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. Placing women's rights at the centre of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States' priorities and efforts.

Under the framework of providing normative support to national government, UN Coordination and  strengthening strategic partnership, UN Women supportsnational partners (government, non-governmental institutions) and international partners in the implementation of existing international and national commitments to women’s rights and gender equality; it facilitates networking and exchange of good practices and advocates for women’s rights and gender equality in all areas of life. UN Women is a Non-Resident Agency in Montenegro and is working closely with the UN Country Team to support national stakeholders in advancing the gender equality agenda in line with the objectives and priorities set in the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2023–2027, in particular Outcome 2: By 2027, all people, especially the vulnerable, increasingly benefit from equitable, gender-responsive and universally accessible social and child protection systems and quality services. UN Women’s engagement in Montenegro is overseen through its Country office in Albania.

Currently, UN Women is implementing a UN Joint Programme with UNICEF Montenegro aimed at advancing the prevention of and response to violence against women and children in Montenegro. The programme is financially supported through the Montenegro SDG Acceleration Fund and is designed to strengthen national systems and services for survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) and violence against children (VAC), with a strong emphasis on coordination, legal reform, and institutional capacity development. The UN Women component of the intervention builds on the findings of the recent GRB assessment for Montenegro, and aims to enhance the GRB approach to addressing and costing violence against women. In particular, UN Women will focus on strengthening capacities of public officials to budget and cost the implementation of existing VAW policy frameworks and VAW services. In addition, UN Women will develop a policy paper jointly with UNICEF on the intersections between VAW and VAC.

In this context, UN Women Albania is looking to hire an EVAW expert to provide specialist advice and technical leadership in implementing the activities foreseen in the UN Joint Programme ‘Strengthening the System Support on Prevention of Violence Against Women, Girls, and Boys’. 

The International EVAW expert will work under the direct supervision of the project manager and focal point for Montenegro at UN Women Albania, and in close coordination with UNICEF Montenegro to ensure effective implementation and coordination of the project activities as well as in coordination with the local technical coordinator, contributing to strengthened multisectoral cooperation, increased institutional capacities, and improved services for survivors. In addition, the incumbent will be expected to strengthen partnerships with national and local institutions and partners, identifying possible areas for strategic partnerships in Montenegro.

Description of Responsibilities /Scope of Work

Tasks include supporting and providing technical advice to the UN JP activities pertaining to UN Women’s workplan and related to EVAW, specifically: 

• Provide technical inputs and expert advice on VAW to relevant institutions such as the Ministry of Welfare, the Ministry of Human Rights and Minorities and other relevant partners, on VAW related policy and legal documents, including National Action Plan for the implementation of Istanbul Convention, draft laws and other strategic frameworks. 
• Design, prepare and conduct capacity building sessions and trainings for relevant stakeholders on violence against women 
• Engage with and provide technical support for the development and costing of VAW services at the local level to one municipality, to be defined jointly with UNICEF
• Lead and contribute to the development of policy papers, advocacy briefs, and awareness campaigns addressing the intersection between Vac and VaW in Montenegro
• Lead on engagement of partners (institutions, CSOs and international community) on VAW and provide evidence of support including meeting minutes

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based consultancy. 

As part of this assignment, there will be a maximum of three trips to Podgorica, Montenegro. 

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:

• Proven research, analytical and drafting skills,
• Demonstrated ability to interact effectively with various public and non-public stakeholders including in the areas of gender equality violence against women;
• Understanding of the intersection between violence against children (VAC) and VAW, and ability to provide technical analysis and recommendations in this area.
• Excellent writing skills in English;
• Strong interpersonal skills;
• Strong initiative-taker;
• Focuses on impact and results for the partner;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.

Education and Certification:

• Master's degree in gender, social sciences, human rights, International Development Studies,  or  related fields 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 Requirements 

• At least 7 years of professional experience in gender equality, with a focus on eliminating violence against women and girls (EVAWG).
• Proven experience in conducting reviews and costing of national action plans (NAPs) or similar strategic frameworks related to gender-based violence.
• Expertise in legal analysis and providing technical support on legislative amendments.
• Experience in developing or contributing to policy papers, advocacy strategies, programmatic interventions or awareness-raising campaigns on VAW or VAC would be desirable 
• Experience working in or with the Western Balkans region, including Montenegro, is  preferred.
• Prior experience with the UN system or similar international organisations would be desirable.

Languages:

• Proficiency in written English required for both positions.
• Knowledge of Serbian/Montenegrin would be desirable 

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.