Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Parliamentary Committee Specialist

Mission and objectivesUN Women is the UN organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide.

ContextGender inequality in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is severe, with the country ranked 169 out of 170 globally. Women and girls face high rates of gender-based violence (GBV) and low literacy levels. The Demographic and Health Survey (DHS)2016-2018 indicates that 54% of women have experienced GBV in the past year, and nearly 23% of women aged 15-49 have no formal education. Structural barriers, cultural norms, and weak protection systems worsen the situation. Tribal conflicts, sorcery accusation-related violence (SARV), and small arms proliferation, especially in the Highlands, increase violence. Despite policies to reduce discrimination, comprehensive strategies are urgently needed to address these issues and achieve gender equality. Additionally, ongoing conflicts have displaced communities, further exacerbating GBV incidents. The persistence of these challenges highlights the critical need for targeted interventions to promote social stability and human rights and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly 05 on gender equality, 10 Reduce Inequality and 16 Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions. Building on the gains of the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative to Eliminate Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) in Papua New Guinea (PNG), UN Women, UNFPA and UNOPS (Agencies) have commenced implementation of a joint initiative entitled “Soim Wokabout: Gender-Based Violence Referral Pathways Programme”, financed under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI Global Europe). The joint programme aims to reduce the incidence of GBV in communities in target provinces, including in and out of schools (Eastern Highlands and the National Capital District). This will capitalize on existing programmes addressing specific forms of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHRs) while supporting prevention and protection efforts for GBV survivors, strengthening access to justice, and ending violence against women and girls at national, provincial, district, and community levels. It seeks to scale up effective integrated approaches to deliver quality coordinated services, strengthen referral pathways, mobilize communities and networks to address harmful gender and social norms fuelling GBV and SARV and promote implementation of laws and policies to reduce GBV and SARV while mobilizing national, provincial and community leadership on the programme’s investments to enhance sustainability. Objectives of the assignment include: • To enhance the capacity of the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Parliamentary Committee to fulfil its mandate on gender equality and women’s empowerment. • To provide strategic, technical, and policy advisory support to the Chair and Committee Secretariat. • To facilitate the development and implementation of follow-up actions on key gender-related policy recommendations made by the Committee. • To strengthen linkages between the Parliament, government agencies, and civil society on GEWE initiatives.

Task Description Task description: Under the overall leadership of the UN Women Country Representative and direct supervision of the UN Women Deputy Country Representative, the GEWE Parliamentary Committee Expert will undertake the following tasks and delivery of expected results. Task 1: Policy and technical advisory support • Conduct policy and legislative analysis on gender-related bills, motions, and parliamentary debates. • Prepare briefing notes, background papers, and technical summaries to inform parliamentary discussions. • Draft and support the review of gender-responsive policy recommendations the GEWE parliamentary committee • Support preparation of committee hearings, parliamentary debates, and oversight sessions • Support the Chair in preparing interventions, speeches, and communication materials for national, regional, and international events. Task 2: Strategic planning and follow-up • Assist in the development and implementation of the Committee’s annual and multi-year work plans. • Support the design of a monitoring and follow-up framework for Committee recommendations. • Monitor and track the implementation status of key GEWE-related policy and legislative recommendations. • Draft periodic progress reports and policy briefs summarizing Committee achievements and emerging priorities. Task 3: Coordination and partnership building • Support the Chair in liaising with government agencies, civil society, development partners, and the private sector to advance GEWE priorities • Support the organization of Committee meetings, hearings, consultations, and outreach events. • Support the Committee’s participation in regional and global inter-parliamentary exchanges. Task 4: Capacity strengthening knowledge management • Provide technical inputs and organize capacity-building sessions for Members of Parliament on gender equality and women’s empowerment. • Document good practices and lessons learned from the Committee’s work. • Draft policy briefs, technical notes, and background papers on GEWE issues. • Contribute to the visibility of GEWE parliamentary initiatives through communication materials in line with the Parliament’s communication guidelines Task 5: Prepare and submit a final report Assignment Workspace: The assignment requires presence in-country. This assignment is based in Port Moresby at the National Capital District Office. Reporting and institutional arrangements • Report directly to the UN Women Deputy Country Representative • Work in close coordination with the GEWE Parliamentary Committee Chair and Secretariat. • Submit deliverables for review and approval by both UN Women and the Committee Chair.

Competencies and valuesCore 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

Living conditions and remarksPapua New Guinea (PNG) is a multi-cultural unique country with over 800 languages and 8 million inhabitants. Over 80 percent of the population live in rural areas, with limited access to basic health, education and agricultural services. Despite claims of economic gain /growth over the past few years, almost 40 percent of the country’s population still live in poverty. Gender inequality, violence against women and other forms of, crime rates and corruption are rife at all levels. Rates of family and sexual violence are among the highest in the world. The overall security situation in PNG is assessed as generally calm and unpredictable. Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a unique country and ‘the land of the Unexpected’. It provides an interesting and enriching environment, but also requires a mature level of cultural awareness, as well as more stamina and commitment than elsewhere to make life comfortable and affordable. As per the UN Security Management System (UNSMS), the Security Level System (SLS) in Port Moresby is categorized as Level 3 – Moderate. Accommodation prices are some of the most expensive in the world. There are a number of supermarkets and grocery shops stocking a well diverse range of products but mainly influenced by the city’s trade with East Asian countries, America, India, Australia and New Zealand. They also have provision for people with special dietary requirements. All foreign visitors to PNG require a visa to enter. PNG’s currency is the Kina there are a good number of international banks which include Kina Bank, Bank South Pacific, Westpac, Credit Bank, Tisa Bank which have ATMs throughout most parts of the country. There are various local companies that provide mobile roaming, fast-speed internet services and wireless via a USB modem. The electricity current in PNG is 240V AC 50Hz using Australian-style plugs. PNG only offers basic medical facilities, and you should ensure you discuss all possible vaccinations and other preventative measures recommended for Papua New Guinea with your primary care physician prior to leaving your home country.