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.

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. 

Violence against women in politics (VAWP) undermines women’s participation, representation, and leadership across public life. It includes physical, psychological, sexual, economic, and online forms of violence and harassment targeting women candidates, elected officials, party members, activists, journalists, and voters, as well as women working within political institutions. The Ministry of Interior (MoI) hotline is a key public-facing mechanism to receive, triage, and refer complaints related to VAWP, ensure timely protection, uphold due process, and support accountability.

This assignment will institutionalize good practice through a fit-for-purpose SOP, build operator capacity, and strengthen coordination.

UN women in Lebanon is looking to hire an expert in Violence against women in Politics in order to develop, validate, and operationalize SOPs for the MoI elections related hotline 1766 to ethically handle VAWP complaints and to train hotline operators to implement these SOPs consistently, safely, and effectively.

The Specific objectives of this assignment can be stated as follows:

• Map current hotline processes and existing VAWP complaint/referral pathways in Lebanon, identify gaps, and propose SOP improvements that build on established mechanisms.
• Draft a comprehensive, context-appropriate SOP aligned with national laws and international standards.
• Design practical tools (scripts, triage matrices, referral directories, forms).
• Deliver training and coaching for hotline operators and supervisors.
• Support roll-out and early-stage quality assurance (QA) and monitoring.

The consultant will be reporting to Governance and Participation in Public Life’s- GPPL Programme Manager, and will be supported by GPPL’s Programme Associate, who will be the point of contact on the contract and payment issues.

Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work

The consultant will:

1) Inception and Process Mapping

• Review existing hotline workflows, policies, data capture templates, and escalation pathways.
• Conduct stakeholder consultations.
• Conduct risk assessment (survivor safety, data privacy, retaliation risks, political sensitivities, online harms).
• Deliver an inception report with methodology, work plan, and a responsibility matrix (RACI).

2) Develop SOPs for VAWP Complaints:

• Define VAWP categories (physical, psychological, sexual, online, etc.).
• Establish intake protocols: informed consent, confidentiality notice, do-no-harm, accessibility, non-discrimination.
• Create decision trees/triage: risk grading (imminent danger, high, medium, low), thresholds for escalation.
• Define documentation standards.
• Review, validate, and formalize referral and escalation pathways based on existing Lebanon mechanisms (MoIM hotline/elections escalation pathways and inter-agency Protection/GBV referral architecture), and develop a VAWP-specific routing protocol for hotline 1766 that clarifies roles, risk thresholds, documentation requirements, safe information-sharing, and feedback loops without creating parallel pathways.
• Integrate survivor-centered principles (autonomy, privacy, safety planning, culturally sensitive communication).
• Include quality assurance: supervision, call review checklists, indicators, feedback loops, complaint redress.
• Provide operator tools: intake scripts, checklists, triage matrix, consent scripts, safety planning prompts, referral directory, templates, FAQs.
• Embed ethical & legal compliance: national legal framework, data protection requirements, record handling.

3) Training Design and Delivery

• Training needs assessment (skills baseline, shift schedules, language needs).
• Develop a training curriculum.
• Deliver operator training (including refresher sessions).
• Pre- and post-tests; coaching and on-the-job observation with feedback.
• Produce a training report with competency assessment and recommendations.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based consultancy. 

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:

• Strong research and drafting skills, including the ability to translate complex legal frameworks into clear and operational standard operating procedures for practitioners. 
• Analytical skills to interpret VAWG frameworks and procedures and translate them into clear operational guidance.
• Ability to integrate gender considerations into procedural tools in line with established standards and good practices.
• Effective coordination and consultation skills.
• Ability to work independently and deliver high-quality outputs within set timelines.
• Excellent facilitation skills are an asset.

Required Qualifications:

Education and Certification:

• Master’s degree in law, public policy, gender studies, human rights, social work, or any related field.
• A first-level university degree in combination with twoadditional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum 7 years of progressive professional experience on VAWP/VAW/GBV, including work on institutional mechanisms, complaint handling systems, or protection frameworks.
• Proven experience leading the development or revision of standard operating procedures (SOPs), guidelines, or operational tools related to survivor-centered complaint intake, referral, and case management.
•  Experience addressing online VAWP, digital safety, and data protection considerations is desirable.
• Familiarity with national legal framework, law enforcement procedures, and inter-agency coordination is desirable.
• Proven track record in training design and delivery for call-center or protection staff is desirable.
• Previous experience working with government institutions, electoral bodies, UN agencies, or international organizations is an asset.
• Experience in electoral contexts, media/social platforms, and evidence management is desirable. 

Languages:

• Fluency in English and Arabic is required.
• Knowledge of French 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.