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’s China Office in Beijing supports and carries out work on (i) enhancing women's economic empowerment (WEE); (ii) ending violence against women (EVAW); (iii) innovative work to address gender issues in China (QWFIS);(iv) contributing to gender equality and women’s empowerment in China (CGF) and (v) using media to promote gender equality (Communication). In addition to the above, UN Women also actively participates and contributes to various UN inter-agency processes and collaborates with UN organizations around specific programme areas.  

Since 2023, UN Women China office has been collaborating with diverse stakeholders to introduce the RESPECT framework —an evidence-based approach to preventing violence against women and girls. The programme operates at the national level with provincial pilots, and entails community-based interventions, social media campaigns, training sessions, and capacity-building initiatives to promote awareness and understanding of RESPECT framework in the Chinese context.  

The consultant will be reporting to EVAW Programme Analyst and will be supported by relevant EVAW Programme colleagues.

Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work

Under the overall supervision of the EVAW Programme Analyst, the consultant will be responsible for documenting best practices and lessons learned from social organizations implementing Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) initiatives in China. The consultant will work to identify, analyze, and synthesize approaches that contribute to institutional resilience, talent maintenance, resource mobilization, and sustainable development of GEWE-focused organizations.

The consultant will:

• Conduct desk research to define GEWE initiatives/organizations from social organizations in China.
• Design research methodology, including interview and survey tools, in consultation with UN Women.
• Map GEWE initiatives led by social organizations across China.
• Conduct interviews and surveys to assess institutional needs and identify enabling factors for sustainable development.
• Analyse and document best practices that address GEWE issues within the local context, including five featured case studies.
• Draft a comprehensive report summarizing findings, key lessons learned, and recommendations.
• Prepare a bilingual (Chinese English) final report, a 2-pager summary of findings and recommendations, and a PowerPoint presentation for knowledge-sharing purposes.

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 analytical, documentation, and synthesis skills.
• Proven experience in conducting qualitative research, data collection, and stakeholder consultations.
• Excellent writing and reporting abilities in both English and Chinese.
• Strong understanding of gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE) concepts.
• Familiarity with civil society organization (CSO) operations and institutional strengthening approaches.
• Ability to work independently while maintaining regular communication with the UN Women team.

Required Qualifications:

Education and Certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in gender studies, sociology, international development, or a related social science field is required.
• A bachelor’s degree with two additional years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of a master’s degree.
• Certification or coursework in research methodology, gender analysis, or organizational development is an asset.

Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in gender equality, women’s empowerment, or social development research, especially with CSO engagement in China.
• Proven track record in documenting best practices, conducting case studies, and producing analytical reports.
• Experience in working with or supporting civil society organizations, particularly those engaged in GEWE-related initiatives.
• Demonstrated understanding of the Chinese social organization ecosystem and gender equality policy landscape.
• Prior experience with UN agencies or international organizations is an asset.

Languages:

• Excellent command of written and spoken Chinese and English is required.
• Knowledge of any other UN official language 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.