UN Women: Gender-Responsive Climate Change Action and Disaster Risk Reduction Consultant, Home-based, Turkiye, National Consultant

Background:

UN Women exists to advance women’s rights, gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. As the lead UN entity on gender equality and secretariat of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, UN Women shift laws, institutions, social behaviours and services to close the gender gap and build an equal world. UN Women’s partnerships with governments, women’s movements and the private sector coupled with its coordination of the broader United Nations translate progress into lasting changes.
In Türkiye, in line with its global Strategic Plan 2022-2025 and Country Strategic Note (2022-2025), and the overall UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Turkey (UNSDCF) (2021-2025), UN Women works towards the overarching goal of “Women and girls including those at greatest risk of being left behind fully exercise their human rights, enjoy a life free from violence and discrimination, and lead, influence and benefit from sustainable and inclusive socioeconomic development towards the advancement of gender equality in Türkiye”. UN Women works in four thematic areas: (i) governance and participation in public life; (ii) women’s economic empowerment; (iii) ending violence against women and girls; and (iv) women, peace and security, humanitarian action and disaster risk reduction. In line with its coordination mandate, UN Women promotes coordination and coherence across the UN system to enhance accountability and results for gender equality and women’s empowerment, including through joint programmatic and advocacy actions and initiatives, standardized tools and guidance and services to strengthen the relevant capacities of the UN system. 

Towards these goals, UN Women implements programmes and projects that aim to advance gender equality, improve women’s access to opportunities, rights, and services in political, social, and economic life, and combat gender stereotypes, discrimination, and violence, as required by international and national legal and policy commitments. UN Women collaborates with numerous partners – central and local level government authorities, civil society organizations, including women’s organizations and platforms, academia, private sector companies, and other UN agencies. It commits itself to the Leave No One Behind principle, by supporting targeted actions to remove the obstacles that marginalized and vulnerable groups of women face in accessing their rights and to promote them as agents of change. UN Women Türkiye has been at the forefront of support for Türkiye’s continuous commitment to implement international norms and standards on women’s rights, and the enhancement and implementation of relevant national legal and policy frameworks. The Country Office has been operational in Türkiye since 2012. 

In this context, and with financial support from the European Union, UN Women Türkiye launched the “Strong Civic Space for Equality and Women’s Empowerment” project (2024–2027), which aims to reduce gender inequalities by strengthening the capacity of civil society organizations (CSOs) to be drivers of transformative change for gender equality and women’s rights. The project’s specific objective is to enable women’s rights groups, women-led CSOs, and other relevant rights-based organizations to more effectively influence the gender equality and women’s empowerment agenda at national and local levels. 

In recent years, advancing gender equality in the context of climate change (CC) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) has emerged as a pressing global priority. Women are disproportionately affected by disasters and climate-related displacement, and yet their leadership and specific needs remain insufficiently integrated into climate and DRR policies and actions. The UN Secretary General’s Report on the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action highlights the limited progress in mainstreaming gender in climate and environmental strategies. The 66th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) reaffirmed the need for urgent action across six priority areas: integrating gender perspectives into climate and DRR policies; strengthening women’s leadership and participation; expanding gender-responsive financing; enhancing women’s resilience; improving gender data and statistics; and promoting a gender-responsive, just transition.

These global imperatives are echoed in key normative frameworks, including CEDAW General Recommendation No. 37 on the gender-related dimensions of DRR and climate change, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, both of which emphasize the critical role of women’s participation in shaping risk reduction and climate resilience strategies. 

Strengthening the knowledge, policy, and advocacy capacities of civil society organizations is a key strategy for addressing gender inequalities in the context of climate change and DRR. Considering newly emerging risks, including those highlighted by the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes, and the evolving needs of local actors, UN Women will implement capacity development programme on gender-responsive climate action and disaster risk reduction, within the scope of the aforementioned project.

Within this framework, UN Women seeks to engage a national consultant to support the implementation of activities that enhance the capacity of civil society organizations to engage in gender-responsive climate action and disaster risk reduction. The consultant will deliver training programmes for CSOs, provide technical input to UN Women’s programming and advocacy in these areas, and contribute to the consolidation and dissemination of up-to-date policy information, tools, and standards related to gender, climate change, and DRR in Türkiye. 

Description of Responsibilities /Scope of Work

Under the supervision of UN Women Türkiye Programme Specialist, the national consultant will be responsible for supporting the delivery of capacity development activities, providing technical inputs to programming and advocacy, and contributing to stakeholder engagement efforts under the “Strong Civic Space for Equality and Women’s Empowerment” project. The consultant will work in close coordination with Programme Analyst and other consultants to:

The consultant will be reporting to UN Women Programme Specialist, and will be supported by Programme Analyst, who will be the point of contact on the contract and payment issues. Payments shall be made on a monthly basis, based on the provision of timesheets and supporting deliverables received and approved by UN Women Programme Specialist, who shall confirm Consultant’s work is completed and eligible for payment.

The total duration of the contract is a maximum of 18 working days until 15 September 2026.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based assignment with up to 3 trips to Ankara and/or cities where trainings may be organized. UN Women Türkiye Office will cover the organization and the costs of the consultant’s travel as per UN Women’s rules and regulations. UN Women will not be responsible for covering any transportation costs within the duty station, including taxi fares.

Mandatory Training Courses:

The Consultant shall complete all the mandatory and other required UN training courses and modules on time. The certificates shall be submitted to the supervisor.

Competencies :

Core Values:

Core Competencies:

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework: 

Functional Competencies:

Required Qualifications

Education and Certification:

Experience:

Languages:

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.