Programme Specialist

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, 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 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 been working in Afghanistan since 2002 (as UNIFEM until 2010). In 2022, Afghanistan has emerged as one of the world’s most complex emergencies. The crisis dynamics in the country are multi-layered, and Afghanistan’s people are facing the devastating effects of successive decades of conflict, increasing poverty, economic decline and natural disasters, all of which are amplified by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As per the Humanitarian Response Plan 2022, 24.4 million Afghans – more than half of the country’s estimated population of 42 million – are projected to be in need of humanitarian assistance in 2022, with a staggering 55 per cent of the population expected to face crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity. In this context, Afghan women and girls face unique vulnerabilities as gender inequality is interwoven with conflict dynamics and humanitarian needs. Women’s fundamental rights and freedoms have been continually threatened since the Taliban takeover and the limited gains made over the past twenty years are now at risk of being erased. Women across the country report instances of increased levels of restrictive gender norms and practices, impacting their freedom of movement and expression, participation in public life and access to life-saving services, information, protection (including sexual and gender-based violence and harmful practices), education, employment and livelihood opportunities. Impositions – such as the requirement for women to be accompanied by a close male relative if travelling distances greater than 72km – have worsened current obstacles to women’s access to work, education and basic services. Further, the operational space for women’s civil society has been severely affected.

It is in this context, that UN Women has re-configured its EVAW programming, and scaled up its coordination mandate and provide leadership to UN system wide efforts to inform strategic planning and coordination efforts -at Kabul and provincial levels, including through the UN Women field offices operational in 5 provinces.

Reporting to the EVAW Programme Manager, and under the overall guidance of the UN Women Afghanistan Country Office Country Representative, the EVAW Programme Specialist will support the implementation, monitoring and reporting of the EVAW programme, particularly of the Family Guidance Centers (FGCs) and Women’s Protection Centers (WPCs).

Agence France-Presse. 2021. “No long-distance travel for women without male relative: Taliban.” Al Jazeera, News, Women’s Rights, 26 December 2021. Available at: ttps://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/26/afghanistan-long-distance-travel-women-without-male-escort-taliban.

Duties and Responsibilities

Provide support to the EVAW Programme Manager in programme implementation
Provide strategic advice on managing EVAW partnerships with existing partners who manage Women’s Protection Centers and Family Resource Centers across several provinces in Afghanistan
Conduct monitoring missions to partner offices, WPCs and FRCs as needed with support from five sub-offices
Support development of advocacy and communication strategies for opening and implementation of WPCs and FRCs as needed
Provide network and capacity development to partner civil society organizations in the field
Follow up on required action/outstanding issues and report on outcome/ result.
Alert the Country Representative/ CO on critical issues to be addressed from the field
Support monitoring and evaluation of WPCs and FRCs
Finalize the project workplan and budget and manage their implementation;
Provide guidance and support in developing and implementing M&E tools and knowledge management products
Contribute to trouble shoot and advice on challenges in effective implementation of the EVAW programmes.
Manage the submission of partners’ financial and narrative reports;
Provide guidance to personnel and partners on Results Based Management tools and performance indicators;
Organize Project Advisory Committee, project review and/or evaluation meetings, as needed.
Manage the donor reporting of WPCs and FRCs
Provide oversight to reporting on project implementation and finances;
Oversee field missions and review reports on monitoring missions;
Write quarterly reports and donor reports, focusing on results, output and outcomes;
Contribute to office donor and UN Women reports.
Manage advocacy, knowledge building and communication efforts
Develop and review background documents, briefs and presentations related to the FRCs and WPCs;
Represent UN Women in meetings and policy dialogues on issues related to EVAW as necessary;
Develop advocacy strategies and oversee their implementation;
Identify best practices and lessons learned to guide programme improvement and strategy planning;

Timely and quality programme design and inputs to EVAW programming
Timely and quality of programme delivery in line with budget and workplans, and in line with all UN Women operational rules and regulations, including security
Timely and quality monitoring and evaluation of programmes
Relations with partners and stakeholders
Quality reports and timely submission
Regular communication with other agencies and partners
Quality of advocacy and communication initiatives

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

Strong programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills

Strong knowledge of Results Based Management
Ability to synthesize program performance data and produce donor reports and analytical work to inform management and strategic decision-making
Strong knowledge of ending violence against women and specialist services especially in Afghanistan
Strong writing and analytical skills

Required Skills and Experience

Education and certification:

Master’s degree or equivalent 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.
A project/programme management certification would be an added advantage

Experience:

At least 5 years of progressively responsible work experience at the national or international level in design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects;
Technical experience in specialist services provided by women’s rights organizations in Afghanistan.
Knowledge and experience in working on addressing issues related to ending violence against women in complex humanitarian context;
Experience coordinating and liaising with government agencies and/or donors;
Experience working in the region and/or in Afghanistan is an asset;
Experience working in the UN System is an asset;
Experience in leading/managing a team is an asset.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English is required;
Working knowledge of another official UN language is an asset;
Knowledge of Dari or Pashto is an asset.