Office in Cox’s Bazar is working actively to ensure the response to the Rohingya refugee crisis fully responds to the specific needs and priorities of women and girls, through coordination support and targeted programming in Cox’s Bazar. The Gender in Humanitarian Action (GiHA) Working Group is a key mechanism established within the Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) Secretariat, to ensure gender-responsive humanitarian response in Cox’s Bazar, where nearly a million Rohingya refugees reside. The ongoing refugee crisis has exacerbated pre-existing gender inequalities, with women and girls being particularly vulnerable. To further strengthen the response, UN Women Bangladesh is looking to recruit a National UN Specialist Volunteer– Knowledge Management and Information. This position will support the GiHA Working Group, facilitating effective information sharing, knowledge management, and communication strategies across the humanitarian sector, and will contribute to ongoing efforts to ensure that gender considerations remain central to the Rohingya refugee response.
Task Description
Under the direct supervision of the GiHA Coordination Analyst and with technical guidance from the Un Women Head of Sub-Office, Cox’s Bazar, National UN Specialist Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: Knowledge and Information Management:- • Develop and maintain a knowledge management system to store, organize, and disseminate resources related to gender-responsive humanitarian action, particularly within the Rohingya refugee response. • Coordinate the collection, analysis, and dissemination of data from GiHA Working Group members and other stakeholders to ensure gender-sensitive information informs decision-making and programming. • Support the development of Gender Alerts, working closely with the GiHA Coordination Analyst to gather and analyze data from various sectors and humanitarian actors, ensuring timely production and distribution. • Working with UN Women Sub-Office monitoring staff to generate inputs from key actors. Ensure related knowledge and information are stored in a safe and effective, and where required, confidential manner. • Update and maintain a catalogue of gender-focused information products, ensuring their inclusion in the ISCG knowledge management system, website and online platforms. • Support to the GiHA WG calendar management; updating the membership list; and preparing and sending meeting invites. Capacity Building and Knowledge Sharing:- • Organize forums or platforms (at least two annually) to enable GiHA members and other stakeholders to share best practices and lessons learned related to gender in humanitarian action. • Coordinate with the ISCG to ensure that gender-focused knowledge products are shared widely across sectors and regional actors, promoting cross-learning and collaboration. • Assist in training and capacity-building initiatives, providing support to humanitarian actors on gender-sensitive knowledge and information management practices. • Support in organizing and developing knowledge products/ contents on UN and country significant events i.e.. International Women’s Day (IWD), 16 Days of Activism (16 DOA) to facilitate knowledge exchange in the humanitarian community. Collaboration and Reporting:- • Support the development of knowledge products such as reports, case studies, and policy briefs, and ensure their timely finalization based on feedback from GiHA members and relevant stakeholders. • Prepare meeting agendas, minutes, and reports for the GiHA Working Group, ensuring that all discussions are accurately documented and shared with relevant parties. • Support the GiHA Coordination Analyst in following up on the implementation of the GiHA WG Work Plan, coordinating tracking, provide regular progress updates and activities, ensuring alignment with broader humanitarian goals. • Connect with regional and global GiHA stakeholders to facilitate the exchange of knowledge between different humanitarian contexts, bringing relevant insights from other emergencies to Cox’s Bazar and vice versa. Results/Expected Outputs:- • A functional knowledge management system that supports gender-responsive humanitarian action, including regular updates to knowledge products on the ISCG platform. • A Gender Alert developed and distributed based on data collected from relevant sectors. • At least three knowledge-sharing platforms or forums organized annually for GiHA members and sectoral actors. • Updated meeting minutes, work plans, and reports that accurately reflect GiHA Working Group discussions and activities. • At least two knowledge products (e.g., reports, briefs) produced and finalized in collaboration with the GiHA Working Group and humanitarian stakeholders. • Regular updates on gender-related information sharing and coordination activities documented and shared with relevant actors.
Competencies and values
• Accountability • Adaptability and Flexibility • Building Trust • Client Orientation • Commitment and Motivation • Commitment to Continuous Learning • Communication • Ethics and Values • Integrity • Planning and Organizing • Professionalism • Respect for Diversity • Working in Teams
Living conditions and remarks
Cox’s Bazar is a coastal district that is home to one of the world’s largest refugee camps. The duty station is classified as hardship (category D) with some limitations in terms of mobility and services. Despite these challenges, Cox’s Bazar offers a dynamic and impactful environment for humanitarian work, with various international agencies actively engaged in addressing the refugee crisis. This position will play a crucial role in supporting UN Women’s efforts to mainstream gender considerations in humanitarian action, contributing to improved knowledge sharing, coordination, and data management across the Rohingya refugee response through Inter Sector Coordination commitments.
Level of Education: Bachelor Degree
Work Hours: 8
Experience in Months: No requirements