International Consultant to Develop the Background Paper and Common Africa Position for the 71st Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 71)

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.

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. 

Guided by its triple mandate (normative support, coordination, and operational activities), UN Women's Liaison Office to the African Union and UNECA, in collaboration with the three Regional Offices (ESARO, WCARO, ROAS), AU Women, Gender and Youth Directorate (WGYD), UNDP, UNECA, and UNFPA, provides substantive support to Member States and stakeholders. This support ensures stronger gender perspectives in Africa's intergovernmental processes, particularly those linked to sustainable development, financing for development, macroeconomic policies, poverty eradication, and related agendas.

The 71st session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 71) will focus on accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The review theme is: achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes (agreed conclusions from the 66th session).

In this context, Africa's preparations will be anchored in continental legal and policy frameworks, including the Maputo Protocol, the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa, the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, the AU Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment (GEWE) Strategy (2018–2028), and other AU commitments.

In preparing for CSW 71, Africa's engagement will also be informed by broader continental commitments, notably Beijing and the African Union's Agenda 2063. Anchoring the process in these frameworks will ensure coherence across global and regional agendas, while positioning the accelerated implementation of gender equality as central to Africa's long-term development trajectory and the achievement of Agenda 2063.

The consultant expected to use the continental and sub-regional reporting mechanisms for assessing Africa's progress against the CSW 71 theme and reviewing all the 17 SDGs. Working from established benchmarks and based on the SDG 5 which has 14 dedicated indicators covering areas such as ending discrimination, eliminating violence against women, equal participation in leadership, universal reproductive rights, and unpaid care work. Additionally the 74 gender-related indicators are embedded across SDGs 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 16, and 17 covering poverty, health, education, water, economic growth, climate, and governance, Agenda 2063 gender goals, SDGEA commitments, and Maputo Protocol obligations the consultant systematically extracts data from key reports: AGDI data for quantitative gender gaps, ARFSD and VNR reports for SDG progress trends, APRM country assessments for governance and structural barriers, SDGEA synthesis reports for continental commitment tracking, and REC-level Gender Monitors for sub-regional variation. For the review theme on climate and DRR, CEDAW General Recommendation 37 provide the specific evidence base. Findings are cross-validated across multiple sources to produce verified, credible conclusions that can withstand scrutiny from all Member States.

The synthesis of these evidence sources is then structured around the forward-looking framing of CSW 71 — not merely what has happened, but what will accelerate progress by 2030. The consultant organises findings into four analytical clusters: where Africa has made measurable progress, where critical gaps persist and why (structural, legal, financing, and data barriers), what policy actions will accelerate implementation, and what Africa's collective ask is at the global negotiating table. Each call to action in the Common Africa Position flows directly from a finding in the background paper, which is in turn anchored to evidence from these reporting mechanisms giving the CAP its analytical credibility and negotiating strength when Africa speaks with one voice at CSW 71

Additionally, at the Africa level, UN Women will support both expert group consultations and ministerial consultations, which will inform and lead to the development of the Common Africa Position (CAP) Paper for CSW 71, and the CAP expected to contribute to CSW71 Agreed Conclusions, which in turn will inform the reflection on gender at the 2027 SDGs Summit. These consultations will ensure alignment with Africa's gender equality frameworks and amplify the continent's priorities in the global negotiations.

The consultant will report to the UN Women Special Representative to the AU and UNECA.

Objectives of the Consultancy

Under the direct supervision of the UN Women Special Representative to the AU and UNECA, the International Consultant will:

• Develop a comprehensive background report on accelerating gender equality and women's empowerment in the context of the 2030 Agenda in Africa, grounded in African legal and policy frameworks and practices.
• Ensure the background report and Common Africa Position are explicitly aligned with Africa's broader policy frameworks, and Agenda 2063, thereby situating the accelerated achievement of gender equality and the 2030 Agenda within the continent's long-term development priorities.
• Support the drafting of agendas for expert and ministerial consultations.
• Contribute to and support the drafting of the Common Africa Position Paper for CSW 71, with action-oriented recommendations.

Description of Responsibilities / Scope of Work

• Conduct a comprehensive literature review and desk research on the CSW 71 priority theme (accelerating gender equality in the context of the 2030 Agenda) and review theme (gender equality and climate change/disaster risk reduction).
• Identify and map relevant organizations, institutions, and experts with expertise on the theme who could engage in and contribute to the process.
• Prepare the background document for Africa's pre-CSW 71 consultations, covering key thematic areas including: progress and gaps in SDG implementation in Africa with gender-disaggregated analysis; women's economic empowerment, poverty reduction, and financial inclusion; women's political participation and decision-making; gender dimensions of climate change, environmental policy, and disaster risk reduction; women in humanitarian emergencies; the care economy and unpaid care work; data, statistics, and accountability for gender equality under the SDGs; financing for gender equality; and linkages to Agenda 2063.
• Ensure that all outputs (background document, agendas, and the draft Common Africa Position) are explicitly aligned with continental frameworks such as the Maputo Protocol and Agenda 2063, and reflect synergies with global commitments including CEDAW and the SDGs, and that inputs and comments are incorporated.
• Support the development of the agenda for both the Expert and Ministerial level consultations.
• Prepare the draft Africa Position Document for pre-CSW 71.
• Facilitate the incorporation of Member State and civil society perspectives into the process to ensure the Common Africa Position reflects broad ownership and actionable priorities.
• Prepare a report capturing key points from both the Experts Group Meeting and Ministerial consultations.

Deliverables

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based consultancy with required travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for expert and ministerial consultations. As part of this assignment, if missions are assigned by the supervisor, UN Women shall cover the costs of travel in accordance with its travel policy.

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:

• In-depth knowledge of gender equality and women's rights issues, including SDG implementation and the 2030 Agenda;
• In-depth knowledge of Africa's gender equality frameworks, including the Maputo Protocol, Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa, Agenda 2063, and the AU GEWE Strategy;
• Demonstrated ability to produce clear reports and guidance with in-depth analysis and strategic recommendations in English in the relevant field;
• Good communication, facilitation, and interpersonal skills; ability to foster networks and partnerships;
• Ability to complete complex assignments in a timely manner and deliver quality results.

Required Qualifications

Education and Certification:

• Master's degree or above in social sciences such as gender studies, sociology, public administration, international relations, law, or a related field;
• 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 programme experience in gender equality, women's empowerment, sustainable development, SDG implementation, policy analysis, drafting of intergovernmental policy outcome documents, or a related field relevant to the pre-CSW 71 theme within the Africa region;
• Previous experience leading research, analytical work, and policy analysis related to gender equality, the 2030 Agenda, or women's empowerment in Africa;
• Demonstrated experience developing regional or continental policy frameworks, including Common Position papers or similar advocacy documents;
• Previous professional experience with development agencies and/or the United Nations, African Union, and African Union Member States.

Languages:

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