Organizational Context:
UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works on the effective implementation of the Beijing Platform of Action, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR); all interrelated and fundamental for its work on economic empowerment, participation, ending violence against Women and peace and security. UN Women’s normative work is carried out at both the Commission of the Status of Women (CSW) and the Human Rights Council (HRC), to bring the UN system together identifying synergies and finding pathways to advance Gender Equality and rights of women and girls linked with its coordination and operational roles.
Removing discriminatory laws and putting in place legal frameworks that advance gender equality is one of UN Women’s primary areas of work, recognizing the role of effective implementation of gender responsive laws in inclusive societies. It is covered under the Entity’s Strategic Plan 2026-2029 Outcome 1 – Protect and advance normative frameworks, laws and policies for women’s and girls’ rights. Among these are the support for monitoring progress towards gender equality through data collection and dissemination for SDG indicators under the custody of UN Women.
As the co-custodian for SDG indicator 5.1.1 “Whether or not legal frameworks are in place to promote, enforce and monitor equality and non-discrimination on the basis of sex,” UN-Women has co-led the development of this indicator’s methodology, contributed to capacity building to measure and report data, and coordinated global compilation of data. Within this context, and with support of the Strategic Partnership Framework between UN Women and Sida, UN- Women will continue leveraging UN coordination and other partnerships at global level to lead the development of global statistical standards on measuring and report on global progress to advance gender responsive laws; and to leverage this information for advocacy with member states. To complement this SDG reporting, UN Women plans to produce analytical knowledge products, such as analysis of good practices in legal reform.
The position is in the human rights, rule of law and non-discrimination section, under PPID. Reporting to the section’s chief, and supervised by the Human Rights Policy Specialist, the Laws and Data Programme Management Specialist will work in close collaboration with the Legal Reform Policy Specialist to ensure successful fulfillment of UN Women’s responsibilities as co-custodian of SDG Indicator 5.1.1, and the i implementation of the human rights and non-discrimination team’s work on eliminating discriminatory laws and promoting adherence to international standards and rule of law.
II Scope of Work
1. Coordination of SDG Indicator 5.1.1 Programming
- Lead preparations for biannual reporting on SDG Indicator 5.1.1
- Coordinate data collection efforts and ensure timely submission of reports during reporting cycles.
- Provide specialized technical advice on updates to the SDG Indicator 5.1.1 coding guidelines.
- Produce knowledge products about SDG Indicator 5.1.1.
2. Dataset Management and Collection
- Oversee the updating of the SDG Indicator 5.1.1 dataset.
- Prepare data and documentation for the subsequent reporting cycle in 2027, ensuring data accuracy and relevance.
- Provide strategic technical advice on data collection and validation for new countries.
- Update and maintain the constitutional law database.
- Conduct legal research and analyze surveys and government responses to inform data collection strategies.
3. Legal Analysis and Updates
- Deliver specialized insight regarding updates for countries in the SDG Indicator 5.1.1 dataset, focusing on legal developments
since 2018.
- Draft necessary communications for governments and partners reflecting the latest research and analysis.
4. Stakeholder Engagement and Coordination
- Foster stakeholder engagement and coordination in support of legal reform
- Foster partnerships with various stakeholders in reporting and legal contexts.
- Liaise with UN partner agencies on combatting discrimination in law, ensuring collaboration with relevant task teams and
advocacy groups, including the Human Rights Group and the Task Team on Combatting Discrimination in Law
5. Other Duties
- Compile and provide recommendations on normative commitments to country offices in the development of their strategic
notes, present recommendations from the human rights and nondiscrimination section in planning meetings at the corporate
level, and follow up on effective inclusion during their revision phase.
- The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the
Office and the Organization.
IV. 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:
- Research and analysis
- Data management and statistical expertise
- Legal expertise
- Partnership building
Experience
- At least 5 years of progressively responsible work experience in public international law.
- Experience working on legal and policy frameworks related to SDG Indicator 5.1.1 is required.
- Experience managing data, and statistical expertise in the context of international institutions is required.
- Experience working on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is required.
- Experience working at an international financing institution is desirable.
- Experience in reviewing programming in the UN system to include goals on eliminating discriminatory laws is desirable.
- International Experience is desirable
Education and Certification:
- Masters Degree or equivalent in law 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.
Languages
- Fluency in English is required.
- Fluency in French is required.
- Fluency in Spanish is required.
Home-based International PPSA holders are responsible for holding a work permit that is valid for the home-based location prior to starting the I-PPSA. The validity duration of the work permit must cover the entire I-PPSA period.
Application Process
- Interested candidates should submit:
- Cover letter (maximum 2 pages) outlining relevant experience.
- Current CV/P11 including contact details for three professional references.
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.