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. Afghanistan is one of the world’s most complex emergencies, and the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Afghan people are grappling with the impact of chronic, poverty, climate change, economic decline, and natural disasters. Afghan women and girls face unique and amplified vulnerabilities particularly the series of restrictions and bans that restrict their access to education, health, workplaces and public spaces. In this context, it remains urgent that Afghan women and girls are provided targeted support and that they can continue to shape the development of their country, and that their gains are protected. UN Women remains fully committed to supporting Afghan women and girls and to putting them at the centre of the global response to the poly-crises crisis in Afghanistan.  

UN Women has been in Afghanistan for two decades. UN Women’s programming approach is informed by analysis of the political, economic and humanitarian situation, risks to and capacities of partner organizations, and needs of Afghan women and girls. UN Women Afghanistan currently has five key programme priorities: (1) Integrated Programming and Localization, (2) Women’s movement building through core grant making; 3) Policy and Research; 4) Economic Resilience and Private Sector and 5) Coordination, Access and Humanitarian Response. UN Women Afghanistan operates through its main office in Kabul and five sub-offices located in the provinces of Balkh, Bamyan, Herat, Kandahar and Nangarhar.  

UN Women, through its Policy and Research Unit, will continue to promote accountability to international norms on women’s rights by leveraging strategic partnerships with UN entities, amplifying the voices of Afghan women to inform policy and programming, and strengthening knowledge management through innovative approaches to evidence and data generation within Afghanistan’s operational context. 

 Objective of the Assignment

The main objective of the assignment is to provide high-level advice and strategic guidance on efforts around gender data and statistics to support UN Women Afghanistan in building a comprehensive evidence base on gender equality and women's rights in Afghanistan. 

Overall, the assignment aims to address the limited availability of accessible knowledge and analysis on the gender dynamics of Afghanistan, and to ensure that decision-makers, advocates, and partners have the robust, credible evidence they need to make gender-responsive policy and programming choices and to hold duty-bearers accountable for the rights of Afghan women and girls. This includes providing technical support on statistical modelling and quantitative analysis, advising on the development and refinement of composite indicators and indices suited to the Afghan context, and helping UN Women Afghanistan make the most effective use of existing data assets. 

 Given operational constraints on primary data collection in Afghanistan, a key focus of the assignment will be on innovative approaches to maximising the analytical value of available data. This includes advising on methodology for multi-round panel surveys, supporting the development of new composite measures where global indices are ill-suited to the Afghan context, and providing guidance on statistical approaches to sensitive question design, non-response bias, and data quality assurance. The consultant will also support the translation of complex quantitative findings into accessible analysis for policy and programming audiences.  

 The consultant will report to the Research and Policy Manager at UN Women Afghanistan and may be drawn on by other teams and thematic areas as needs arise.  

 Description of Responsibilities /Scope of Work

Under the direct supervision of the Policy and Research Programme Manager, the Senior Statistician will lead and shape UN Women Afghanistan’s strategic vision on gender data and statistics, positioning the Country Office as a recognized authority on innovative gender measurement in complex and data-constrained contexts. The consultant will drive the development of a pioneering data architecture, advancing new approaches to measuring gender equality and the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan where global indices are insufficient or inapplicable. This includes forging new methodological pathways, strengthening the credibility and influence of UN Women’s data, and ensuring its uptake in high-level policy, advocacy, and programming processes. The role requires statistical leadership, combining technical excellence with strategic foresight to navigate political sensitivities, data limitations, and operational constraints. 

 Scope of the Assignment: 

• Provide advice and guidance on statistically sound research to inform evidence-based policymaking, aligned with UN Women’s priorities in Afghanistan; 
• Shape the translation of quantitative findings into clear, compelling, and advocacy-ready analysis for policy audiences, partners, and duty-bearers;
• Advise on the development of high-quality gender datasets and statistical systems that strengthen the evidence base on women and girls; 
• Review and develop research methodologies, including statistical models, to identify waus to improve methods and tools;
• Assure the quality of research outputs, strengthening analytical depth, coherence, and credibility; 
• Provide strategic direction on emerging statistical and analytical priorities, as identified by UN Women Afghanistan.

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 proficiency in advanced statistical analysis using tools such as R, Python, SQL, or other relevant statistical software. 
• Experience in the development of new indices on gender equality, human rights or development, using composite measures and innovative use of data to adapt to the complex context specific to Afghanistan. 
• Experience in statistical modeling and data visualization, particularly on gender equality and women’s rights related data. 
• Expertise in gender-sensitive statistical analysis, including the ability to analyze and interpret gender-disaggregated data to assess disparities and inequalities related to human rights. 
• Strong experience in developing and adapting methodologies for statistical calculations and providing guidance on the collection and analysis of data.  
• Experience with gender indexes and international models used to analyze gender equality and human rights. 
• Proficiency in developing statistical models to analyze and forecast trends related to human rights and gender equality indicators. 
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, including the capacity to convey complex data analysis results to non-technical stakeholders and decision-makers in the context of human rights. 
• Ability to facilitate knowledge sharing within a team, provide mentorship, and offer technical guidance to other team members to enhance their statistical skills. 
• Strong collaborative skills, enabling effective teamwork and the ability to work collectively with team members to find solutions to complex issues related to human rights data analysis. 
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and deliver high-quality results within tight deadlines. 

Required Qualifications:

Education and Certification :

• Master's degree in a relevant field such as statistics, applied statistics, mathematics, or a related quantitative field. 
• Bachelor’s degree in the above disciplines with two years of additional relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a master’s degree. 

Experience:

• With a master's degree in a quantitative field, at least 10 years of progressively responsible work experience as a statistician is required.
• Excellent analytical and technical skills in quantitative data analysis, statistical modelling, and statistical methodologies and their application is required  
• Demonstrable experience in leading the production of indices, including the development of new composite measures and innovative use of data, particularly around gender equality, human rights, and development is desired.
• Previous relevant experience working with data and statistics in areas related to gender equality and women's rights would be a strong advantage 
• Previous relevant experience with international organizations, government agencies, or NGOs would be a strong advantage
• Any relevant certifications, such as a Certified Statistician (CS) or a Certified Analytics Professional (CAP), would be an asset.

Languages:

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required. 
• Knowledge of the other UN official working 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.