International Consultant- Women Peace and Security in Bangladesh

Background

UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325), unanimously adopted in October 2000, stressed the importance of the equal participation and full involvement of women in all efforts to maintain and promote peace and security. In the years since, eight additional resolutions on WPS have been adopted. This has created a robust framework for implementing the WPS agenda and has reinforced global commitments, treaties and conventions on women’s rights, including the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. To deliver these commitments at the national level, the United Nations has encouraged Member States to adopt National Action Plans on WPS (NAPs-WPS) to implement the resolutions and monitor the progress of the WPS agenda. As of August 2017, 66 countries have adopted NAPs-WPS. In Bangladesh, the Government is committed to developing a NAP-WPS and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is leading its formulation and drafting. UN Women is providing technical support to assist with the process as part of its Women Peace and Security Programme.  

Bangladesh is also faced with an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. In August 2017, Bangladesh experienced the largest and fastest influx of Rohingya refugees from Rakhine State, Myanmar in history. Since then, an estimated 745,000 Rohingya have fled into Cox’s Bazar, and as of the end of April the total number of refugees reported were 911,359. The immediate cause of their flight has been described by the UN-mandated Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar as a “widespread and systematic attack on [civilians]” including “murder, imprisonment, enforced disappearance, torture, rape, sexual slavery and other forms of sexual violence, persecution, and enslavement”. Since October 2017 UN Women is actively engaged in the Rohingya refugee response and has contributed to more refugee women in vulnerable conditions having access to life saving and critical information and services, and livelihood opportunities in the refugee camps. UN Women is also supporting women’s leadership and participation in humanitarian planning and governance, and demanding justice and accountability for the conflict related sexual violence that they have suffered, line with Security Council Resolutions on Women Peace and Security.

Against this background, UN Women seeks to hire a consultant to support the Women Peace and Security programme portfolio in Bangladesh. This will include working closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support the finalization of the draft NAP on WPS and mobilization of resources for implementation of the NAP. The consultant will also support development and implementation of UN Women’s “Empowering Women, Peaceful Communities” prevention of violent extremism project and initiative to promote access to justice and accountability for conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence against Rohingya women and girls.

The consultant will report directly to the UN Women Country Representative.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objectives:To support implementation of the Women Peace and Security programme portfolio of UN Women Bangladesh

Duties and Responsibilities:

The consultant will support the following:1)    Finalization of the draft NAP on WPS:

•  Work closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support finalization of the NAP;
•  Organization of final consultations and meetings with key stakeholders.

2)    Implementation of the Empowering Women, Peaceful Communities project, including implementation of NAP WPS, in consultation with national and regional office staff;3)    Design of activities to promote security, access to justice and accountability for conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence against Rohingya women and girls;4)    Desk Review report on the situation of women in Chittagong Hill Tracts, with particular attention to the implementation of the peace agreement and SDGs progress;5)    Resource mobilization for the WPS portfolio through donor mapping, development of concept notes, briefing material, organization of donor meetings, etc.;6)    Attend meetings related to WPS as assigned by the Country Representative.

Deliverables:

Deliverables 1 by 15 Auguts 2019 and 35 % of payment for this delivery:

• Report of final validation meetings for NAP WPS;
• National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security final draft accepted by Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
• July progress report on Empowering Women, Peaceful Communities project and other tasks completed during the month. 

Deliverables 2 by 30 September 2019 and 35 % of payment for this delivery:

• Desk Review report on situation of women in Chittagong Hill Tracts;
•  One WPS project concept note related to access to justice for Rohingya women;
• August/September progress report on Empowering Women, Peaceful Communities project and other tasks completed during the month.

Deliverables 3 by 31 October 2019 and 30 % of payment for this delivery:

• One WPS project concept note on NAP WPS implementation support;
• October progress report on Empowering Women, Peaceful Communities project and other tasks completed during the month.

Competencies

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the United Nations' values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of the UN and UN Women;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Ability and willingness to work as part of a team to meet tight deadlines and produce high quality work.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree in public policy, international development, international law or other social science field. Social Science with a focus on gender and women’s rights.

Experiences:

• At least 7 years of work experience supporting design and implementing initiatives related to Security Council Resolutions on Women Peace and Security;
•  Proven experience supporting policy development and advocacy in the area of women peace and security;
• Proven experience designing and facilitating consultation meetings with various stakeholders (governmental, non-governmental and donor community);
• Experience designing and producing analytical reports, briefs and communication products and concept notes and briefs for resource mobilization.  

Language and writing skills:

• Excellent written and spoken English;

• Language skills such as Bangla an asset. 

The following documents should be submitted as part of the application:

• Cover letter outlining relevant experience for the assignment;
• Updated CV;
• Personal History Form (P11);
• Writing sample on a topic relevant to the assignment;
• Financial proposal all inclusive (technical fees and  living cost both together) in lump basis. UNW will reimburse your ticket cost. Please quote your air ticket cost for international part at most direct and economic route. Also mention your travel itinerary in the financial proposal. UNW will verify your quoted price with their vendors and reimburse you the lowest fare allowable as per Travel Policy

NOTE: Documents required before contract signing:

• UN Personal History Form;
• Full medical examination and Statement of Fitness to work and travel for consultants with travel involved. (This is not a requirement for RLA contracts);
•  Security Certificate BSAFE: EN: https://agora.unicef.org/course/info.php?id=17891;
•  Individual subscribers over 65 years of age are required to undergo a full medical examination including x-rays at their own cost and obtaining medical clearance from the UN Medical Director prior to taking up their assignment;
•  Release letter in case the selected consultant is government official.

Only applications will all items mentioned above will be considered

Payments

Payments for this consultancy will be based on the achievement of deliverables and certification that each has been satisfactorily completed, at the end of the assignment Please use "International Consultant- Women Peace and Security." as the subject heading of your application.

All applications must include (as an attachment) the CV and the financial proposal. Applications without financial proposal will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment. “Personal History Form - P 11” can be downloaded from http://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employme