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.

The Policy, Programme and Intergovernmental Division develops and implements UN Women’s programme of work across its normative, coordination, and operational triple mandate and provides policy advice and guidance and technical support to intergovernmental processes, UN system, and UN Women regional and country offices, among other partners and stakeholders. The Division is organized in thematic sections, which undertake policy research; analyze data on country, regional and global trends; and propose evidence-based options for global policy, norms and standards as well as for UN Women’s policy advocacy and global programme strategies, including flagship programme initiatives. The Division also undertakes substantive preparations for the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and drafts reports on behalf of the Secretary-General on multiple topics. With the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, UN Women is supporting the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) towards achieving gender equality and women’s economic empowerment by 2030 to benefit all women and girls. UN Women works in partnership with governments, multilateral organizations, the UN System, civil society organizations and the private sector.

The Sustainable Development thematic area of work focuses on the need to balance resource allocation and use with the needs of current and future populations. Gender equality and women’s economic empowerment cuts across all three elements of sustainable development- economic, social and environmental. Focusing on this holistic approach from a gender equality perspective will contribute to advancing women’s economic empowerment and rights, and generating policy recommendations on addressing inequalities and poverty elimination, social reproduction and unpaid work conceptualized as a sustainability issue, livelihoods security, adaptation to or mitigation of climate change and social protection. Gender analysis of and policy recommendations on sectoral issues and poverty elimination including asset ownership, water and energy, education, descent work, rural development and food security, health, land tenure and land rights and environmental sustainability, will also be included in this work stream.

Under the supervision of the Policy Advisor on Sustainable Development, the Policy Specialist contributes to the development and implementation of the organization’s policies in the area of Sustainable Development to achieve gender equality and advancement of women. He/she provides technical, policy and programme support to the Policy Advisor for policy development, policy advocacy, and for the development and implementation of global programme strategies.

Duties and Responsibilities

Technical and programme support

• Support the Policy Advisor in providing technical support to regional and thematic programmes, country strategies and knowledge management;
• Support the Policy Advisor in developing and implementing a workplan for the section (identify key deliverables, develop implementation time line, etc.);
• Provide programmatic and operational support for the development and implementation of global programmes and related thematic initiatives.

Research and analysis support

• Support the Policy Advisor in conducting research and analysis of global, regional and national trends;
• Source and carry out research on articles, books, case studies etc. to produce useful data and material for advisor on request as assistance in producing papers, speeches, or related products;
• Contribute to the development of flagship publications related to Sustainable Development;
• Prepare select written contributions and knowledge products for various purposes, i.e. case studies, short topical papers, briefings to leadership, speeches, and related products for wider dissemination;
• Establish and nurture relationship with academia, research institutes, civil society and experts to expand and share knowledge, exchange views on latest findings, incorporate cutting-edge thinking in UN Women’s work.

Support to intergovernmental processes and policy development

• Under general guidance of the supervisor, contribute to the preparation of position papers and reports for presentation to intergovernmental bodies such as Commission on the Status of Women, Economic and Social Council, the General Assembly and other policy-making organs, as appropriate and prepare analytical summaries of debates, supporting negotiations and analyzing/compiling outcomes;
• Support the Policy Advisor in coordinating the development of analytical reports to contribute to the Secretary-General’s mandated reporting to intergovernmental forums;
• Liaise with UN Women colleagues and others, as relevant, to ensure coordination with intergovernmental initiatives;
• Participate in and/or represent the Section in internal and external committees, inter-governmental, inter-agency task forces, and international technical and advocacy as required.

Knowledge Management

• Facilitate the effective planning and exchange of materials and knowledge products related to Sustainable Development;
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of a roster of gender experts who can develop/ provide technical support to UN Women offices, national partners, UNCTs or other UN system entities in the area of Sustainable Development;
• Contribute to the production of knowledge products that meet UN Women needs and standards of quality;
• Establish and nurture relationship with academia, research institutes, civil society and experts in Human Rights to expand and share knowledge, exchange views on latest findings, incorporate cutting-edge thinking in UN Women work.

Key Performance Indicators

• Timely and quality technical advice and support
• Leadership in area of expertise
• Quality reports and other strategic documents drafted and submitted in a timely manner
• Strong relationships with various partners and stakeholders
• UN Women is well represented in important meetings on topics related to expertise
• Contributions to resource mobilization
• Timely and quality knowledge products

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/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf

FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES:

• Good knowledge of gender related issues including in the area of Sustainable Development;
• Ability to undertake policy research and prepare quantitative studies, utilizing statistical methodologies, knowledge of database applications for statistical analysis;
• Ability to organize and complete multiple tasks by establishing priorities;
• Ability to handle a large volume of work possibly under time constraints;
• Establishes, builds and sustains effective relationships with clients, demonstrating understanding of client’s perspective; anticipates client needs and addresses them promptly;
• Ability to draft policy papers, speeches, briefings, etc;
• Ability to develop and maintain roster of experts, and a databank of research institutes, academics, civil society experts, etc. of direct relevance to Sustainable Development.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and certification:

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in economics, international development, gender/women’s studies, environmental studies or related field
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree

Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible work experience in policy research and analysis and programme development and management in the areas of gender equality, women’s economic empowerment, and sustainable development
• Demonstrated experience in contributing to normative and intergovernmental processes related to gender equality and sustainable development, such as CSW and UNGA
• Experience in developing partnerships with governments, donors, civil society, international organizations, and mobilizing resources
• Experience in organizing stakeholder consultations, expert group meetings, workshops and side events
• Experience working within the UN system highly desirable

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required
• Knowledge of the other UN official working language is an asset

Application:

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.

Note:

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.