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.
Peace and Security is a key area of UN Women's work. At headquarters, the Peace and Security Section leads on UN system-wide coordination on Women, Peace and Security, provides technical and financial support to the peace and security work of UN Women field offices, and implements a number of global initiatives that range from training women on mediation, peacekeepers on preventing and responding to sexual violence, peace talks, and post-conflict planning and financing processes, supporting gender-responsive public service delivery, and linking women in the community and grassroots organizations to police and other actors to ensure better protection.
A key area of UN-Women’s work is ensuring a gender-responsive protection approach across United Nations’ strategies. Thus, the Policy Specialist on Protection plays a pivotal role in guaranteeing that UN Women provides timely technical assistance to UN partners in the promotion of gender equality in Protection of Civilians’ strategies and in the prevention and response to conflict-related sexual violence. The Policy Specialist is also responsible in ensuring the integration of gender equality and women’s rights issues in the activities carried-put by UN Women in its triple mandate of coordination, normative and catalytic programming. The Policy Specialist will oversee UN Women’s engagement with diverse coordination platforms such as UN Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict (UN Action), Call to Action on Protection from Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies, among others.
Under the supervision of the Deputy Chief, Peace and Security the Policy Specialist, Protection will be responsible for technical and advisory support to UN Women headquarters and country offices on conflict-related sexual violence, protection of civilians as well as on broader women, peace and security efforts at the coordination and programmatic level.
Duties and Responsibilities
Provide research and analytical support on Protection and Security issues to the Unit:
- Document and analyze trends and patterns of conflict-related violence against women and girls and design initiatives to prevent, and respond to conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence;
- Organize expert meetings, panels and other interactive events on conflict-related sexual violence, protection of civilians, SSR, access to justice;
- Provide technical support and ensure an effective information flow between country-offices including UN missions) and HQ on lessons learned, promising approaches, and good practice on protection-related areas;
- Support the country presences in the design of concept notes related to protection fo women’s and girls rights in conflict, post-conflict and widespread violence contexts;
- Provide advice to the unit on protection issues in overall WPS strategies;
- Travel when requested to country-support missions.
Provide technical guidance and support to inter-agency and international coordination mechanisms:
- Provide technical guidance and support regarding UN Women’s engagement in other inter-agency and international coordination mechanisms relevant to protection, such as UN Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict (UN Action), Call to Action on Protection from GBV in Emergencies, the PoC Working Group or in country-related Inter-Agency Task Forces;
- Participate in relevant interagency coordination processes addressing protection and GBV challenges;
- Identify on an on-going basis key policy and operational niches for UN Women in protection and SSR work that supports coherence and comprehensiveness across the UN’s responses in these areas;
- Identify cross-regional needs and strategic entry points for coordinated and coherent efforts to enhance the UN’s response to conflict-related sexual violence and other protection issues, under the auspices of UN Action Network against Sexual Violence in Conflict; provide input into the drafting of the Secretary-General’s report on sexual violence in conflict, and other related reports as requested by the supervisor;
- Serve as focal point for the Children and Armed Conflict mandate, the Protection of Civilians’ strategic counterpats and provide strategic guidance in the integration of gender equality concerns.
Provide support on the implementation of policy to partners and field offices:
- Provide support to UN Women Country Offices to implement activities and design programmatic activities across a range of Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) elements, including in particular protection and conflict-related sexual violence related elements;
- Provide UN, Government and Civil Society Organization partners with technical support on protection of civilians (with a gender focus), conflict-related sexual violence, as requested;
- Provide support to global programme development and resource mobilization for technical assistance and knowledge creation;
- Manage projects related to the protection agenda and ensure timely and quality reporting to donors;
- Establish partnerships with relevant actors to promote gender-responsive protection strategies.
Build partnerships and participate in advocacy efforts:
- Design and/or support interventions to promote the implementation of the WPS resolutions at the global and country-level;
- Strengthen partnerships with other UN agencies and relevant actors to promote accountability for the implementation of UN mandates on the protection of women and girls;
- Participate in the development of strategic approaches to policy dialogue, partnerships, and outreach.
Provide technical inputs to the development of knowledge products:
- Monitor and provide technical inputs to ensure the quality of knowledge products and capacity development tools, and support their dissemination in terms of gender-responsive protection and conflict-related sexual violence issues;
- Provide feedback to UN Women offices on case studies and other related knowledge products and publications as requested and needed;
- Provides policy support to the Peace and Security section on protection and conflict-related sexual violence issues, including talking-points, briefing notes, internal documents, amongst others.
Key Performance Indicators:
- Timely and quality provision of technical support.
- Timely and quality delivery of the projects.
- Regular interaction and establishment of joint activities and programmes with other agencies and partners.
- Quality and number of knowledge management and advocacy initiatives undertaken.
- UN Women is seen as a reliable and trustworthy partner, providing substantial inputs to progress UN women’s mandate.
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: https://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/about%20us/employment/un-women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf?la=en&vs=637
Functional Competencies:
- Strong knowledge of gender related issues including in the are of protection and conflict-related sexual violence;
- 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 under time constraints;
- Establishes, builds and sustains effective relationships with clients, demonstrating understanding of client’s perspective;
- Ability to draft policy papers, speeches, briefings, etc.;
- Ability to provide efficient and timely support to country-offices and regional offices and interact in different languages.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Master’s degree or equivalent in international development, political sciences, public administration, public policy or other relevant 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 5 years progressively responsible experience in designing and managing programmes or policy and advocating for gender in protection and peacekeeping and gender anlyasis, ideally with some experience in developing countries;
- 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.
Languages:
- Fluency in English is required;
- Knowledge of an additional UN official working language, particulary French or Spanish, 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/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/about%20us/employment/un-women-p11-personal-history-form.doc?la=en&vs=558. 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.