UN Women: National Consultant-Coordination Officer, Dhaka Bangladesh

Background/Context

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 in Bangladesh supports the Government of Bangladesh to implement commitments to international normative standards on gender equality and women’s human rights. In line with the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2022-2027), UN Women Bangladesh’s Strategy Note (2022-2027), focuses on strengthening national structures and mechanisms for gender mainstreaming in policies, plans and budgets; supporting efforts to prevent and eliminate violence against women; promoting women’s access to decent and safe work; promoting policies and government investment in women’s empowerment and resilience building in the context of climate change, humanitarian crisis as well as other threats to peace and security. UN Women works with a range of stakeholders in Bangladesh including the government, civil society and women’s organisations, youth, UN agencies, and donors, to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.

In the last few decades, Bangladesh has made significant progress in social, political, and economic development and is expected to graduate from least developed country (LDC) status by 2029. These positive gains, however, are impacted by high rates of gender-based violence (GBV). While intimate partner violence is one of the most prevalent forms of GBV (75.9 percent according to VAW prevalence survey, BBS, 2024), women and girls face high levels of sexual harassment (in addition to other forms of violence) in public spaces, such as on public transport, within educational settings and in the context of work. 87 per cent of female students in Bangladeshi higher education institutions have disclosed instances of sexual harassment occurring on campuses (Press Xpress, 2024)0F[1] and in the last two years, 27 cases of sexual harassment reported in the top five universities of the country. Most victims are female students; female teachers are also victims (Daily Prothom Alo, March 2024)1F[2]. 

The recent initiative by Ministry of Women and Children Affairs (MoWCA) for enactment of a new Sexual Harassment Prevention and Protection bill for educational institutions and workplaces reinforces the commitment of the government for creating enabling environment to accelerate the progress on gender equality and women’s empowerment. 

UN Women, with support from the European Union, is implementing a project entitled “Ending sexual and gender-based violence in public spaces, in the context of work and tertiary educational settings in Bangladesh” (referred as ESGBV project). The project aims to strengthen the institutional mechanisms at workplaces, educational institutions and public spaces to prevent and respond to violence against women (VAW). Key partnerships have been developed with multi-stakeholders at the national and local levels with relevant ministries and departments for policy development, advocacy, and coordination and establish monitoring mechanisms to enhance the implementation of laws and policy framework for preventing and responding to sexual and gender-based violence at workplaces, tertiary educational institutions and public spaces. 

Under the ESGBV project, the University Grants Commission (UGC) and UN Women has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen institutional capacity of the universities to address gender-based violence (GBV) including sexual harassment and promote safe spaces for women and men in and around universities across the country. Through this collaboration, selected five universities will demonstrate strengthened institutional capacity and accountability to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) on campus, following the Whole of School approach2F[3] as prevention strategies, supported by technical assistance from UN Women and the UGC and aligned with the national legal framework. 

In this context, UN Women in Bangladesh is seeking a national consultant to support the coordination work of the UGC to implement ESGBV project initiatives under the scopes of collaboration outline in the MoU. The consultant will work with UN Women EVAW team and the international Collaboration Division (ICD) of UGC.  

Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work

The national consultant will be responsible for the following tasks: 

Coordination and Communication:

• Maintain coordination and support to International Collaboration Division (ICD) of UGC to implement the approved workplan outlined in the MoU between UGC and UN Women.
• Support organizing periodic and ad hoc meetings of the UGC working committee including meeting notification, logistic arrangements and meeting documentation with supervisory support of the ICD. The meeting minutes need to be finalized and endorsed by the UGC and UN Women. 
• Maintain communication and liaison with UN Women and its civil society partner – Ain O Shalish Kendra (ASK) who is responsible for implementing ESGBV project interventions in five selected universities to ensure coordination among all the parties.
• Arrange logistics to organise project events, meetings, capacity building initiatives/ training, workshops, strategic consultations, and strategic dialogues in collaboration with UGC, UN Women and participatory universities, in align with approved workplan. 
• Maintain regular communication with the five selected universities to collect updates on the implementation of the ESGBV project interventions. 
• Coordinate with the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs (MoWCA)/Department of Women Affairs (DWA) and other stakeholders of the ESGBV under the Technical Assistance Project (TAPP) with the MoWCA, when it is required.
• Coordinate with UGC Internal Complaint Committee on sexual harassment for their functionality in line with High Court Directive 2009/national legal framework. 

• Support organizing capacity building initiatives for UGC personnel on gender equality and GBV prevention. 

Research, Documentation and Reporting 

• Provide technical, logistical, and coordination support for qualitative and quantitative data collection activities conducted under the ESGBV Project, including research studies, assessments, and evaluations. 
• Facilitate individual and group interviews, focus group discussions, and consultations by coordinating with the UGC and personnel from registered universities to ensure timely and effective participation. 
• In coordination with the UGC Press Wing, support the drafting, review, and finalization of press releases, event summaries, and other communication materials related to project activities. Ensure that all communication products accurately reflect key discussions, outcomes, decisions, and achievements of the events, maintaining high standards of quality and factual correctness and ensure consistency with UN Women and EU communication, visibility, and branding guidelines, as well as approved messaging and terminology. 
• Support organizing online and in-person learning and knowledge-sharing events on preventing and responding to sexual harassment on campus, engaging national, regional, and global practitioners to exchange experiences, good practices, and lessons learned. 
• Draft the talking points/speech, prepare the background notes for UGC concerned personnel and the Executive Committee members attending the events organized under this collaboration with UN Women 
• Prepare quarterly narrative report on UGC work under the collaboration and submit to UN Women for internal and donor reporting.

Technical Support for compiling and analysis of monitoring data 

• Provide technical inputs to the design, development, and refinement of an online monitoring and reporting tool to track the implementation of sexual harassment prevention and redress mechanisms, including case reporting and status monitoring, in alignment with the High Court Division (HCD) directives and/or upcoming legal frameworks.
• Support the integration of indicators and functionalities to monitor SGBV prevention and response initiatives implemented through a Whole-of-School Approach.
• Coordinate with UN Women and the consulting firm responsible for developing online tool ensuring the input from ICD, management or delegated authority from UGC 
• Compile and analyse the data generated from online tool and prepare six monthly reports with supervision from ICD and delegated authority of UGC. 
• Support in publishing and dissemination of the report with wider stakeholders following Knowledge Management plan of ESGBV project. 

Deliverables, timeline, payment schedule

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

The National Consultant will be engaged for four (4) working days per week, up to a maximum of sixteen (16) working days per month, throughout the contract period. The duty station will be Dhaka. The consultant will be required to work at the UGC office during the agreed working days. The consultant shall also attend meetings and consultations/events at the UN Women Bangladesh Country Office, or any other designated location, as requested by UN Women. No equipment/device will be provided for the consultant.

No Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) will be paid at the duty station. If unforeseen travel outside the duty station is required for this assignment, such travel expenses shall be borne by UN Women, and the individual consultant shall receive a per-diem not to exceed the United Nations daily subsistence allowance (DSA) rate in such other location(s) and actual travel cost. All travel must receive prior written approval from UN Women and be supported by a clear justification outlining the purpose and relevance of the travel to the assignment.

Supervision and Performance Evaluation: 

The consultant will be reporting to the Unit Manager, EVAW of UN Women BCO. For day-to-day activities, the consultant will be managed by Programme Analyst, EVAW and the Director of ICD, UGC.

Competencies

• Respect for Diversity 
• Integrity 
• Professionalism 

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues 
• Accountability 
• Creative Problem Solving 
• Effective Communication 
• Inclusive Collaboration 
• Stakeholder Engagement 
• Leading by Example 

• Technical credibility in working with tertiary education institutions and government 
• Risk management capacity
• Research, communication and reporting
• Commitment to continuous improvement
• Excellent analytical skills in policy, data and research related to gender equality and Gender based violence against women and girls. 

Required Qualifications

Education:

• Master’s degree in Gender and Development, Development Studies, International Relations, Political Science, Peace and conflict studies, Human Rights, Public Policy, Governance or any other Social Science related disciplines or related field

Experience:

• Minimum 03 years of relevant work experience to provide day-to-day coordination support to engage with high level multi-stakeholders (government institutions, regulatory bodies, public sector agencies, and/or higher education institutions, universities, or relevant ministries) involved in gender equality and women empowerment. 
• Minimum 03 years of work experience in organizing and coordinating consultations, workshops, trainings, conferences, and multi-stakeholder dialogues involving government officials, academia, development partners, and civil society organizations.
• Minimum 02 years of work experience in preparing high-quality reports, meeting documentation, briefing notes, concept notes, and communication materials. 
• Demonstrated minimum 02 years of work experience working on online Monitoring and Reporting tools, generating data, compilation and analysis, in report writing with analytical skills.
• Demonstrated excellent communication, coordination, and relationship management skills, with the ability to engage effectively with senior government officials, university authorities, faculty members, and students.
• Strong understanding of the higher education sector in Bangladesh and familiarity with policies, regulatory frameworks, and institutional structures related to university governance will be an advantage.
• Experience working with UN agencies, development partners, donor-funded projects, or international organizations will be considered an asset on issues related to gender equality, women rights, violence against women and girls and gender-responsive policing is desirable

Languages:

• Excellent command of both Bangla and English (oral and written), other UN languages is an asset.

Evaluation Criteria

The total number of points allocated for the technical qualification component is 100. The technical qualification of the consultant is evaluated based on the following technical qualification evaluation criteria:

Payment: 

1. Payment will be processed at the end of each month for the number of days worked based on submission of progress report, timesheet, satisfactory quality of deliverables (milestones) during the month produced. 

Submission Package includes: 

1. Application letter (maximum 1.5 pages) explaining your interest in this consultancy by mentioning their strengths in work experience and competencies. 
   1. Updated Personal History Form (P11) 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)
   2. Sample of work (such as published reports, presentations, publications, or other relevant materials) which are available online with link.  

Notes:
UN Women retains the right to contact references directly. Due to the large number of applications we receive, we can inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.
 

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 recruitment/procurement is decided based on 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.