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.

Placing women’s rights at the center of all its efforts, the UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides a strong and coherent leadership in supporting Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.
Reporting to the Knowledge Management and Research Specialist based at UN Women Regional Office for East and Southern Africa, UN Women therefore seeks a consultant to develop an abridged version of the South Sudan Women’s Charter (quantitative and quantitative analysis).

The purpose of this assignment is to develop a concise synthesis report of the South Sudan Women’s Charter, highlighting:

• Key thematic areas and priority issues raised in the Charter.
• Main recommendations for policy and legislative reforms.
• Implications for constitutional development and gender equality in South Sudan.

Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work: 
The South Sudan Women’s Charter is a result of a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare (MGCSW), Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and UN Women, South Sudan Country Office, aimed at facilitating the active involvement of women and girls in the Permanent Constitution making process in the Republic of South Sudan. The Charter concretizes the demands and priorities of women and girls, advocating for their inclusion in the Permanent Constitution and calling for legislative, policy, and programmatic interventions across the twelve (12) thematic areas.

Objectives of the assignment:
UN Women is hiring a consultant to prepare an abridged version of the South Sudan Women’s charter. The charter serves as a crucial opportunity to enshrine gender equality, eliminate discrimination against women and girls, ensure a 50% gender quota for women’s participation across all governmental bodies and levels, and lay the groundwork for gender-responsive legislation that will genuinely benefit women and girls in South Sudan.

The abridged version of the Charter will accelerate dissemination and make the charter more reader friendly reaching diverse and wider audience hence strengthening the resolve of the South Sudan’s Government to commit to the obligations outlined in Article 2 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Maputo Protocol, which mandate State Parties to embody the principle of gender equality into their national constitutions or other appropriate legislation.

The version of the charter will readily identify key gaps, challenges and will provide an overview of the best practices and recommend strategic actions.

The consultant will undertake the following tasks to prepare the abridged version of the South Sudan Women’s charter through:

• Conducting a thorough review of the 2024 South Sudan Women’s Charter;
• Identifying and summarizing key themes, findings, and recommendations;
• Analyzing the alignment of the Charter’s recommendations with national, regional, and international gender equality commitments;
• Presenting information in a clear, concise, and accessible format;
• Ensuring the synthesis is structured logically, including an executive summary, key thematic areas, and a concluding section with actionable recommendations.

Methodology:
The synthesis will be developed through:

• A desk review of the South Sudan Women’s Charter.
• Comparative analysis with similar charters from other countries.

Deliverables:

• An abridged version (synthesis) of the women’s charter
• Key messages for policy advocacy from the Women’s Charter

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

Functional Competencies

• Ability to design qualitative and quantitative research projects;
• Demonstrable gender research experience;
• Excellent report writing and analysis skills;
• Good knowledge of gender issues and women’s empowerment issues.

Required Qualifications:

Education and Certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Social Sciences, Gender Studies, International Development, Law, Economics 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 demonstrated extensive experience that combines research and programs in gender and international development at the national and international level is required;
• Strong knowledge of gender equality, human rights, and constitutional processes;
• Track record of publications on gender issues in peer reviewed journals;
• Excellent writing and analytical skills;
• Familiarity with South Sudan’s legal and policy landscape;
• Proven experience in research, report synthesis, and policy analysis.

Languages:

• Fluency in English 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.