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 UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office (MCO) is based in Suva, Fiji and works alongside over 20 other UN agencies in the region and 14 countries and territories across the Pacific Region.  [1]Under its Strategic Note (SN) 2023 - 2027, UN Women Fiji MCO focuses on delivering on four interlinked programme areas underpinned by UN Women’s Strategic Plan 2022 in line with international normative frameworks:

  • Governance and Participation in Public Life.
  • Women’s Economic Empowerment.
  • Ending Violence against Women and Girls.
  • Climate Action/Humanitarian Action and Resilience

Ending Violence Against Women and Girls / EVAWG – Pacific Partnership

In December 2024, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake caused widespread destruction to infrastructure, businesses, and livelihoods across Port Vila and surrounding areas. The impact of the earthquake continues to be felt through significant ongoing disruption to Vanuatu’s primary economic hub.

The Port Vila Central Business District / CBD Vision and Concept Plan sets out a long-term reconstruction strategy positioning recovery not merely as restoration of what existed, but as an opportunity to ‘build back better’ — addressing longstanding urban challenges including congestion, inadequate pedestrian infrastructure, limited green space, and the reconstruction of key public facilities, including the central market.

Reconstruction decisions — encompassing design, spatial layout, access arrangements, and service provision — have direct consequences for women’s safety, mobility, and economic participation. Central to a rights-based approach to reconstruction is ensuring that women, girls, and other marginalized groups can safely access, use, and benefit from rebuilt public spaces. Without deliberate gender-responsive planning, reconstruction risks perpetuating or exacerbating pre-existing inequalities and exposure to violence and harassment.

UN Women is partnering with the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning in the Ministry of Internal Affairs to undertake a gender-responsive safety and access audit of the Port Vila market and the wider Central Business District (CBD), as outlined in the Port Vila Central Business District / CBD Vision and Concept Plan. This activity positions reconstruction not only as physical recovery but as an opportunity to embed safety, inclusion, and resilience into the design and management of public infrastructure from the outset.

UN Women brings specialized technical expertise in ending violence against women and girls (EVAWG), gender-responsive infrastructure assessment, and inclusive public space design.  This includes globally tested methodologies for assessing how design, location, governance, lighting, transport access, service provision, and management practices affect women and girls differently — particularly in relation to safety, mobility, and livelihood access. 

In Vanuatu and across the Pacific, UN Women has long-established programming through Markets for Change and the Pacific Partnership to End Violence Against Women and Girls (2024–2027), providing direct linkages to market governance, women’s economic empowerment, public space safety, and violence prevention. These programmes provide strong local knowledge, trusted stakeholder and community relationships, and practical entry points to support implementation of audit findings.

Description of Responsibilities / Scope of Work

The gender audit will serve as a practical entry point to support gender-responsive reconstruction, identifying priority actions for integration into ongoing reconstruction processes and informing potential follow-on technical assistance. The audit aims to:

  • Assess the extent to which planned and ongoing reconstruction efforts for the Port Vila market and the wider CBD — including transport infrastructure — are safe, accessible, and appropriate for women, girls, and other marginalized groups;
  • Identify risks related to safety, harassment, and violence in public spaces, and opportunities to mitigate these through design, management, and service linkages; and
  • Develop a practical action plan outlining key steps to strengthen gender-responsive reconstruction across short-, medium-, and long-term timeframes.

The scope of the audit encompasses the Port Vila market, the wider CBD as covered in the Port Vila CBD Vision and Concept Plan, and associated transport and pedestrian infrastructure. The findings will provide a basis for ongoing collaboration between UN Women and the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning to directly inform reconstruction planning, design, and implementation. The audit will identify responsible actors, feasible entry points within existing programmes and investments, and provide context-specific recommendations that can be integrated into infrastructure design, construction, and management decisions.

Methodology

The audit will employ a mixed-methods approach, conducted in close coordination with relevant government stakeholders, including municipal authorities and national ministries, to ensure alignment with the broader reconstruction strategy. Core methods will include:

  • Desk review of the Port Vila CBD Vision and Concept Plan, relevant policies, gender and urban safety frameworks, and existing data on violence against women and girls in Vanuatu;
  • Key informant interviews (KIIs) with government representatives, infrastructure and planning partners, market management, service providers, and civil society organizations;
  • Focus group discussions (FGDs) with women and girls, including women market vendors, women with disabilities, and other marginalized groups;
  • Structured site visits and observational assessments of the market and CBD, including assessment of lighting, access, signage, sanitation, transport nodes, and surrounding infrastructure; and
  • User journey mapping, including assessment of travel to, within, and from the market, with particular attention to early morning and late afternoon periods when safety risks are commonly heightened.

All data collection will adhere to survivor-centered principles and ethical standards for research with and about women and girls, including informed consent, confidentiality, and do no harm protocols. The methodology will be developed in full during the inception phase and agreed with UN Women and key stakeholders prior to field implementation.

Expected Deliverables

The consultancy comprises four phases corresponding to those of the Lead Consultant. 

The National Assistant Consultant will work under the direction of and in close collaboration with the lead consultant, providing research, logistical, and analytical support throughout the assignment. 

All deliverables, including their design, scope, and prioritization, will comply with survivor-centered standards and ethical guidelines for gender-based violence data management. 

The National Assistant Consultant is expected to deliver the following deliverables in close collaboration with the UN Women Fiji MCO Ending Violence Against Women and Girls / EVAWG Programme Team: 

Deliverable

Duration

Payment

Deliverable 1: Inception

Support the lead consultant in the development of the Inception Report. The assistant consultant’s contribution to the Inception Report includes:

  • Support the desk review of key documents, including the Port Vila CBD Vision and Concept Plan, relevant national policies and legislation, gender and urban safety frameworks, and existing data on violence against women and girls in Vanuatu, and prepare a written summary of findings;
  • Support the adaptation of the gender audit framework and assessment tools to the Port Vila context, drawing on desk review findings and local knowledge;
  • Lead stakeholder identification and mapping, including government counterparts, infrastructure and planning partners, market management, service providers, civil society organisations, and community groups;

  • Develop a stakeholder engagement plan, including identification of key informants and FGD participants; and

    Support logistical planning for field data collection, including scheduling of KIIs and FGDs, identification of venues, and liaison with stakeholders.

10 working days

20% upon acceptance by UN Women.

Deliverable 2: Field Audit and Preliminary Findings 

Under the direction of the lead consultant, support data collection and contribute to the Preliminary Findings Report. The assistant consultant’s responsibilities include:

  • Lead or co-facilitate KIIs and FGDs in coordination with the lead consultant, ensuring adherence to survivor-centred and ethical data collection protocols;
  • Lead site visits and observational assessments, documenting findings using agreed tools and frameworks;
  • Manage and organise raw data from KIIs, FGDs, and site visits, ensuring data is clean, well-documented, and stored in accordance with agreed protocols;
  • Contribute to the analysis of preliminary findings, identifying emerging themes for discussion with the lead consultant; and 

  • Support preparation of the Preliminary Findings Report, including drafting sections as directed by the lead consultant.

20 working days

30% upon acceptance by UN Women.

Deliverable 3: Full Gender Audit Report 

Under the direction of the lead consultant, contribute to the analysis and drafting of the Gender Audit Report. The assistant consultant’s responsibilities include:

  • Support thematic analysis of qualitative data from KIIs, FGDs, and observational assessments;
  • Draft sections of the Gender Audit Report as directed, including disaggregated findings on the experiences and priorities of diverse groups of women and girls;
  • Support the preparation and facilitation of the stakeholder validation workshop, including coordination of logistics, documentation of proceedings, and follow-up on feedback; and

  • Revise assigned sections of the report in response to stakeholder feedback from the validation workshop.

15 working days

20% upon acceptance by UN Women

Deliverable 4: Finalization and Action Planning

Support the lead consultant in the finalisation of the Gender Audit Report and Action Plan. The assistant consultant’s responsibilities include:

  • Support incorporation of stakeholder feedback into the final report;
  • Contribute to the development of the prioritised action plan, drawing on knowledge of local context, institutional actors, and existing programmes and investments;
  • Draft the executive summary for review and finalisation by the lead consultant; and

  • Support preparation of materials for dissemination of findings to government partners and key stakeholders.

15 working days

30% upon acceptance by UN Women

TOTAL

60  working days

100%

All documents, including consultation material and reports should be written in the English language.  All documents and materials utilized will need to be returned to UN Women in electronic format.  All materials will remain property of UN Women and cannot be used without UN Women’s permission.

Institutional Arrangement

The selected National Assistant Consultant will report to and work under the direct supervision of the EVAWG Programme Technical Specialist, UN Women Pacific Multi-Country Office. On a day-to-day basis, the National Assistant Consultant will work under the direction of the lead (international) consultant and will maintain close coordination with the Vanuatu Country Programme Coordinator and relevant UN Women country-level staff and partners.

The National Assistant Consultant will coordinate closely with the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning and other relevant government counterparts and stakeholders as agreed during the inception phase, in line with the stakeholder engagement plan developed under Phase 1.

Duration of the Work 

The duration of this assignment is up to 60 working days over approximately four months, with a possible start date from Q3 2026. The precise start date will be confirmed upon contract signature and will align with the start date of the lead consultant.

A detailed workplan will be submitted and agreed with UN Women as part of the inception deliverable.

Duty Station

The consultancy is based in Port Vila, Vanuatu. 

In-country field work is required throughout the assignment, including during the inception, field audit, and stakeholder validation phases. 

Home-based work may be undertaken for desk review, analysis, and report drafting phases as agreed with the lead consultant and UN Women.

Travel

There is no expectation of official travel, unless requested and authorized by UN Women; travel costs, including economy class airfare and daily subsistence allowance (DSA) at applicable UN rates, will be covered separately by UN Women with prior approval based on agreed upon routing and in conformity with UN Women applicable travel rules and regulations. 

Performance Evaluation

The National Assistant Consultant’s performance will be evaluated based on timeliness, initiative, communication, quality of analytical and written contributions, adherence to ethical and survivor-centred standards, and effective collaboration with the lead consultant. 

Evaluation will be conducted by the EVAWG Programme Technical Specialist, with input from the Lead Consultant.

Financial Arrangements 

Payments will be disbursed to the consultant on a deliverable-based arrangement aligned to the Expected Deliverables set out in this ToR and following written endorsement of satisfactory performance by the EVAWG Programme Technical Specialist.

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:

  • Demonstrated knowledge of gender equality, women’s safety, or ending violence against women and girls, with an understanding of gender-based violence in the Vanuatu and/or Pacific context;
  • Experience in qualitative research, including facilitating KIIs and/or FGDs, with women and girls and/or other marginalised groups, applying survivor-centred and ethical research principles;
  • Strong attention to detail, including ability to manage and organise data systematically in accordance with agreed protocols;
  • Demonstrated ability to engage sensitively and effectively with diverse stakeholders, including government counterparts, civil society organisations, market vendors, and community members;
  • Good written and oral communication skills in English; 
  • Proficiency in standard computer software, including Microsoft Word and Excel.

Required Qualifications:

Education and Certification:

  • Advanced university degree (Master’s equivalent or higher) in Gender Studies, Urban Planning, Social Sciences, Public Health, or a related field is required.
  • A first-level University Degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

  • Minimum 5 years (with Master’s degree) or 7 years (with first-level university degree) of progressively responsible professional experience in gender equality, ending violence against women and girls (EVAWG), social research, or a related field;
  • Experience conducting qualitative research in Vanuatu or the Pacific;
  • Experience with gender audits, safety assessments, or urban planning processes is an advantage;
  • Familiarity with survivor-centred principles and ethical standards for data collection with women and girls is strongly preferred;
  • Knowledge of the Port Vila urban context, including the market and CBD, and familiarity with key government, civil society, and community stakeholders is strongly preferred; and
  • Good English language writing skills, including demonstrated ability to produce clear written summaries and reports.

Languages:

  • Fluency in both written and spoken English is required
  • Knowledge of Pacific languages i.e. Bislama, is an asset.

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.)

How to Apply:

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.

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