Consultant to develop Booklets on Being Gender Aware for girls, adolescents and women returnees from conflict zones, primarily Syria and Iraq

Background

1. 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; the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development; human rights; as well as humanitarian action and peace and security. Placing women's rights at the centre of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations (UN) system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States' priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

More than 30,000 individuals, including family members, from more than 80 countries are believed to have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join Da’esh and other UN designated terrorist groups. While some family members joined voluntarily, many others were forced, manipulated, or coerced to travel with family members or to follow them. Moreover, thousands of children were born into the conflicts in Syria and Iraq to foreign parents. In Central Asia, Kazakhstan is one of the few countries that has repatriated the majority of its nationals from both Syria and Iraq. This includes 420 children some of whom had never been to Kazakhstan, needed to acquire an additional language, and were meeting the relatives who will care for them for the first time. Since 2019, in Kazakhstan, the rehabilitation centres for women and children returning from conflict areas were organized to support their resocialization and adaptation. Authorities helped the women to obtain a job, receive documents and adapt to a peaceful life. Since 2018, Tajikistan has received 19 returning children from Syria and has repatriated 84 children from Iraq. While the 19 returnees from Syria were reintegrated to communities of origin, the 84 returnees from Iraq remain in residential institutions and have yet to be reunified with families and communities of origin. Tajikistan requires stronger and more consistent support from the UN as it lacks experience in reintegrating children and women affected by armed conflict back into society. Efforts have already begun by engaging Tajikistan in regional dialogues on reintegration approaches taken by other Central Asian countries. Since May 2019, Uzbekistan has implemented three campaigns to repatriate its citizens from Iraq and Syria. Of its 220 repatriated Uzbek nationals from Syria and Iraq, 172 were children, and 48 were women who were given legal amnesty which allowed them to be reintegrated into communities with their children or family members. In December 2020, an additional 25 Uzbek women and 73 children who had been living in armed conflicts zones in Syria were repatriated. In addition to repatriations from Syria and Iraq, Uzbekistan has repatriated a number of women and children from Afghanistan.

Under its regional Women, Peace and Security, and Humanitarian Action portfolio, UN Women will focus on four countries in Central Asia - Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and possibly Kyrgyzstan - and will work under specific results areas relevant to each country’s context. The overall objective of the project is to support States in Central Asia in the rehabilitation and reintegration of their citizens returned from conflict zones. The project is being implemented through two joint UN Programmes in Central Asia: (i) with the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and European Union (EU) in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and possibly Kyrgyzstan; and (ii) with the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Uzbekistan. In cooperation with the UN system in Central Asia the project envisions to provide child and human rights-based, age and gender-sensitive technical assistance to Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and possibly Kyrgyzstan to support families of the returnees from primarily Syria and Iraq. The project will increase advocacy and contribute to national efforts to effectively mainstream gender and human rights perspectives in policy frameworks, processes, and measures to address Screening, Prosecution, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (SPRR) at the national level. The project will also leverage experience gained from work in the four participating countries to facilitate information exchange and dialogue on gender-sensitive recovery and rehabilitation measures with other Member States in the Central Asia region.

Reflective of the above, the UN Women Europe and Central Asia Regional Office is seeking to recruit an international consultant to develop content for a “Being Gender Aware” series of booklets for children, adolescents and women returnees from conflict zones, primarily Syria and Iraq.

Duties and Responsibilities

2. Goal and Objectives

The main objective of this consultancy is to provide gender expertise in developing a series of innovative booklets on Being Gender Aware for women, adolescents and children returnees from conflict zones.

3. Scope of Work and Specific Tasks

Under guidance of the UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia and under the supervision of the Programme Coordinator (UN Women in Kazakhstan), the Consultant is expected to perform the following tasks:

Develop a series of Being Gender Aware booklets

Prepare a contents plan for a series of Being Gender Aware booklets targeted to (i) children, (ii) adolescents and (iii) women returnees from conflict zones, primarily Syria and Iraq, but also can be beneficial to displaced women and girls (including from Afghanistan) who are or will be settled in Europe and Central Asia
Develop the Being Gender Aware booklets on topics that will provide readers with gender and age- appropriate content on topics such as (but not limited to):

Gender concepts, cultural diversity and sensitivity, rights and responsibilities within the legal framework
Self-care, self-help, self-healing, building self-confidence and resilience
Life skills for social reintegration (in schools, careers and society), building independent living skills, managing the stress of integration
Communication skills, conflict resolution, protection and prevention from gender-based violence

Develop guides for facilitators

Develop guides for facilitators to lead (i) children and (ii) adolescents in lively discussions and interactive communications using the age appropriate Being Gender Aware booklets

4. Deliverables and Timesheet

The International Consultant will be required to support and produce the following indicative key deliverables within a period of 5 months:
Deliverables Timeframe Estimated days to be worked
Work plan with list of monthly deliverables to be updated at the beginning of each month and cleared by Supervisor By 5th of each month N/A
Summary report of tasks performed under expected duties and responsibilities, deliverable documents and timesheet. On a monthly basis, by 25th of every month Monthly lumpsum
Being Gender Aware booklets for (i) children, (ii) adolescents and (iii) women on up to 5 agreed topics

2 booklets by 20th March
2 booklets by 20th April
1 booklet by 10th May

Up to 10 days
Being Gender Aware facilitators guides on up to 5 agreed topics

2 facilitator’s guides by 20th March
2 facilitator’s guides by 20th April
1 facilitator’s guide by 10th May

Up to 15 days
Final consolidated report with indication of key achievements and handover notes By 27 May 2022 Final month’s lumpsum

5. Duration of Assigment and Schedule

The time required for the consultancy is up to 25 days spread over a 3-months assignment starting 1 March to 30 May 2022.

Due to the continuing and unpredictable COVID-19 pandemic situation, the assignment will be home-based, with no expected travel. Any additional travel that may be requested, in consultation with the consultant, will be preapproved and financially covered by UN Women.

6. Schedule of Payments

The Consultant will submit monthly reports on all agreed work carried out and completed to the Project Coordinator and Supervisor; this report should include the deliverables completed and number of days worked (timesheet).

Each piece of work will be reviewed by the Project Coordinator and signed off by the Supervisor to ensure that it is of an acceptable standard.

Once agreed, monthly payment will be certified by the Hiring Manager for processing to ensure that deliverables/work carried out is in line with the TOR and meet quality requirements.

Competencies

7. 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
Leading by Example

Functional Competencies:

In-depth knowledge of gender equality, women’s economic empowerment, violence against women and girls, and humanitarian action
Demonstrated ability to produce trainings plans and training materials on gender equality, women’s economic empowerment and violence against women and girls
Demonstrated ability to effectively carry out trainings online and in-person
Demonstrated ability to produce clear reports and guidance with in-depth analysis and strategic recommendations in English in the relevant field
Good communication and interpersonal skills, ability to foster networks and partnerships
Ability to complete complex assignments in a timely manner and delivery quality results

Required Skills and Experience

8. Qualifications

Education and certification:

Master’s degree or equivalent in gender studies, social sciences, economics, or any other area relevant to the requirements of the Terms of Reference.
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 7 years progressively responsible experience in gender, women´s rights, women´s economic empowerment, violence against women and girls, and humanitarian action (socio-economic response, recovery) or related area of work
Demonstrable experience in developing high quality training manuals on gender equality, women´s economic empowerment and/or violence against women and girls
Experience in programming on initiatives that address the issues affecting women and girls in development and humanitarian settings
Experience of research on gender equality and women’s empowerment and producing high quality research documents and reports
Experience working with the UN is an asset

Language Requirements:

Fluency in spoken and written English is required.