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 in Georgia supports state and non-state partners towards the achievement of substantive gender equality in Georgia. In line with international and national commitments, UN Women works on the levels of policies and legislation, institutions and grassroots, in order to achieve transformative results for increased gender equality and greater protection of the rights of women and girls. 

UN Women Georgia puts special emphasis on the work towards Ending Violence Against Women, promotion and support to Women, Peace, and Security agenda in Georgia, Economic Empowerment of Women and last but not least, Mainstreaming of Gender into National Planning and Budgeting Processes. Along with these key priority areas that constitute UN Women mandate, UN Women interventions in Georgia are anchored in the UN Country Team’s Partnership for Sustainable Development Framework with the government of Georgia. 

The United Nations Joint Programme for Gender Equality in Georgia (UNJP4GE or the programme), funded by the Government of Sweden through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), is implemented jointly by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The current phase (Phase III) began on 1 July 2022 and ends 31 December 2026. 

The overall goal of the programme is to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment by strengthening capacities of government at both central and local levels and across the executive, legislative and judicial branches, engaging civil society and raising public awareness about gender equality. The target population of the programme is: society at large, women, men and youth and especially excluded groups of women such as IDPs and conflict affected populations, ethnic and religious minorities, female-headed households, victims/survivors of domestic violence and sexual violence and LGBTIQ+ individuals.

In Georgia, current research points to widespread experiences of violence against women across the country. According to the second round of the National Study on Violence against Women in Georgia, conducted by GeoStat and UN Women in 2022 with generous funding from the EU, 37.2% of men and 21.4 of believe that violence between husband and wife is a private matter and others should not intervene (GEOSTAT, UN Women and the EU, National Study on Violence against Women in Georgia 2022. Available at; https://georgia.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2023/12/national-study-on-violence-against-women-in-georgia-2022). Intimate partner violence, as well as early and forced marriage, are among the most prevalent forms of violence against women in Georgia. These types of violence cut across all divisions of income, culture, and class. Despite its scale and socioeconomic impact, violence against women remains largely underreported and under-researched in key areas. The same study showed that 26.5 per cent of women (aged 15–69) reported having experienced some form of physical, sexual and/or psychological intimate partner violence in their lifetime; some 23.7 per cent of women experienced psychological abuse; 8.4 per cent experienced economic abuse; and 7.7 per cent experienced physical and/or sexual violence by a partner during lifetime with 0.9 per cent within the preceding 12 months. 

UN Women has been supporting national partners to end violence against women and girls and domestic violence (VAWG/DV) since 2010. Throughout the past decade, technical assistance has been provided to the Government of Georgia to align national legislation and policies with the relevant international legal frameworks and standards. To enhance implementation of the laws and policies, UN Women Georgia has supported the establishment of specialized services for survivors of domestic violence, such as the first state-run shelters, crisis centers and hotlines and rehabilitation programmes for perpetrators. Furthermore, UN Women has worked with the Government in developing the institutional and individual capacities of key service providers in the area of VAWG/DV.

Strategic litigation on sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is an important tool to address the structural obstacles that survivors face to access justice and protection—challenges that are particularly acute in the context of conflict, post-conflict and insecurity (OHCHR, Workshop Report – Strategic litigation for sexual and gender-based violence: Lessons learned (2019)). These include, for instance, the following: lack of acknowledgement of SGBV as a human rights violation and failure to recognize those who have been subjected to it as victims; prevalence of stigma, combined with persistent gender stereotypes, which impacts the ability of victims/survivors to disclose and share with others the harm experienced; lack of trust in institutions, which further deters victims from lodging formal complaints; gaps in domestic legislation and the implementation of laws and procedural frameworks, which are not protective of victims’ rights; gaps in investigatory capacities, which further undermine the prosecution of cases of sexual violence before the courts and other accountability mechanisms; the granting of reparations being an exception and often failing to meet the minimum demands of the survivors; and further harm against victims and human rights defenders, including intimidation, threats, harassment and other acts of violence of a sexist nature. 

In order to enhance victims’ access to justice and contribute to legislative or societal transformation, under the UN Joint Programme for Gender Equality (UNJP4GE), UN Women aims to support Strategic SGBV litigation, comprising of initiatives and interventions to bring cases of SGBV before judicial or quasi-judicial bodies (domestic, regional or international jurisdictions) with the aim to achieve greater protection and enjoyments of human rights, in addition to obtaining justice and redress in a specific case (These forms of interventions are also known as ‘impact litigation’, ‘test case litigation’, ‘cause lawyering’ and ‘public interest litigation’, among others. See also the Open Society Justice Initiative collection on strategic litigation, especially Strategic Litigation Impacts: Insights from Global Experience (New York, 2018).). This includes enforcing existing legislation or clarifying its meaning, reviewing or amending legislation, regulations or policies, developing jurisprudence, raising awareness at the national or international level on particular issues, and combating stigma or addressing the consequences of sexual violence on victims. 

For this purpose, UN Women will recruit a National Consultants – Legal Experts for strategic litigation on issues regarding VAWG/DV, LGBTIQ+ and women with disabilities, who will be responsible for engaging with relevant survivors and representing their interests before judicial or quasi-judicial bodies at national and international levels. 

The consultants will work under overall supervision of UN Women Country Representative and Deputy Country Representative and day to day management and oversight of UN Women EVAW Programme Specialist and Project Analysts as relevant , and will be supported by Project Assistant, who will be the point of contact on the contract and payment issues.

The consultants should provide reports to UN Women, describing the completed work in a reporting format provided by UN Women. The reports should be submitted by 20th of each month worked.

Description of Responsibilities /Scope of Work:

The national consultants will be responsible:

• Provide expert legal analysis and advice on cases related to violence against women and girls (VAWG), domestic violence (DV), discrimination and violence against LGBTIQ+ persons, and women with disabilities, in line with national legislation and international human rights standards;
• Identify, assess, and develop strategic litigation cases with the potential to advance legal protection, accountability, and systemic change, including cases before national courts and quasi-judicial bodies, as well as international and regional human rights mechanisms;
• Engage directly with survivors adhering to ethical standards and survivor safeguarding obligations by applying a survivor‑centred, trauma‑informed, gender‑responsive, and disability‑inclusive approach, ensuring informed consent, confidentiality, safety, and respect for survivors’ rights and agency;
• Represent survivors’ interests, or support their legal representation, before judicial and quasi‑judicial bodies at national, regional, and international levels, including the preparation and submission of complaints, applications, legal briefs, appeals, and amicus curiae submissions, as applicable;
• Draft and review legal documents, including strategic litigation strategies, legal opinions, case summaries, submissions to courts or treaty bodies, and follow‑up on decisions and recommendations issued by judicial or quasi‑judicial mechanisms;
• Conduct legal research and comparative analysis on relevant case law, legislation, and jurisprudence related to VAWG, DV, LGBTIQ+ rights, and the rights of persons with disabilities, including treaty body practice and regional human rights mechanisms;
• Support the use of international human rights mechanisms, including UN treaty bodies, Special Procedures, and regional mechanisms, by contributing to individual complaints, communications, and follow‑up advocacy efforts;
• Coordinate closely with civil society organizations, survivor advocates, legal aid providers, and other stakeholders to strengthen case development, referral pathways, and protection mechanisms for survivors;
• Contribute to risk assessments and mitigation measures related to strategic litigation, including potential backlash, re‑traumatization risks, and protection needs of survivors and human rights defenders;
• Support documentation, monitoring, and reporting on strategic litigation cases and outcomes, ensuring accurate record‑keeping and timely inputs for programme reports, while maintaining strict confidentiality and data protection standards;
• Provide technical inputs to capacity‑building activities, knowledge products, or policy discussions related to strategic litigation, access to justice, and accountability for VAWG, DV, discrimination, and violence against LGBTIQ+ persons and women with disabilities, as requested;
• Perform any other related tasks within the consultant’s area of expertise as required for the successful implementation of the programme.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel:

This is a home-based consultancy.

As a part of this assignment, there might be need to travel to regions of Georgia (up to 20 trips during the contract period).

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:

• Commitment to continuous improvement 
• Risk management
• Partnerships building 
• Resilience 
• Negotiation 

Required Qualifications:

Academic Background:

• University degree (Master’s) in law;
• Bachelor’s degree law in combination with additional two years of relevant working experience might be considered in lieu of the master’s degree.

Relevant Work Experience:

• At least five (5) years (seven (7) years in case of a bachelor’s degree) of professional experience working as a licensed attorney‑at‑law, with active membership in good standing of the Georgian Bar Association, including experience in litigation before national courts.
• At least five (5) years (seven (7) years in case of a bachelor’s degree) of relevant professional experience in the field of gender equality and women’s rights, including legal work related to violence against women and girls (VAWG) and/or domestic violence.
• At least five (5) years (seven (7) years in case of a bachelor’s degree) demonstrated experience in strategic litigation or legal advocacy in cases related to human rights, non‑discrimination, or access to justice, including engagement with judicial or quasi‑judicial bodies at national and/or international levels.
• At least five (5) years (seven (7) years in case of a bachelor’s degree) experience cooperating with civil society organizations, legal aid providers, or international organizations on litigation, legal reform, or accountability initiatives related to gender equality and human rights.
• Experience addressing intersectional discrimination, including cases involving LGBTIQ+ persons and/or women with disabilities, is considered a strong asset.

Languages:

• Fluency in Georgian and good knowledge of English is required. 

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.