Senior Research Consultant for Mapping Narratives contributing to Discriminatory Social Norms (Homebased)

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.

UN Women East & Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) maintains a large presence in the Eastern and Southern Africa region, covering 25 countries, with 12 Country Offices and a Programme Presence in Somalia. The remaining 12 countries are supported remotely as Non-Physical Presence (NPP) countries. In accordance with the UN Women Strategic Note (2026-2029) and in support of global and regional commitments for advancing gender equality, UN Women supports member states and partners in advancing and safeguarding gender equality norms while supporting their translation into gender responsive laws, policies, accountability systems and services. 

Towards enabling regional and national institutions in ESAR to be accountable to all women and girls through financing, data and practices that support gender equality, UN Women seeks to transform discriminatory social norms and strengthen gender responsive financing, data and practices, contributing to improved implementation of commitments, institutional performance and reporting. Additionally, through strengthening capacities, resources and agency of women’s rights organizations and civil society to influence decision making while holding duty bearers accountable, and supporting coordinated UN programmes, UN Women contributes to greater inclusion of civil society in normative and policy processes and improved institutional responsiveness. UN Women will in the ESA region adopt a more deliberate, inclusive and intersectional approach across the triple mandate and humanitarian, peace and development nexus, to advance the rights of all women and girls. This integrated approach supports UN Women to address structural drivers of inequalities across, including discriminatory social norms by strengthening institutional capacities for financing, data and accountability systems, while empowering women’s rights organizations, youth groups and civil society to influence decision-making and state accountability. This contributes to more inclusive and responsive institutions and improved implementation of gender equality commitments.

Discriminatory social norms continue to drive gender inequalities in the region, shaping patterns of violence, exclusion and unequal access to power and decision-making. These norms limit women and girls’ voice, agency, leadership and economic participation across the humanitarian, peace and development nexus. They contribute to pervasive violence against women and girls (VAWG), including in public life, across the region. Victim-blaming and justification for men’s use of violence against women perpetuate women and girls’ experiences of different forms of violence, with prevalence of intimate partner violence higher in ESA than global averages.[1] The acceptance of punishing women who challenge gendered power hierarchies contributes to the crises of femicide, where 22,600 women and girls in Africa were killed by intimate partners or family members in 2024.[2] Women and girls who experience multiple forms of discrimination are a particularly at risk of violence with limited access to protection and justice -across the continuum of online and offline spaces. Beyond violence and exclusion, discriminatory social norms restrict women’s voice, agency, leadership, ownership of productive assets, and meaningful participation in decision-making at household, community, institutional and public levels. These norms shape who is seen as a legitimate authority, whose voices are heard, and who can influence political, social and economic priorities. These norms are due to historical and structural inequalities, including plural legal systems and entrenched socio-economic disparities which continue to influence institutional practices and outcomes.

In contexts affected by conflict, displacement and humanitarian crises, discriminatory norms further restrict women and girls’ access to essential services, resources, information and leadership roles, while increasing unpaid care burdens and undermining resilience and recovery. They also limit the effective implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda by constraining women’s participation and leadership in peacebuilding, conflict prevention and recovery efforts. These norms constrain women’s economic empowerment by restricting access to productive resources, labor market opportunities and decision-making power. Across contexts, they contribute to backlash, shrinking civic space and risks for women in public and political life. Addressing these structural and intersecting barriers is essential to advancing inclusive governance, sustainable peace and equitable development outcomes in the region.

Within this context, UN Women East and Southern Africa works through multistakeholder partnerships to mobilize political will and strengthen accountability for existing gender equality commitments. This includes generating evidence and advancing normative and programmatic responses[3], ongoing engagement and institutionalization with cultural/community and faith leaders and work with private sector actors.[4]  These efforts have informed UN Women’s ongoing investments to enhance institutional capacities and provide strategic policy guidance to regional actors toward increased financing and delivery of comprehensive, evidence-informed approaches to advance gender equality, while strengthening collaboration with civil society and support for resilient feminist movements. The entity promotes intersectional approaches to address the needs of marginalized women and girls, generates evidence to inform social norm change and improve coordination across the United Nations, African Union, regional economic communities and wider ecosystem of actors. 

Despite these advances, significant gaps remain in understanding how discriminatory social norms are articulated, reproduced and sustained across the region, and how they intersect with structural inequalities to shape outcomes for women and girls. Existing efforts have not sufficiently captured comprehensively the range of discriminatory narratives which operate across the region which enable gender inequality to persist and how these narratives contribute to driving norms across institutions and contexts. As such, it is critical to strengthen the evidence base on these narratives for more coherent and context responsive programming to advance inclusive governance, sustainable peace, and gender-responsive conflict prevention, humanitarian response, recovery and development efforts. 

In line with UN Women’s framework on social norms change, shifting discriminatory narratives is one pathway to addressing discriminatory norms in support of gender equality. The study will establish a baseline on the articulation and drivers of discriminatory social norms and identify entry points to strengthen counter narratives for enhancing the effectiveness of programming across the region. Toward this end, UN Women ESARO seeks to hire a Senior Research Consultant to support a regional mapping of narratives contributing to discriminatory social norms implicated in gender equality across East and Southern Africa.

The mapping of discriminatory narratives[5] is a foundational exercise to establish discourse which operates in different institutional settings and contributes to gender inequality. The research will capture the dominant narratives that sustain gender inequalities within and across the institutions of the state, market, religion, community and family in East and Southern Africa. The study has two main purposes as follows: 1) to provide baseline evidence, qualitative benchmarks and contextual analysis to inform UN Women ESARO Strategic Note (SN) 2026-2029 indicators as indicated below; and 2) to inform UN Women’s efforts to promote counter narratives in support of gender equality, especially around women and girls’ freedom from violence, economic empowerment, leadership and participation in decision-making and toward inclusive peace and security, and women and girls’ access to services, including in crisis contexts. 

The study will contribute baseline evidence related to UN Women’s SN indicators, which include the following: 

Outcome 1: Norms and Standards

SP_D_0.1.1 (SDG 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.

SP_D_0.1.c: Number of tailored research, data and knowledge products made available by UN Women to strengthen the development of gender-responsive normative frameworks.

Outcome 2: Institutional Accountability

SP_D_0.2.c: Number of institutions with increased capacities to identify and/or address discriminatory behavior and/or social/gender norms change.

SP_D_0.2.3: Number of policies, plans and/or programmes that have been informed by UN-supported gender data and research.

SP_D_0.2.5b: Number of private sector entities changing policies, practices and behaviors in line with the Women's Empowerment Principles.

Outcome 3: Women and Girl’s Agency and Access to Services and Assets

ESA_D_7.3.2I: Number of advocacy-oriented knowledge products, briefs or policy papers produced and published with women's rights organizations (WROs) and academia/research institutes.

ESA_D_7.3.2B: Number of women's rights, youth, and civil society organizations in ESAR actively engaging in accountability processes for GEWE commitments, with support from UN Women ESARO.

ESA_D_7.3A: Level of influence of civil society organizations (especially women's rights organizations) in key normative, policy and peace processes.

ESA_D_7.3B: Number of global and regional normative and policy processes that have incorporated EVAW priorities/recommendations of CSOs/women's rights coalitions into their outcome documents, frameworks and policies.

ESA_D_7.3C: Proportion of women's rights organizations/coalitions, autonomous social movements and CSOs reporting greater influence and agency to work on ending GBV. 

The study will also contribute to qualitative benchmarks for selected dimensions of discriminatory narratives and institutional responses and provide recommendations on methodologies, indicators and data sources for periodic monitoring of changes throughout the implementation of the ESARO Strategic Note (2026–2029).

The Consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Regional Policy Specialist for Ending Violence against Women, in collaboration with Regional Thematic Leads, UN Women’s Social Norms Advisor and country offices in ESA.

Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work

The consultant is responsible for the following:

1. Inception Report, including co-design a mixed method regional research methodology for mapping discriminatory narratives and their contribution to discriminatory norms. Review background documentation provided by UN Women, prepare a workplan and proposed research methodology (considering decolonial research principles, participatory approaches, adherence to ethical and digital safety research practices), including composition of a Research Reference Group. The methodology shall include protocols for informed consent, confidentiality, data protection and safeguarding of participants, particularly women human rights defenders and groups experiencing heightened risks and intersecting forms of discrimination. This should be informed by UN Women’s framework on social norms change and related research, such as regional evidence on narrative shifts related to gender equality and social justice.

   The report should indicate potential stakeholders to be engaged and propose 3-5 case studies from the ESA region, considering attention to diverse contexts and population groups.[1] The methodology should include collaboration with UN Women Country Offices to pilot and refine data collection tools (e.g. surveys, focus group discussion and key informant interview guide, etc.) and analyze how discriminatory narratives affect women and girls’ experiences of violence, shape women’s access to leadership positions, women’s participation in the labour-market, entrepreneurship, decision-making processes, and influence within formal and informal institutions, including in political, civic, economic and peace and security spaces, processes and humanitarian settings.

   The inception report should also include a proposed approach for developing baseline evidence and qualitative benchmarks for selected Strategic Note indicators, including preliminary considerations for periodic measurement and tracking during the Strategic Note period. This is intended to provide indicative regional evidence and illustrative findings rather than statistically representative findings for ESA. The report should also include the extent to contribution that can be drawn from the study and any limitations around use of its findings. 

2. Desk Review. Review existing programme documentation provided by UN Women, published and grey literature on discriminatory norms, the narratives and counter-narratives in support of gender equality and social justice, with a focus on East and Southern Africa, covering the institutions in which they are embedded and the means through which they are perpetuated or constrained.  The desk review should include review of existing knowledge from relevant regional and national research entities, academic partners and think tanks to strengthen evidence gathering and contextual depth. The desk review should also examine evidence on how discriminatory social norms affect women’s leadership, political participation, representation, women’s economic empowerment, humanitarian settings and decision-making power, including backlash and resistance to women’s authority in public and other institutional spaces. Prepare summary report (10-15 pages) on findings from the desk review. 
3. Data collection and analysis. In collaboration with UN Women personnel in the ESA Region, plan, provide guidance and coordinate data collection via virtual surveys, and virtual or in-person interviews and focus group discussions with women’s rights organizations and institutional partners. Data collection should include a pilot exercise to allow for adjustments as needed and explore how women leaders, women’s rights organizations, and institutional actors experience and respond to narratives that constrain women’s voice, legitimacy, safety and influence in across institutions and decision-making spaces. Facilitate sessions to co-analyze data, consolidate findings and lessons learned, with UN Women and Reference Group members. 
4. Report and Presentation of Findings and Recommendations: Present initial findings and recommendations to the Reference Group and prepare a draft report on the same. Recommendations should identify entry points for shifting narratives and strengthening counter-narratives for advancing gender equality including recommendations on indicators, methodologies, data sources and approaches for periodically monitoring changes in discriminatory narratives and related institutional responses during the implementation of the ESARO Strategic Note (2026–2029). The draft report should be no more than 35 pages, excluding annexes and submitted for Reference Group and UN Women review. 
5. Finalize the report and related annexes based on inputs from UN Women and the Reference Group: A presentation should accompany the report and in coordination with UN Women, virtually present the final findings and recommendations with key stakeholders. 

Deliverables

1. Inception Report, including proposed methodology and workplan, covering the desk review and data collection, draft data collection tools and inputs on Reference Group composition and a proposed approach for establishing baseline evidence and qualitative benchmarks for selected SN indicators and their periodic monitoring during the SN period.  
2. Report of Desk Review based on programme documentation provided by UN Women, published and grey literature on discriminatory norms, respective narratives and counter-narratives in support of gender equality and social justice in East and Southern Africa, covering the institutions in which they are embedded and the means through which they are perpetuated or constrained. Prepare summary report (10-15 pages) on findings from the desk review. 
3. Initial analysis from data collection, including stakeholders engaged, initial findings and including lessons learned and adjustments required with the planned approach 

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:

• Strong programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills;
• Demonstrated expertise in designing mixed-methods research and developing measurement frameworks, indicators and methodologies related to social norms change change;
• Ability to synthesize programme performance data and produce analytical reports to inform management and strategic decision-making;
• Strong analytical skills;
• Strong facilitation skill;
• Demonstrates excellent written and oral communication skills;
• Ability to review a variety of data, identify and adjust discrepancies, identify and resolve operational problems;
• Proven networking skills and ability to generate interest in UN Women’s mandate;
• Seeks and applies knowledge, information, and best practices from within and outside UN Women.

Required Qualifications

Education and Certification:

• A master’s degree in international relations, sociology, social work, community development, human rights, gender and development, or similar field 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.

Experience:

• At least 10 years of experience in diverse contexts related to the design, planning, implementation, monitoring or evaluation of research on EVAWG or gender equality programmes or policies, with attention to narratives and social norms change, particularly in middle and low-income countries;
• Demonstrated technical experience working with civil society strengthening, women’s rights and feminist movements and cross-issue coalition-building;
• Proven experience developing and conducting research related to gender equality and/or social justice using participatory approaches and engaging with formal and informal institutions;  
• Proven expertise in coordinating virtual data collection methods;
• Work experience within the East and Southern Africa region is an asset;
• Familiarity with the UN system and the UN system development reform is an asset.

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required;
• Knowledge of French or Portuguese or any other UN official language 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.)

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.