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

Background

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:

1. Assist the international consultant for the establishment of the parliamentary women caucuses
2. Support to hold consultation meetings with key actors, including women members of parliament, ministries of women, other line ministries, CSOs, UN entities, and donors, during the establishment of parliamentary women caucuses and their capacity development at the FGS and FMS.
3. Assist to conduct a need assessments of the women’s parliamentary caucus contribution in the areas of gender equality and women’s empowerment, gender-responsive policies, legislation, networking benefiting from other countries experiences. 
4. Assist the international consultant the development of terms of reference for the caucus group and identifies its main priorities in the area of gender equality, gender-responsive policies, legislation, networking and coalition building in the context of Somalia.
5. Provide technical support to the parliamentary caucus on the implementation of the ToR including the development of an annual work plan, convening activities etc.
6. Develop a comprehensive gender road map for parliamentary women caucus groups in FGS and FMS through identifying the goals of the group and how they will be achieved.
7. Support the parliamentary caucus to increase its visibility and strengthen its relations with other parliamentary committees, civil society, international organizations and other stakeholders working in the area of gender equality and women’s political empowerment at the national, regional and international level.

Establishment of African Women Leaders Network Somalia Chapters at FGS and FMSs:

1. Assist the international consultant for the establishment of the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) Somalia Chapter.
2. Support to develop selection criteria for the AWLN including criteria for chairs and deputies etc in the FGS and FMS. 
3. Work closely with the ministries, women leaders and other stakeholders and hold consultation meetings with key actors, including women members of parliament, ministries of women, other line ministries, CSOs, UN entities, and donors, during the establishment of the AWLN;
4. Work with international consultant to coordinate with the UN Women Offices region and the African Union in documentation of experiences, promising practices and functioning of the AWLN Chapters.
5. Support the development of terms of reference for the AWLN and identify its main priorities in the area of gender equality, gender-responsive policies, legislation, networking with relevant countries and coalition building in the context of Somalia.
6. Provide technical support to the AWLN in developing a ToR and its implementation including the development of an annual work plan, convening activities etc.
7. Support to develop a comprehensive road map for the AWLN through identifying the goals of the Chapter and how they will be achieved.
8. Support the AWLN to increase its visibility and strengthen its relations with similar AWLN chapters in the region.

Establishment of Women CSO reference group in Somalia.

1. Provide technical support to the establishment of the women reference group of the WPP  Joint Programme
2. Support to development of the structure of the reference group, selection/election of the chairperson, deputy, etc, working methods, secretariat including the minutes;
3. Develop a road map/guidance for joint monitoring and reporting by the reference group as part of its mandate to report the progress of the programme and regular coordination with key actors involved in the implementation of the programme.

Competencies

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
• Accountability
• Creative Problem Solving
• Effective Communication
• Inclusive Collaboration
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Leading by Example

Functional Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the United Nations' values and ethical standards.
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of the UN and UN Women.
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
• Demonstrates good knowledge of gender and elections in East and Southern Africa.
• Excellent report writing skills related to electoral processes, gender, and governance issues.
• Conversant with key gender and governance instruments and Women Peace and Security at international, continental, and regional levels.
• Strong facilitation skills – ability to guide discussions with audiences of varying seniority and backgrounds.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced (Masters) degree in international development or governance, development, and peacebuilding studies with a focus on gender/women’s rights, Law, social science, public administration, or other social sciences fields.

Experience:

• At least 6 years of experience in women’s rights and protection, gender equality, peacebuilding, and women’s empowerment or any related field, including at a senior level.
• Experience working with parliament, civil society organizations (CSOs) parliamentarians and/or legislative issues from a gender perspective.
• Previous research/analytical experience, including in developing gender strategies, training materials, ToRs and work plan relevant to the subject matter.
• Experience working with international organizations, UN agencies and Ministries is preferred.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of any other UN official working language is an asset.

• Financial Proposal: Specify a total lump sum amount for the tasks specified in this Terms of Reference. The financial proposal shall include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (per deliverables excluding the travel and DSA costs). 
• Candidates should have the ability to quickly produce degree certificates and medical certification (of good health) should they be short-listed in consideration of the consultancy post.

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.) 

Application Deadline : 12-May-22 (Midnight New York, USA)