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.By placing women's rights at the center of its work, UN Women leads and coordinates UN system initiatives to translate global commitments to gender equality into concrete actions, providing coherent leadership while supporting Member States' priorities and fostering partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.
In line with UN Women's Planning, Monitoring, and Reporting (PMR) Policy, Regional Offices are required to develop coherent and forward-looking Strategic Notes (SNs), aligned with the organization's triple mandate, the UN Women Strategic Plan (SP), and Results-Based Management (RBM) principles of accountability, inclusiveness, adaptive management, and learning. The SNs are informed by comprehensive regional context analyses, independent assessments, evaluations, and stakeholder consultations to ensure relevance, effectiveness, and responsiveness to emerging gender equality challenges.
The UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (ECARO) provides integrated policy advice, technical assistance, and capacity development support to country offices across 12 countries and territories in three subregions: Western Balkans and Turkey, Eastern Europe and South Caucasus, and Central Asia. ECARO also serves as a Non-Resident Agency in five countries, contributing to UN Country Team priorities. The current four-year SN (2022โ2025) provides a strategic framework for advancing gender equality and empowering all women and girls in the region, with key focus areas including women's leadership and political participation, women's economic empowerment, elimination of violence against women and girls (EVAW), peace and security, humanitarian action, and intergovernmental processes.
In 2025, ECARO started the development of its next Strategic Note (2026โ2029), aiming to deliver high-impact results during the final years of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The new SN will incorporate innovative approaches such as systems thinking, forward-looking analysis, and intersectional programming to anticipate emerging challenges and capitalize on new opportunities. The ongoing evaluation of the current regional SN, launched in February 2024, will provide critical data, evidence, and lessons learned to inform the next strategic cycle. Extensive consultations with regional stakeholdersโincluding UNECE Member States, development partners, civil society, women's rights organizations, youth leaders, private sector partners, and the UN systemโwill further guide the SN's priorities.
Recognizing the persistent and emerging challenges in the elimination of violence against women, UN Women seeks to develop a comprehensive Regional Strategy on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) to operationalize and support the implementation of the forthcoming Strategic Note. This strategy will be informed by the evaluation of the current SN, as well as the evidence and analysis contained in the new SN, including findings from partner and public surveys, inputs from women at greatest risk of being left behind, regional review processes such as Beijing +30, SDG 5 progress evaluations, and consultations associated with CSW70 and UNSCR 1325. It will also align with UNSDCF frameworks, the multidimensional agenda of the SDGs, and UN Women's global Strategic Plan 2026โ2029, ensuring an integrated and intersectional approach to EVAW across the region.
Objective
UN Women ECARO is seeking to recruit an international consultant to support gathering substantial inputs, findings and recommendations to develop a comprehensive Regional Strategy on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) that operationalizes and supports the implementation of the forthcoming Strategic Note (2026โ2029). The consultant will support the analysis of the regional EVAW landscape, including current trends, gaps, and opportunities, and synthesize evidence from existing UN Women documents, regional reviews, evaluations, and other relevant sources. The consultant will engage with UN Women staff across Country Offices and the Regional Office, as well as key stakeholders including UN agencies, development partners, civil society, and women's rights organizations, to ensure the analysis for the strategy reflects regional priorities and is aligned with UN Women's strengths and mandate.
The resulting strategy will provide a forward-looking framework for EVAW programming, advocacy, and partnerships in the ECA region, ensuring coherence with the new Strategic Note.
Description of Responsibilities
The international consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:
Conduct targeted desk research and literature reviewโข Review relevant international, regional, and national literature on the elimination of violence against women (EVAW), including UN Women documents, evaluations, regional reviews, legal frameworks, policy analyses, and relevant CSO publications.
โข Analyze trends, gaps, and emerging challenges in EVAW programming, policy, and advocacy across the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region.
โข Identify entry points for strategic interventions and regional priorities, including opportunities for collaboration with UN agencies, development partners, civil society, and women's rights organizations.
โข Synthesize lessons learned from previous UN Women strategies and programmes, as well as evidence and priorities outlined in the forthcoming UN Women ECA Strategic Note (2026โ2029), which will form the basis of the EVAW Strategy. Support toย Develop the Regional EVAW Strategy
โข Support the drafting of a comprehensive, evidence-based Regional EVAW Strategy that operationalizes and supports the implementation of the UN Women ECA Strategic Note (2026โ2029).
โข Provide support in ensuring that the strategy provides clear priorities, objectives, and actionable recommendations for programming, policy advocacy, and partnerships in the region.
โข Provide support in alignment of the strategy with UN Women's global Strategic Plan 2026โ2029, SDG 5, relevant UNSDCF frameworks, and international human rights standards.
โข Recommend on incorporation of an intersectional and rights-based approach, considering the needs of women at greatest risk of being left behind. Engage with key stakeholders
โข Conduct consultations and interviews with UN Women staff across Regional and Country Offices, and relevant thematic areas to gather insights and validate findings.
โข Engage with development partners, civil society, and women's rights organizations to ensure regional relevance, ownership, and strategic alignment.
Facilitate review and validation processes
โข Support to present draft strategy for review by UN Women ECARO and key stakeholders.
โข Provide support in integrating feedback in the strategy document, ensuring coherence, clarity, and alignment with the UN Women ECA Strategic Note.
โข Participate in preparatory or follow-up meetings as requested by UN Women.
Deliverables
This consultancy will require 30 working days over a period of 4 months (October 2025 to January 2026).
Under the overall guidance of theย UN Women ECARO Strategic Partnerships and Intergovernmental Specialist, the International Consultant(s) will perform the following tasks, that include but are not limited to the following:
Desk research and analysis of the Strategic Note:ย
Conduct a comprehensive review of existing research, reports, and assessments on elimination of violence against women (EVAW) in the ECA region. Review the forthcoming UN Women ECA Strategic Note (2026โ2029) and extract relevant evidence, priorities, and lessons learned to inform the EVAW Strategy. Map out regional trends, key gaps, and promising practices in EVAW programming and policy advocacy. Highlight connections between EVAW, women's rights, access to justice, legal frameworks, and broader gender equality commitments (SDGs, UNSDCF, global SP).Stakeholder consultations:ย
Engage with UN Women COs and RO staff to gather perspectives on ongoing EVAW initiatives and strategic priorities. Consult with key UN agencies, development partners, and civil society organizations involved in EVAW, including women's rights organizations.Support drafting and finalization of the Regional EVAW Strategy:ย
Consultant's Workplace and Official Travelย
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:
Strong analytical and research skills with ability to synthesize complex information Excellent writing skills with demonstrated ability to produce high-quality policy papers Knowledge of gender equality and women's rights frameworks Ability to work independently and meet tight deadlinesRequired QualificationsEducation and Certification:
A master's degree in social sciences, human rights, gender/women's studies, international development, 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. Specialized training or certification in gender equality, women's rights, or EVAW would be an added advantage. Experience: Minimum 5 years of proven experience at the international level in policy work and in the design, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of ending violence against women programmes Technical expertise and thought leadership in evidence-based approaches to preventing violence against women and girls, and understanding of the normative framework of EVAW globally and in the region, including on the Istanbul Conventionย Proven experience in supporting the development of strategic documents in the field of EVAW through participatory approaches is a strong asset. Experience working in the Europe and Central Asia region is a strong asset. Excellent English communication and writing skills. ยLanguages:
Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Russian is an asset.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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