Mission and objectives

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. The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign that begins on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day. During the 2025 campaign period, this UN Volunteer assignment will contribute to the following targets.

Context

29 October, the UN International Day on Care and Support, recognizing the vital role that care and support systems play in achieving gender equality, inclusive economic growth, and social well-being. The day calls for renewed global commitments to invest in and recognize unpaid and paid care work, and to support the workers and systems that make care possible. UN Women’s strategic approach to care work, outlined in its new Strategic Plan, is centred on the Gender Equality Accelerator (GEA) on Transforming Care Systems. This initiative addresses systemic gender inequalities in the division of paid and unpaid care work through the 6Rs framework: recognize, reduce, redistribute, represent, and reward care work, as well as resource it and invest in it. By focusing on both paid and unpaid care work, GEA aims to transform the care economy into a driver of gender equality and sustainable development. The strategy emphasizes the recognition of care work’s economic and social value, the reduction of unpaid care work through investments in time-saving infrastructure, and the redistribution of care responsibilities between men and women, as well as between families and institutional service providers. It promotes the representation of care workers in policymaking processes and rewards care work through fair compensation, social protections, and equitable working conditions. UN Women’s efforts focus on creating global normative frameworks, increasing financing for gender equality, and ensuring women’s equitable access to services. The initiative supports legal reforms, develops innovative care service models, and integrates unpaid care work into national accounts and economic policies. Through advocacy, capacity building, and the use of gender-disaggregated data, UN Women ensures evidence-based policymaking and strategic investments in care infrastructure. As co-chair of the Global Care Alliance, UN Women leverages its technical expertise, global advocacy, and partnerships with governments, civil society, and international organizations to redefine care work as a shared societal responsibility. By embedding the 5Rs across public and private sectors, UN Women positions care work as a cornerstone of inclusive and equitable development. UN Women’s approach to care work is deeply integrated into its normative, coordination, and operational mandates, recognizing care work as a critical dimension of achieving gender equality. In line with this vision, UN Women Europe and Central Asia Regional Office, in partnership with the Consulate of Sweden in Istanbul and regional partners, will commemorate the 2025 International Day on Care and Support with a high-level gathering that brings together diplomatic representatives, United Nations agencies, the private sector, feminist economists, and CSOs. This event will explore innovative practices, research, and policies that have positively transformed the care economy in the region. The selected national UN Community Volunteer will assist the UN Women team in Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO) in the following tasks - Awareness, Advocacy and Outreach: Supporting UN Women to organize local events, online campaigns, and use social media to amplify messages about care day. In addition, selected national UN Community Volunteer will engage in creative activism through art and community outreach, raising awareness and promoting stories.

Task Description

Under the direct supervision of UN Women Programme Specialist on Entrepreneurship Acceleration, the national UN Community Volunteer will: · Assist UN Women in organizing local events such as marches, panel discussions, or webinars that raise awareness of violence against women and girls at the community level, in line with UN Women's planned activities. · Assist in amplifying messages about care day through social media campaigns managed by UN Women by sharing this information with peers and the online community. · Engage community members, volunteers, and leaders in spreading messages of ending gender-based violence. · Assist in the creation of content and stories, and promote messages of care work. · Assist UN Women in organizing and facilitating small group discussions or meetings to educate the public about the care day. · Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities: - Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day, 5th of December). - Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country. - Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities (for instance at https://vra.unv.org). - Contribute articles/wrjte-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc. - Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers. - Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

Competencies and values

· Accountability · Adaptability and flexibility · Creativity · Judgement and decision-making · Planning and organising · Professionalism · Self-management

Living conditions and remarks

This is a volunteer assignment, not employment. By sharing your time, energy, and talents, you can support communities in need and become part of something greater than yourself — a global movement for peace, development, and humanitarian aid. Volunteering strengthens trust, solidarity, and reciprocity among citizens, and it can promote a sense of belonging and purpose. The UN Volunteer assignment is based in Istanbul. This assignment is home-based. The UN Volunteers are responsible for arranging her/his own housing and other living essentials. Summary of this national UN Volunteer Entitlements: • Private insurance: Health, dental, life, and dismemberment (coverage by CIGNA) • Certificate of Service • Experience with UN programmes • There will be no payment, stipend, or any allowances. Note: The selected candidates should complete the mandatory pre-assignment documents including medical clearance, beneficiary form with original signature, and certificates for three online UN courses, following UNV guidance, as soon as possible (within three days maximum) of receiving the selection notification. UN Volunteer supporting SPI in the Europe and Central Asia region: The support provided by the UN Volunteer for events supporting the host UN entity in the region of Europe and Central Asia is a Special Programme Initiative (SPI) by UNV. SPIs respond to volunteer-specific needs of the United Nations system and donor entities. They are established by specific policy documents that address the desired programmatic aims and broader SDGs’ outcomes in line with UNV guiding principles. UN Volunteers for this SPI in the Europe and Central Asia region are governed by the particular conditions set out in their offers and contracts. In addition to the specific requirements set out above, candidates for these volunteer assignments will be subject to background checks, confirmation and clearance provided by the United Nations Department for Safety and Security (UNDSS). For this specific assignment, if the selected UN Community Volunteer is required to travel or attend specific events, travel and daily meal expenses will be covered by the Host Entity.