UN Women provides technical expertise to support gender mainstreaming across protection processes; and enables knowledge generation through documenting good practices, research and policy development. UN Women is often uniquely positioned to provide a space to facilitate women’s civil society access to decision-makers.
The Peace, Security and Resilience Section leads the UN system’s efforts towards improved implementation, and monitoring and reporting of global commitments on women and peace and security (WPS), including as set out in the Beijing Platform for Action and in Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009), 1960 (2010), 2106 (2013), 2122 (2013), 2242 (2015), 2467 (2019) and 2493 (2019); relevant Statements by the President of the Security Council, and related accountability frameworks established by the UN system. UN Women is a founding member of the UN Action Network Against Sexual Violence in Conflict.
Under the supervision of the Policy Specialist, Rule of Law and Transitional Justice, the Policy Specialist, Protection will contribute to the development and implementation of UN Women’s work on gender-responsive protection, including policy development and coordination, capacity-building interventions, strategic partnerships, knowledge production and management, and technical assistance to UN Women regional and country offices and partners. The Policy Specialist will support UN Women’s engagement across the broader protection pillar, including protection challenges affecting women and girls in conflict and crisis settings, women human rights defenders, reprisals, protection of civilians, conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), disability inclusion and other emerging protection concerns.
The Policy Specialist will serve as an important link between regional and country offices, and global policy and coordination processes. The position will contribute to UN Women’s representation in relevant inter-agency mechanisms and support the integration of gender-responsive, survivor-centred and intersectional approaches across protection policy and programming. The Policy Specialist will work closely with colleagues responsible for rule of law, transitional justice, access to justice and specialized CRSV technical support, ensuring complementarity across the Section’s protection and justice portfolios.
III. Scope of Work
1. Provide technical assistance and programme support to HQ, regional and country offices
Provide demand-driven technical assistance and quality assurance to UN Women regional and country offices and their partners on protection and WPS-related policies and programming, including through technical support missions, as required.
Support UN Women’s country and global-level programming through the UNDP-UN Women Gender-Justice Platform, particularly as relates to conflict-related sexual violence and women human rights defenders.
Facilitate capacity-development initiatives, consultations and exchanges on gender-responsive protection, including between headquarters, regional and country offices.
2. Provide policy, research and analytical support on protection-related issues to the Section
Contribute to UN Women’s policy development, implementation and quality assurance on gender-responsive protection initiatives, including conflict-related sexual violence, protection of civilians, women human rights defenders, reprisals, disability inclusion and other protection challenges affecting women and girls.
Liaise with relevant UN Women sections and divisions, including offices operating in UN mission settings, to strengthen coherence across protection, humanitarian action, ending violence against women, women, peace and security, human rights, political participation, rule of law and transitional justice.
Support the organization of online, hybrid and in-person high-level events with relevant stakeholders to raise awareness of protection issues in conflict and crisis settings and advocate for gender-responsive and survivor-centred protection approaches.
3. Provide technical guidance and represent UN Women in inter-agency and international protection mechanisms
Represent UN Women and/or provide technical and coordination support to UN Women’s engagement in relevant inter-agency and international protection mechanisms, including mechanisms addressing hate speech, children in armed conflict, protection of civilians, women human rights defenders, reprisals and conflict-related sexual violence.
Provide inputs to the drafting of the Secretary-General’s reports on reprisals and intimidation and on conflict-related sexual violence, as well as other relevant reports and policy processes.
4. Contribute to the coordination of the Peace, Security and Resilience Section’s work on Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRD) and Reprisals
In collaboration with relevant UN Women divisions and UN partners, contribute to the coordination of the Section’s work on the implementation and monitoring of UN system-wide commitments relating to women human rights defenders.
Support UN Country Teams in strengthening focal-point arrangements, coordination mechanisms and practical approaches for preventing and responding to threats and reprisals against women human rights defenders.
Support the development and implementation of guidance, tools and policy recommendations to prevent and mitigate reprisals against women civil society representatives engaging with the United Nations, including the Security Council.
Contribute to inter-agency and cross-regional consultations, capacity-building initiatives and knowledge exchanges on the protection of women human rights defenders.
5. The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization or as required by the Policy Specialist, Rule of Law and Transitional Justice, or Chief, Peace and Security. Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: No direct supervision of personnel. However, the incumbent may provide ongoing substantive guidance and quality assurance oversight to “junior” personnel, including reviewing work products, monitoring task completion, and ensuring compliance with policies and procedures.
Minimum Qualifications
Education and Certification:
Master's degree (or equivalent) in development related disciplines, gender issues, economics, political science, human rights, law or other social science fields, of direct relevance to rule of law, protection, security sector reform;
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
A minimum of 5 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in gender equality, gender-responsive protection and/or the WPS agenda is required;
Experience developing and implementing gender-responsive protection or WPS programmes or activities at the country, regional or global level is required;
Experience participating in coordination mechanisms on protection, WPS or related issues at the country, regional or global level is desirable;
Experience developing or implementing policy related to women human rights defenders or to the prevention of reprisals against women civil society representatives engaging with the United Nations is desirable.
Languages
Fluency in English is required;
Fluency in French is highly desirable;
Proficiency in another UN language is desirable (French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish).
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.
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
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:
Knowledge of the WPS agenda and gender-responsive, survivor-centered and inclusive approaches to protection;
Knowledge of WPS issues in Latin America and the Caribbean;
Knowledge of UN Women and the UN system, including UN coordination mechanisms on protection;
Knowledge of programme development and implementation relating to WPS and protection;
Ability to conceptualize and lead policy research on protection that includes a gender analysis and/or clear gender perspective;
Ability to organize and complete multiple tasks by establishing priorities;
Ability to handle a large volume of work under time constraints;
Ability to draft policy papers, speeches, briefings, etc.
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.