National Consultant to provide Technical Support to Parliamentary Women Caucuses, Establishment of African Women leaders network chapter in Somalia and the Establishment of Women CSO reference group in Somalia (Re-Advertised)
Location : Mogadishu, SOMALIA
Application Deadline : 07-Jun-22 (Midnight New York, USA)
Type of Contract : Individual Contract
Post Level : National Consultant
Languages Required : English
UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
Background
Re-Advertised: Previoius applicants do not need to reapply.
Grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, UN Women 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. Placing women’s rights at the center of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates the United Nations System’s efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.
Women’s participation in Peace, Security and Leadership is one of UN Women’s primary areas of work in Somalia, recognizing the integral role of women in strong and stable democratic processes. To accomplish this, UN Women works closely with the relevant ministries, women parliamentarians, women leaders, civil society organizations, electoral management bodies, political parties, media, clan elders, men and youth organizations. UN Women Somalia is supporting gender mainstreaming and women’s political participation in Somalia’s elections and working with key electoral stakeholders and government institutions.
Somali women and women’s groups have been a pillar of resilience amid the conflict in Somalia. Women, including young women, have been and are among the top Somali civic figures promoting peace, several of whom have earned international recognition for their work. However, leadership roles for women have been mainly restricted to civil society and informal processes. Since the onset of the federalization process in Somalia, only one woman has been a signatory to a formal peace agreement. Two, Women’s local peace committees suffer from lack of resources, capacity and the overwhelming responsibilities that women take on in society due to existing gender roles and division of labour within households.
Although there are some provisions in the provisional federal Constitution that promote women’s participation in all national institutions, three, their vagueness and the absence of corresponding legislation makes it difficult for women to claim their rights as equal member of the society. The Electoral Law (2020), for example, determines a 30% quota for the nomination of candidates, but does not provide for 30% women seats in Parliament. The 30% threshold for women’s representation in both Houses of Parliament is stipulated in the 17 September 2020 electoral agreement and confirmed in the 27 May 2021 National Consultative Council (NCC) Agreement, both of which derive legal legitimacy from the Parliamentary Decision to extend incumbent federal mandates until institutions are replaced through elections. In the absence of a legally sanctioned quota, candidates are currently elected through clan nominations. Furthermore, due to fear of political, social and religious backlash, the Sexual Offences Bill has not been put forth in the queue for parliamentary hearings.
In September 2021, the United Nations (UN) jointly with the Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development (MowHRD) and with support of the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) developed the joint program on Women, Peace and Protection (WPP) in Somalia. The objective of the WPP Joint Programme is to promote women’s meaningful participation in peacebuilding processes, particularly within decision-making and leadership roles, and to sustain peace at national and community level by engaging, empowering and capacitating women through legislative provisions, policy interventions, and strengthening and establishing infrastructures for peacebuilding. The Joint Programme aims to empower women as leaders and changemakers and promote the role of women-led organizations in peacebuilding, particularly at the grassroots level.
The WPP Joint Program intends to work closely with women’s movements and relevant human rights-based civil society organizations (CSOs) on the implementation of the WPP Program in a mutually supportive and reinforcing way, deploying and building upon their vast knowledge and experience, developed at global, regional, national and community levels.
The assignment is to support the Parliamentary women caucus capacity development, establishment of African Women leaders network chapter in Somalia, and technical support to the establishment of Women CSO reference group in Somalia.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the overall supervision of the UN Women’s Country Programme Manager and working closely with the UN participating entities, the MoWHRD the international and national consultants are expected to assist Parliamentary caucus capacity development, establishment of African Women leaders network chapter in Somalia, and technical support to the establishment of Women CSO reference group in Somalia.
Specific tasks and responsibilities: In coordination with the MoWHRD, Parliament, FMS Ministries of Women, CSOs reference group and under the overall supervision of the international consultant and the UN Women Country Programme Manager, the Consultant is expected to undertake the following tasks: Support to the Parliamentary Women Caucuses:
Establishment of African Women Leaders Network Somalia Chapters at FGS and FMSs:
Establishment of Women CSO reference group in Somalia.
Deliverables: Deliverables
Allocated Percentage
Assist in undertaking desk research and prepare an inception report outlining the structure and the process of undertaking the assignment with timelines.
25%
Organize and conduct consultation meetings with key actors, including women members of parliament, ministries of women, other line ministries, CSOs, UN entities, and donors, during the development of the ToRs, workplan and areas of priorities at the FGS and FMS
Technical support to the establishment of women parliamentary caucus (throughout the consultancy), AWLN and development of selection criteria for the AWLN and CSO Advisory group including criteria for chairs and deputies etc
20%
Develop the terms of reference for women parliamentary caucus, the AWLN, the CSO reference group at FGS and FMSs including support to the members in development of the work plans by respective groups
Conduct a needs assessments of the women’s parliamentary caucus in the areas of gender equality and women’s empowerment, gender-responsive policies, legislation, networking taking into consideration other relevant countries and coalition building.
15%
Develop capacity development materials and strategies to advocate for the adoption of the gender equality and women’s empowerment, gender-responsive policies, legislation including (SOBs) for the parliamentary women caucus, AWLN at the FGS and FMS
15%
Prepare weekly updates, develop materials as per above and submit final report to UN Women. (Throughout the consultancy).
25%
Note:
Competencies
Core Values:
Core Competencies:
Functional Competencies:
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
Experience:
Language Requirements:
Application Process:
Please attach a completed P11 to your application. Kindly note that applications without a completed and signed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.
UN Women Personal History form (P-11) can be downloaded from http://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment .
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.)