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.
The Women, Peace and Security in the Arab States Project Phase III contributes to strengthening the implementation of UNSCR 1325 in Lebanon through policy change and community-level action. UN Women is looking for a consultant to conduct a review of the community-level work under this project with a particular focus on the Womenโs Mediation Groups operating across Lebanon. The assignment is directly aligned with UN Womenโs strategic priorities in the country, including the promotion of womenโs leadership in peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and inclusive governanceโkey pillars of the Women, Peace and Security agenda and UN Womenโs Strategic Note for Lebanon.
The focus of this review will be on understanding the roles, challenges, achievements, and impact of local women mediators engaged with UN Women under this project; the types of conflicts they address; their level of influence; their visibility and level of recognition by local and national actors; and how their work contributes to social cohesion and the promotion of gender equality. The review will also explore regional variations, individual profiles, skills gaps, and future opportunities, including youth engagement and collaboration with local authorities to advance WPS.
The consultancy is situated within the framework of UN Women Lebanonโs Women, Peace and Security portfolio, under the overall supervision of the Programme Management Specialist. The consultant will work in close coordination with relevant UN Women programme staff, implementing partners, and members of the Women Local Mediation Networks. The consultant is expected to maintain regular communication with UN Women throughout the assignment to provide updates, validate findings, and ensure that the review is grounded in the realities and priorities of the field, while also contributing to broader programmatic and strategic learning.
The consultant will be reporting to WPS, Programme Management Specialist, and will be supported by the Program Associate, who will be the point of contact on the contract and payment issues.
Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work
Under the overall guidance of the UN Women Programme Management Specialist the consultant is expected to:
Deliverables: Deliverable Expected completion time (due day)ย Payment Schedule 1. Inception report: Submission of an inception report including a detailed work plan, methodology, and data collection tools, based on a review of all relevant project documents. By 15th September 2025 N/A 2. Data collection and Preliminary Analysis: Completion of field visits (up to 8), interviews, and focus group discussions with mediation groups and stakeholders. Submission of a summary report with preliminary findings and challenges. By 15th of October 2025 50% 3. Draft review report: Submission of a comprehensive draft report including analysis of mediation practices, conflict types, regional variations, skills gaps, and recommendations.ย By 31st October 2025 N/A 4. Final report: Submission of a finalized and formatted report incorporating feedback from stakeholders, along with a database of women mediators including profiles, skills, and capacity-building needs.ย By 15th November 2025 50%
Consultantโs Workplace and Official Travel
This is a home-based consultancy.
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 visitย this linkย for more information on UN Womenโs Values and Competencies Framework:ย
Functional Competencies:
In-depth knowledge of Women, Peace and Security and Gender Equality Strong interpersonal skills Strong research and analytical skills Strong coordination and collaboration skills Demonstrates excellent oral and written Arabic and English communication skillsRequired Qualifications
Education and Certification:
Masterโs degree or equivalent in gender studies, peace and conflict studies, international relations, sociology, development studies, social sciences, 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.Experience:
Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible work experience in research, policy analysis, Monitoring & Evaluation ย M&E) and results-based reporting, and knowledge management, preferably within international organizations is required. Proven experience in designing and implementing M&E frameworks, including the development of indicators, data collection tools, and learning strategies to assess the effectiveness and impact of projects including peacebuilding and conflict resolution initiatives is required. Strong experience with qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, data analysis and visualization, capacity building, and stakeholder consultations is required. Proven ability to produce reports, policy briefs, project documents, infographics, and other knowledge products for diverse audiences on topics related to governance and social and economic development, including recommendations for stakeholders is required. Proficiency in office software, particularly Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft PowerPoint, and statistical software such as STATA or R, is required. Excellent analytical skills with a strong drive for results and the capacity to work independently is required.Languages:
Fluency in English and Arabic 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,ย and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age,ย ability, national origin,ย 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 toย UN Womenโsย policiesย and proceduresย andย theย standardsย of conduct expected of UN Women personnelย 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.
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