Location : Home-based
Application Deadline : 25-Aug-21 (Midnight New York, USA)
Time left : 13d 1h 51m
Additional Category : Gender Equality
Type of Contract : Individual Contract
Post Level : International Consultant
Languages Required :
English
Duration of Initial Contract : 6 months
UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
Background
Grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations (UN), UN Women 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, UN Women leads and coordinates the efforts of the UN system to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. UN Women provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.
UN Women has a universal mandate that encompasses a normative, operational/programmatic as well as a coordination role, all of which are closely linked with its unique structure. At the core of its mandate, UN Women plays a leading role in supporting governments in delivering on their gender equality and empowerment of women (GEEW) commitments in the SDGs. UN Women is mandated to stimulate and coordinate improved action on gender equality across the whole UN system.
Context overview and rationale
The high number of women who joined the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as Da’esh) in Syria and Iraq has presented policymakers and practitioners with a range of complex, gender-specific challenges. While a considerable number of Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTFs) have returned from the conflict zone slower in recent years, the rate of return of women remains lower than that of children and men. A study from 2019 highlighted that globally only around 9% of women who were in Iraq and Syria had returned, with the rate standing at 31% for Central Asia and only at 2% for the MENA region.
UNSC Resolution 2178 (2014) requires states to prevent, disrupt, prosecute, rehabilitate and reintegrate FTFs and recognizes the importance of “comprehensively addressing underlying factors, including by preventing radicalization to terrorism”. However, the roles and motivations of women associated with ISIL remain poorly understood, making it challenging for Governments to integrate a gender perspective and leading to insufficient policy responses. Available information suggests that gendered assumptions about women’s profiles and motivations, including that they are passive victims without agency, have often proved misguided. In many cases, the distinction between victims and perpetrators is non-binary, and the degree of women’s agency, and thus criminal responsibility, is unclear.
Research into judicial proceedings by the UN Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (UNCTED) reveals a “continued gender bias with regard to sentencing practices, with women accused of providing material support to terrorist groups receiving comparatively lenient sentences based on the assumption that they were duped under false pretenses”.[1] As a result, women are less likely to receive rehabilitation and reintegration support compared to men. This puts women at risk of relapse into radicalization and can undermine the reintegration efforts undertaken by Member States.[2]
The implementation of effective and nuanced gender-sensitive solutions to Screening, Prosecution, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (SPRR) as such is a matter of priority, given the magnitude of the humanitarian, human rights, and security challenges relating to women associated with Da’esh/ISIL. This is compounded by the implications of COVID-19 which is slowing down the implementation of PRR programmes in place due to restrictions on in-person access to inmates and individuals in rehabilitation centers and the unfeasibility of remote processes.[3] COVID-19 has also caused a sharp decrease in the repatriation of foreign children from camps in Syria, with reports showing two thirds fewer children having been repatriated in 2020 compared to the previous year, suggesting a similar fate for the repatriations of foreign women from the camps.[4]
Although there is extensive guidance in place for gender-sensitive SPRR[5], existing good practices, lessons learned, as well as challenges faced in the rehabilitation and reintegration of women FTFs, including from multiple regions, need better documentation to inform policymaking. Several lessons, for instance, could be drawn from the Central Asia region where many countries, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, have collaborated with the UN system to enable the repatriation and rehabilitation of women associated with ISIL.
Objective of the assignment
UN Women Regional Office for Arab States (ROAS) is seeking to recruit a consultant to develop a research paper on how national authorities approach the Screening, Prosecution, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (SPRR) of foreign fighters and their family members associated with ISIL in the Arab States and the Central Asia regions, and the extent to which these procedures integrate the specific needs of women and girls, respect women’s human rights, and are gender sensitive.
Reporting to the WPS regional advisor for the Arab States and working closely with the WPS teams in UN Women Arab States and Europe and Central Asia Regional Offices, the consultant will develop a research paper in order to contribute to increasing the understanding of how SPRR proceedings address or fail to address gender issues in practice, looking in particular at specific examples from the Central Asia and Arab States regions.
The research paper is expected to:
Document good practices and challenges faced by relevant stakeholders, such as Government entities and civil society, in their implementation of global guidance and policies on this issue, including in the current context triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Look at the potential and real consequences of gender blind SPRR when it comes to the return of female and male FTFs or individuals associated with ISIL and their family members from ISIL held areas, including the impact on the rights of women, young women, and children.
Identify gender specific needs of FTFs and individuals associated with ISIL and their family members to establish gender-sensitive solutions and recommendations, and to inform gender responsiveness of SPRR recovery measures and policies.
Highlight challenges and good practices linked to gender issues in prosecution and community transitional justice processes when looking at the return of ISIL associated individuals.
[1]https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/ctc/sites/www.un.org.securitycouncil.ctc/files/files/documents/2021/Jan/cted_analytical_brief_the_prosecution_of_isil-associated_women.pdf
[2] Ibid.
[3]https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/ctc/sites/www.un.org.securitycouncil.ctc/files/files/documents/2021/Jun/cted_covid_paper_15june2021_1.pdf
[4] https://www.savethechildren.net/news/repatriation-foreign-children-syria-slowed-covid-19-new-footage-emerges-life-camps
[5] Including the following:
Security Council resolution 2396 (2017): https://undocs.org/S/RES/2396(2017)
Security Council’s Addendum to Guiding Principles on FTFs, 2019, available at : https://www.un.org/sc/ctc/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Security-Council-Guiding-Principles-on-Foreign-Terrorist-Fighters.pdf
UN key principles for the protection, repatriation, prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration of women and children with links to UN listed terrorist groups, 2019, available at: https://www.un.org/counterterrorism/sites/www.un.org.counterterrorism/files/key_principles-april_2019.pdf
Duties and Responsibilities
Develop the structure and format for the research paper in agreement with UN Women as per the objectives of the assignment, while collaborating with relevant UN Women teams to leverage synergies.
Research information and review existing literature for the development of the paper. This will include desk-based research to identify global, regional and national guidance linked to gender and SPRR, good and less successful practices, challenges, and specific COVID-19 related issues in the current context, as they relate to women that lived in ISIL controlled areas.
Submit a preliminary outline of the research paper for discussion with UN Women.
Undertake interviews with relevant stakeholders across the Central Asia and Arab States regions.
Develop a report of approximately 30 pages, and revise the document as per feedback discussion with the UN Women teams, and collaborate with the relevant UN Women teams in finalizing the report.
Develop a set of recommendations for different stakeholders as part of the research paper looking specifically at enhancing the gender perspective in SPRR processes.
Produce a brief overview of the research paper, highlighting patterns, emerging themes and opportunities going forward.
Deliverables
Timelines
Outline of research paper for discussion with UN Women
1 October 2021 (3 working days)
Draft research paper for UN Women feedback
15 November 2021 (20 working days)
Incorporate comments of UN Women and share second draft
1 December 2021 (4 working days)
Final paper including UN Women’s comments and feedback (30 pages)
15 December 2021 (10 working days)
Brief overview of research paper
15 December 2021 (3 working days)
Competencies
Core Values:
Respect for Diversity;
Integrity;
Professionalism.
Core Competencies:
Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
Accountability;
Creative Problem Solving;
Effective Communication;
Inclusive Collaboration;
Stakeholder Engagement.
Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies: https://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/about%20us/employment/un-women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf?la=en&vs=637
Functional Competencies
Strong Knowledge of women, peace and security issues, with expertise in understanding gender-specific concerns in violent extremism and returns issues;
Proven ability to draft reports and research;
Good leadership skills;
Ability to engage in substantive technical discussion with diverse stakeholders;
Excellent written and verbal communication skills as well as strong analytical skills;
Detailed understanding of the sensitivity issues associated with conducting this type of research and demonstrated ability to plan for these;
Understanding of the security and political contexts of the Arab States and Central Asia regions as well as their gender related aspects.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
Advanced University Degree (master’s or equivalent) preferably in security studies, international development studies, sociology, gender studies and/or a closely related discipline;
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:
At least 10 years of relevant work experience in gender equality and women’s empowerment, particularly in the area of women, peace and security, and preventing and countering violent extremism with a gender-lens;
In-depth expertise in designing, implementing and disseminating research projects on peace and security issues;
Experience working in contexts affected by violent extremism in an asset;
Working experience in the MENA region is an asset;
Experience working with the UN and international organizations is an asset.
Language Requirements:
Fluency in spoken and written English is required;
Fluency in Arabic and/or Russian is an asset.
Evaluation Criteria:
Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology: Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points in the technical evaluation would be considered for the financial evaluation.
Applications will be screened and only candidates meeting the following minimum criteria will progress to the pool for shortlisting:
A University Degree in security studies, international development studies, sociology, gender studies and/or a closely related discipline
At least 10 years of experience in gender equality and WPS
Previous research experience on gender and violent extremism
Language: Fluency in English. Knowledge of Arabic and/or Russian is an asset
Mandatory submission of UN Personal History form (P11)
Brief concept note with initial ideas for the paper
Competences and qualifications based on the UN P11 form submitted by each candidate
Shortlisted Candidates will be interviewed and assessed against the following evaluation criteria.
Criteria Weight Technical: 70% (70 points)
A University Degree in security studies, international development studies, sociology, gender studies and/or a closely related discipline (20 points)
At least ten years of experience in gender equality and WPS issues (30 points)
Previous experience conducting research on WPS issues (20 points)
Financial: Lowest Financial Proposal: 30% (30 points)
The points for the Financial Proposal will be allocated as per the following formula:
Contract will be awarded to the technically qualified consultant who obtains the highest combined score (financial and technical);
The points for the Financial Proposal will be allocated as per the following formula: (Lowest Bid Offered*)/ (Bid of the Consultant) x 30;
‘Lowest Bid Offered’ refers to the lowest price offered by Offerors scoring at least 49 points in the technical evaluation.
Application:
Interested Individual Consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:
A cover letter with a brief presentation of your consultancy explaining your suitability for the work and link to the portfolio of work;
UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from http://www.unwomen.org/about- us/employment;
Personal CV; and Financial proposal; Proposed inclusive daily rate.
The above-mentioned documents should be merged in a standalone file including all of them since the online application submission does only permit uploading of one file per application. Incomplete submission can be a ground for disqualification.
Note:
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.
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