Background

Only applicants who complete and upload a filled in Personnel History Form will be reviewed.

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.

To effectively communicate our impact, we are developing a roster of qualified visual and verbal storytelling consultants to support our priority areas. These consultants will help capture compelling stories and visuals to raise awareness, advocate for gender equality, and engage diverse audiences.

The roster will include photographers, videographers, illustrators, journalists, and storytellers skilled in capturing impactful narratives and visuals on gender equality, women’s rights, and other UN Women ECA priorities. Consultants may also be called upon to conduct storytelling workshops or training for UN Women teams or partners.

All consultants selected are expected to meaningfully contribute to UN Women’s overarching communication and advocacy efforts. Their work should effectively convey the impact of UN Women’s initiatives on women’s rights and empowerment across the Europe and Central Asia region and beyond. Through high-quality storytelling, visual content, and written materials, consultants are required to illustrate UN Women’s contributions to advancing gender equality and empowering women in diverse contexts. Every deliverable must resonate with audiences, highlight UN Women’s role and strengthen public awareness and support for women’s human rights and empowerment initiatives.

Duties and Responsibilities

Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with UN Women ECA staff to develop story ideas that align with the organization’s messaging and priorities.
• Ensure all content is accurate, ethical, and aligns with UN Women’s standards and values.
• For visual storytelling: provide edited, high-resolution photos, video files or illustrations ready for publication.
• For verbal storytelling: deliver polished written pieces adhering to UN Women’s style guide.
• Conduct workshops or trainings if required, using participatory and skills-based methods.

The consultant will be reporting to the Regional Communications Specialist, and will be supported by the RO communications team.

Consultants on the roster may be engaged for specific assignments, which could include:

• Visual Storytelling: Capture and produce high-quality photography and videography showcasing UN Women ECA’s projects, events, and impacts, or produce creative, high-quality illustrations based to UN Women communications and advocacy priorities, as requested.
• Verbal Storytelling: Write articles, success stories, profiles, and human-interest pieces focused on UN Women’s priority themes.
• Trainings and Workshops: Develop and conduct storytelling workshops and training sessions for UN Women staff or partners, covering effective storytelling techniques, ethical considerations, and audience engagement strategies.

Deliverables

Photographers/Videographers/Illustrators: Edited packages with requested visual materials as specified per assignment, with captions and additional information, if required.

Writers: Articles or written stories, proofread and finalized in line with UN Women’s editorial guidelines.

Trainers/Facilitators: Workshop materials and a post-training report summarizing outcomes and participant feedback.

The timeline and exact deliverables will be agreed upon specific requests, based on the needs and availability of both parties.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based consultancy, but consultants might be asked to travel based on the nature of the project, initiative and concrete deliverables.

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:

For All Consultants:

• Proven experience in storytelling related to human rights, gender equality, or social impact.
• Ability to work independently and under tight deadlines.

For Photographers, Videographers and Illustrators:

• Demonstrated experience in producing high-quality visual content, preferably in a documentary or humanitarian context.

For Journalists and Writers:

• Strong writing and editing skills with a portfolio of published work on gender equality or social issues.

For Trainers/Facilitators:

Experience designing and facilitating storytelling workshops or training for varied audiences.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Certification:

Associate level:

• Completion of secondary education required.

• Bachelor’s degree in media, journalism or arts, or a related field is an asset.

Experience:

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible work experience journalism, photography, videography, design, verbal of visual storytelling.
• Experience in working on human rights related verbal or visual storytelling is required.

How to Apply

• Personal P11

Only applicants who complete and upload a filled in Personnel History Form will be reviewed.

All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.doc Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

• A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page)
• From 3 to 5 samples of previous work – portfolios, storytelling projects or articles.

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.)