Background:

humanitarian crises globally. More than 2.4 million people require humanitarian assistance due to ongoing conflict, mass displacement, severe food insecurity, and the erosion of basic services. Women and girls face heightened protection risks including gender-based violence (GBV), trafficking, denial of rights, limited access to services, and systemic exclusion from humanitarian decision-making structures.

According to the Initial Crisis Response Plan (ICRP), protection challenges for women and girls (especially IDPs) have intensified, while economic shocks, conflict dynamics, and climate-related impacts have deepened vulnerabilities. The ICRP outlines the urgent need for rapid, gender-responsive crisis interventions, strengthened humanitarian coordination, and operational support to ensure women and girls’ rights and protection are at the center of the humanitarian response.

UN Women CAR is implementing a portfolio of ongoing humanitarian programmes that require strong operational and technical oversight. These include a humanitarian response intervention funded by the Japan Supplementary Budget (JSB), which focuses on GBV mitigation, distribution of dignity kits, women’s protection activities, and strengthening women’s committees in displacement sites. UN Women also implements a CERF-funded climate adaptation and crisis resilience programme in partnership with FAO, targeting women and youth in climate-affected districts including Mbomou and Haut-Mbomou. UN Women leads the Humanitarian Gender Working Group, providing gender coordination, capacity-building of humanitarian actors, and supporting women-led organizations (WLOs) to participate meaningfully in humanitarian decision-making. Additionally, UN Women plays a central role in the Protection Cluster and GBV AoR, providing technical inputs, gender mainstreaming, production of gender alerts, and support to inter-agency coordination.

Given the complex operating environment and the urgent need for strategic, programmatic, and operational leadership, UN Women seeks a Senior Humanitarian and WRD Specialist under a Special Service Agreement (SSA) to strengthen its humanitarian action in CAR.

The consultant will be reporting to the Country Representative, and will be supported by Planning and PMSU specialist, who will be the point of contact on the contract and payment issues.

Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work:

Under the supervision of the UN Women Country Representative, and in close collaboration with the Country Office and relevant partners, the consultant will:

Month 1 – January

• Inception report and strategic 3-month workplan outlining priority humanitarian leadership actions, coordination engagements, and analytical outputs aligned with UN Women’s humanitarian strategy and the ICRP.
• GTGH Meeting #1 conducted and minutes produced.
• Brief gender analysis notes for selected clusters (e.g., Shelter/NFI, WASH, Protection).
• Provide gender inputs for up to 4 ICCG/cluster meetings.
• Prepared UN Women Humanitarian Plan for 2026 (updated the existing concept note).
• Remote monitoring support for JSB 2024 & CERF projects.
• Monthly Report – January

Month 2 – February

• GTGH Meeting #2 conducted + minutes produced.
• One (1) Gender Alert produced and validated.
• Preparation of GIHA training package for UNHCR/IOM-led clusters.
• One capacity-strengthening interventions delivered for staff, partners and women-led organizations, focusing on gender-responsive humanitarian action, crisis analytics, or coordination capabilities.
• Continued monitoring support to JSB/CERF projects.
• Monthly Report – February

Month 3 – March

• GTGH Meeting #3 conducted + minutes produced.
• Follow-up technical support to Protection Cluster partners on GIHA.
• Consolidation of JSB/CERF monitoring feedback.
• A donor proposal in Humanitairan and WRD, investment brief, or concept note developed or substantively revised to expand UN Women’s humanitarian funding pipeline and strengthen resource mobilization positioning.
• Timely, compliant, and evidence-based closure of the Japan Supplementary Budget (JSB) 2024 humanitarian project by March 2026, in alignment with UN Women programme and financial standards and donor reporting requirements.
• End-of-assignment Report with recommendations for scale-up.
• Monthly Report – March

4. Deliverables and Timeline:

• Inception report and strategic 3-month workplan outlining priority humanitarian leadership actions, coordination engagements, and analytical outputs aligned with UN Women’s humanitarian strategy and the ICRP.
• At least two high-quality Gender Alerts providing authoritative analysis on emerging risks, protection concerns, and gendered impacts to inform inter-agency decision-making.produced, validated, and submitted for publishing.
• 01 monthly Report synthesizing progress on humanitarian programme implementation, coordination leadership, gender analytics, and key operational or policy developments.
• A donor proposal, investment brief, or concept note developed or substantively revised to expand UN Women’s humanitarian funding pipeline and strengthen resource mobilization positioning. Quel mois?
• One capacity-strengthening interventions delivered for staff, partners and women-led organizations, focusing on gender-responsive humanitarian action, crisis analytics, or coordination capabilities.
• Timely, compliant, and evidence-based closure of the Japan Supplementary Budget (JSB) 2024 humanitarian project by March 2026, in alignment with UN Women programme and financial standards and donor reporting requirements.
• Effective project management of the CERF – Climate project, timely reporting, and compliance with CERF and UN Women programme and financial standards.
• End-of-assignment analytical report with actionable recommendations.

Deliverable
Expected completion time (due day)
Payment Schedule (optional)

January – (see detail above)
31/01/2026

February – (see detail above)
28/02/2026

March – (see detail above)
31/03/2026

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based consultancy with one travel in site each quarter.

As part of this assignment, there will be a maximum of 1 trips to City.

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:

• Substantive knowledge and experience related to current policies and practices in the fields of gender equality, protection and humanitarian action, including humanitarian coordination;
• Strong knowledge of the region
• Excellent networking skills
• Ability to interact with donors, identify and analyze trends, opportunities and threats to fundraising
• Ability to perform qualitative and quantitative policy research
• Ability to advocate and provide policy advice
• Excellent analytical skills;
• Ability to write policy papers, speeches, briefings;
• Strong knowledge of programme development, implementation, results based management and reporting

Required Qualifications:

Education and Certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in human rights, gender, international relations, international development, international law or other social science fields is required.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• A project/programme management certification (such as PMP®, PRINCE2®, or MSP®) would be an added advantage.

Experience:

• At least 7 years progressively responsible experience in designing and managing humanitarian programmes, with a particular focus on gender and protection in emergencies;
• Substantive and technical experience in inter-agency coordination, preferably protection cluster coordination, and/or ProCap/GenCap in a natural disaster setting;
• Experience in policy analysis and strategic planning;
• Experience working with, and building partnerships with governments, donors and civil society organizations internationally and in the field;
• Experience working with the UN is an asset; and
• Experience working in the region is an asset

Languages:

• Fluency in English and French is required.
• Knowledge of Sango is desirable.

Statements :

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women”s empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

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.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.