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.As such, UN Women is mandated to lead the UN system-wide coordination of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda, as elaborated inter-alia through UN Security Council resolutions—1325, 1820, 1888, 1889, 1960, 2106, 2122, 2242, 2467, and 2493. To this end, UN Women works with governments, UN partners, and civil society around the world to support women’s participation and influence at all levels of decision-making to prevent and resolve conflict, to protect their rights during and after conflicts and to ensure that their specific needs are addressed during repatriation, resettlement and for rehabilitation, reintegration, and post-conflict reconstruction.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) continue to face persistent challenges related to access to justice, recognition under civilian victims’ legislation, psychosocial recovery, economic insecurity, and stigma. Despite progress achieved through previous initiatives, including the Gender Justice Platform (GJP) intervention, significant implementation gaps remain—particularly in survivor-centered recovery, accountability for CRSV, and institutional follow-through.

Building on achievements from 2025-2026, UN Women will implement further interventions under the Gender Justice Platform, supported by the UK Government’s Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI). The intervention aims to strengthen survivor resilience and collective agency, improve economic sustainability of survivor associations, and advance accountability and implementation of the legal framework related to CRSV.

To coordinate and technically support the implementation of this focused and high-impact intervention, UN Women seeks to engage a CRSV Specialist with demonstrated expertise in gender justice, transitional justice, survivor-centered programming, and multi-stakeholder coordination in BiH. 

Objective of the Consultancy

The objective of this consultancy is to provide technical leadership, coordination, and implementation support for Phase II of the Gender Justice Platform intervention in Bosnia and Herzegovina, ensuring high-quality, survivor-centered delivery of programme outputs related to:

• Survivor recovery, resilience, and collective agency
• Economic empowerment and sustainability of survivor associations
• Accountability, legal implementation, and institutional engagement on CRSV

The consultancy will contribute directly to strengthening survivor dignity, agency, and access to justice, while reinforcing institutional trust and accountability mechanisms in line with the WPS agenda.

The consultant will be reporting to WPS Programme Specialist, will collaborate closely with the UN Women WPS team to ensure consistency and alignment with UN programming on WPS, and will be supported by WPS Programme Assistant, who will be the point of contact on the contract and payment issues.

The consultant will be responsible for submitting a workplan at the start of the assignment, followed by monthly progress reports and short updates after each key event or activity. A final consolidated report will be required at the end of the assignment, summarizing achievements, challenges, and lessons learned. All reports must be submitted in English and in electronic format. Deliverables will be reviewed and approved by UN Women, and payments will be made based on satisfactory performance and timely submission of required reports.

Description of Responsibilities /Scope of Work

The selected consultant will be responsible for the following:

1. Support to Planning, Coordination, and  Implementation Oversight of CRSV related activities  

• Develop a detailed implementation plan and schedule for CRSV related activities, monitor progress against workplan, identify risks and delays, and propose mitigation measures.
• Coordinate with responsible parties (CSOs, relevant institutions, experts) to ensure timely and quality delivery of planned outputs.
• Provide regular updates and draft input for internal progress reports, briefs, and donor reports.

2. Survivor‑Centered Engagement and Recovery Support

• Design and facilitate structured engagement opportunities for CRSV survivor associations to strengthen peer exchange, collective advocacy, and mutual support. 
• Support the delivery of survivor-centered and trauma‑informed recovery interventions in coordination with qualified service providers. 
• Promote inclusive participation of diverse survivor groups, including marginalized communities, ensuring tailored and context-sensitive approaches.
• Contribute to initiatives that enhance safe visibility, recognition, and dignity of survivors, in line with ethical standards and informed consent.

3. Economic Empowerment and Sustainability Support

• Design, coordinate, and monitor economic empowerment interventions aimed at strengthening livelihoods and sustainability of survivor groups. 
• Facilitate access to market linkages, visibility opportunities, and collaborative platforms for survivor-led products and initiatives. 
• Ensure systemic documentation of results, lessons learned, and sustainability prospects related to economic empowerment efforts. 

4. Accountability, Justice, and Legal Framework Engagement

• Coordinate initiatives aimed at strengthening accountability, access to justice, and institutional responsiveness to CRSV.
• Facilitate engagement and dialogue with relevant justice, security, and institutional actors to advance survivor-centered approaches. 
• Coordinate the development and dissemination of practical tools, guidance, or knowledge products to improve institutional handling of CRSV cases.
• Lead targeted policy and legal framework engagement related to the rights of civilian victims of war, including implementation follow-up where relevant.
• Assist in capacity strengthening efforts for relevant service providers and institutions in coordination with UN partners.

5. Partnership Liaison and Technical Advisory Support

• Serve as a liaison between UN Women and survivor associations, CSOs, and institutional stakeholders. 
• Provide technical advisory support to partners to ensure survivor‑centered, rights‑based, and ethically sound implementation across activities. 
• Support strengthening of partnerships through structured engagement, identification of collaboration opportunities, and alignment with programme objectives.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of partnership approaches that enhance impact, sustainability, and institutional uptake.
• Provide inputs to partnership management processes, including coordination, documentation, and reporting, as required.

Financial arrangements

Payments will be disbursed on a monthly basis upon submission of the monthly progress report by the Consultant and their endorsement by UN Women. Expected workload is approximately 8 days per month. The level of remuneration will be established based on the UN salary scale. 

Inputs

UN Women will provide the Consultant with background materials related to the assignment. The Consultant is expected to work using her/his own computer.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

The assignment might require some presence at UN Women premises in Sarajevo. The consultancy will require a minimum of ten travel missions to field locations, subject to the agreed work plan. . Any travel to field locations for meetings and events will be pre-arranged and approved in consultation with the supervisor, with all travel expenses covered by UN Women.

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:

•     Project coordination and delivery: Demonstrated ability to manage multi-stakeholder initiatives in complex and politically sensitive environments.
•     Stakeholder engagement and partnership building: Strong capacity to build trust, facilitate collaboration, and maintain strategic relationships across sectors.
•     Technical expertise in gender-responsive justice: Applied knowledge of survivor-centered approaches and conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) in programmatic and policy settings.
•     Communication and reporting: Ability to convey complex ideas clearly in verbal and written form in both B/C/S and English, including through results-based reporting.
•     Monitoring and adaptive implementation: Capacity to track progress against results frameworks, identify challenges, and support course corrections in real-time.

Education and Certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in gender studies, law, human rights, international relations, or a related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. (pass/fail)

• A project/programme management certification would be an added advantage. (5 points)

Experience:

• At least 7 years of progressively responsible work experience in coordinating and implementing development or human rights projects in the area of WPS, gender justice, or transitional justice is required. (50 points)
• At least 2 years of experience working with civil society organizations and CRSV survivors in BiH is required. (25 points)
• At least 2 years of experience in designing or facilitating trainings, workshops, or multi-stakeholder events is required. (20 points)

Languages:

Fluency in English and Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian is required. (pass/fail)

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.