About The Role

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 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. Guided by its Strategic Note for the period 2023-2027 (2023-2027 SN), 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.

Sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and sexual harassment (SH) are unacceptable behaviours and prohibited conducts for United Nations (UN) staff and its personnel. SEA and SH are acknowledged to be rooted in unequal power relations, particularly gendered and sexualised abuses of power, and gender bias. UN Women is committed to build upon a gender-sensitive and victim/survivor-centred approach and organisational culture that aims to prevent any form of sexual misconduct and, when they occur, support those affected and provide timely appropriate corrective actions. To ensure the implementation of this zero-tolerance policy, and adhering to the principles of ‘do no harm’, confidentiality, safety and non-discrimination when responding to allegations of SEA/SH, UN Women in Afghanistan aims at increasing transparency and improving the prevention, reporting, referral and provision of assistance in the context of SEA/SH allegations against employees, personnel, contractors and partners.

UN-Women is accountable in its own right but also as part of the broader UN-wide effort to mitigate the risk of SEA/SH. UN Women in Afghanistan is therefore seeking up to 1 International Consultant (PSEA-H International Consultant) and 2 National Consultants (PSEA-H National Consultant.s) on retainer to provide needs based technical and operational support to UN Women on prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, and harassment. The PSEA-H International Consultant will provide technical guidance and support to the PSEA-H National Consultants.

The PSEA-H National Consultants will be reporting to the UN Women PSEA focal point, with the overall guidance of UN Women’s Special Representative and Deputy Special Representatives for Programmes and Operations. The PSEA-H National Consultants will work closely with the PSEA-H International Consultant, programme teams based in Kabul and UN Women’s five regional sub-offices. The PSEA-H National Consultants will be expected to travel within Afghanistan, and work directly with personnel across the agency and with its partners and contractors.

Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work

Deliverables

The tasks of the PSEA-H National Consultant will include

Conduct an external PSEA Capacity Assessment of the existing and new Implementing and Responsible Partners of UN Women ACO, in alignment with UN Partner Portal:

Assess and score the PSEA capacity of each existing and new Implementing and Responsible Partners of UN Women ACO based on a set of 8 Standards on PSEA Organizational Policies and Procedures. Compliance with each Standard has to be assessed individually and rated with “Yes” or “No”. The number of Standards met will provide the basis for the Partner’s “SEA Risk Rating” and reflect the Partner’s current capacities.
Compare the PSEA Self-Assessment and External Assessment scores and reflect the findings in the tailor-made recommendations.

Identify Implementing and Responsible Partners with PSEA capacity gaps and make tailor-made recommendations

Make tailor-made recommendations to those Implementing and Responsible Partners with PSEA capacity gaps in one or several areas, outlining appropriate activities for them to increase the number of PSEA Standards met within 3-6 months of entering into, or continuing, a partnership agreement.

Facilitate PSEA Capacity Development activities of the existing and new Implementing and Responsible Partners of UN Women Afghanistan Country Office:

Review existing training materials, as needed, in coordination with the PSEA focal point and PSEA international consultant
Co-organize briefing sessions for the existing and new Implementing and Responsible Partners of UN Women on: (1) PSEA core principles (2) the purpose of the PSEA Capacity Assessment; (2) the generic overview of the PSEA Capacity Assessment, including the steps, timelines, and responsibilities; (3) the detailed overview of the PSEA Capacity Self-Assessment stage, including self-rating and list of relevant supporting documents.
Facilitate trainings for partners and staff on core principles, reporting channels and other needed information to ensure safe programming
Compile all PSEA Capacity Self-Assessment forms and relevant supporting documents from the existing and new Implementing and Responsible Partners of UN Women Afghanistan CO.

Facilitate PSEA Capacity Development activities of personnel and contractors of UN Women Afghanistan Country Office, and of mahrams of women personnel and of women contractors of UN Women Afghanistan Country Office:

Review, adapt, and update existing PSEA training materials, presentations, guidance notes, and awareness-raising tools to ensure alignment with UN standards, inter-agency guidance, and the Afghanistan context, as needed.
Co-organize and facilitate PSEA briefing sessions, trainings, workshops, and awareness-raising activities for personnel and contractors of UN Women Afghanistan Country Office, UN Women partners, as well as mahrams of women personnel and women and men contractors.
Support the development of annual and ad hoc PSEA capacity-building plans and training schedules.
Maintain records of trainings conducted, including participant lists, attendance sheets, pre- and post-training assessments, and training reports.
Provide technical support to managers and focal points in integrating PSEA principles and obligations into onboarding, induction, and refresher training processes.
Assist in identifying training needs and knowledge gaps among partner staff, personnel, contractors, and mahrams, and recommend appropriate capacity development interventions.
Support monitoring and evaluation of PSEA capacity development initiatives, including collecting participant feedback and documenting lessons learned and good practices.

SEA/GBV Risk assessment

Support the planning, coordination, and implementation of SEA risk assessments across UN Women programmes, operations, and partnership arrangements.
Assist in mapping existing prevention, mitigation, reporting, and response mechanisms and identifying gaps requiring corrective action.
Support capacity-building efforts related to SEA risk identification, prevention, and mitigation for personnel, contractors, and implementing partners.
Ensure that all risk assessment activities are conducted in accordance with survivor-centered, gender-responsive, and do-no-harm principles.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based retainer consultancy with possibility of travels across Afghanistan.

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

Ability to maintain constructive, effective business relationships with clients and partners
Knowledge of SEA and SH prevention principles, standards, trends, and developments worldwide.
Ability to adhere to deadlines and follows up on time-bound issues
Ability to maintain diplomacy, tact and strict confidentiality with internal and external partners and clients in a visible and sensitive process
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including ability to present complex processes and issues clearly to a diverse audience.
Proven ability to produce high quality written work within short timeframes
Organization skills (time management, efficient administration, multi-tasking and fast-paced)
Ability to work under pressure within strict deadlines

Required Qualifications

Education and Certification

Masters Degree in social development or gender studies, rule of law, human rights, or a related field
A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
A project/programme management certification would be an added advantage;

Experience

At least 2 years of professional experience in the areas of PSEA/SH, prevention and protection from gender-based violence (GBV), gender mainstreaming, humanitarian affairs, staff misconduct, and discipline, or a related field; working experience as an in-country PSEA Focal Point/Coordinator is desirable.
Demonstrated experience in facilitating capacity development activities and trainings is required.
Familiarity with the global UN PSEA structures, policies, procedures, and tools is required
Demonstrated experience in conducting comprehensive partner capacity assessments on PSEA/SH is required.

Languages

Fluency in English, Dari/Pashto 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 .